Democrats and the Left need to lean much more heavily into religion

[Hardkill]

One thing that I don't think anybody has really been talking about is the fact that the Left has ceded the narrative of religion and God to the right-wing and Republicans way too much for far too long.

Even the most religiously expressive Democrats, like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden still have never leaned into religion nearly as much as Republicans and the Right have.

Democrats Lean In More Cautiously Because:

1. Their Coalition Is Religiously Diverse

• Includes seculars, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, and atheists.
• Leaning heavily into one religious tradition risks alienating others.

2. They Embrace Pluralism and Church-State Separation

• Even religious Democrats tend to be uncomfortable politicizing religion the way the GOP does.
• Democratic leaders prefer moral language rooted in compassion, justice, and inclusion, rather than invoking divine authority.

3. Their Activist and Academic Base Is Mostly Secular

• Many leading voices in progressive activism, media, and education view religion with skepticism or even hostility.

4. Democrats Think: “America’s Becoming Secular — Why Bother?”

 

However, I now think that the Democratic party and progressives pulling back from visible, values-based religious messaging — especially after the 1990s — has become a costly mistake for them both electorally and culturally.

1. Ceded the Moral Narrative to the Right

• The GOP successfully framed itself as the party of “faith, family, and freedom”, especially to white Christians.
• Meanwhile, Democrats often sounded like the party of policy and rights, but not moral conviction.
• That opened the door for Christian nationalism to grow unchallenged in moral language, with Democrats mostly reacting, not reframing.

“If Democrats won’t speak in moral terms, we’ll do it for them — our way.”

2. Lost Key Religious Voter Groups

• White evangelicals became solidly Republican.
• Mainline Protestants drifted right.
• Even Latino Catholics and Pentecostals have trended more conservative in recent cycles.
• Only Black Protestants and liberal Catholics have stayed reliably Democratic — and even there, turnout has fluctuated.

3. Missed Opportunities for Bridge-Building

   Faith communities care about:

• Poverty
• Healthcare
• Immigration
• Racial justice
• Climate stewardship

These are Democratic-aligned issues, but Democrats rarely frame them as moral imperatives rooted in faith — leaving religious voters unengaged or unconvinced.

4. Allowed the Left to Be Branded as Anti-Faith

• Even though Democrats have many religious members and leaders, the lack of consistent public messaging made it easier for Republicans to portray the entire party as secular, elitist, or even hostile to religion.

5. Even in this current era, most Americans are still religious:

• Approx. two-thirds of Americans still identify as Christian
• Approx. 2 percent of Americans identify as Jewish 
• Approx. 10 percent of Americans identify as belonging to some other kind of religion
• Only less than 25% of Americans identify as not being affiliated with any religion  

 

If Democrats combined the modern Jimmy Carter–style approach with a call for moral education rooted in the wisdom of religious traditions (especially Abrahamic ones), while being clear that this is about learning from religion, not enforcing it, they could:

 

1. Reclaim Moral Leadership

By linking values like discipline, compassion, integrity, and courage to religious teachings, Democrats could show that faith traditions have long supported the very ideals they fight for — social justice, inclusion, and dignity.

“We’re not telling kids what to believe — we’re showing them what generations before us believed about honor, service, and the common good.”

 

 

2. Respond to the Crisis of Meaning Among Young People

Many young Americans today feel:

• Disconnected from tradition or community
• Overwhelmed by anxiety, digital overload, and political division
• Starved for a sense of purpose bigger than themselves

Teaching about faith traditions (without preaching) could help offer roots, narrative, and community values — tools for anchoring their lives.

 

 

3. Bridge Divides Across Generations and Faiths

• Older Americans might feel heard when Democrats say:

            “We know our children are missing something. They deserve to learn not just how to succeed — but how to live.”

• Immigrant and minority religious communities would likely respond positively, seeing their traditions valued, not erased.
• Even secular voters could support this if framed as values education, not religious indoctrination.

 

What This Message Must Be Careful To Do:

✅ Emphasize: Learning from religion, not practicing it

“We’re not here to preach. We’re here to teach. About how different faiths, especially the Abrahamic ones, helped shape the ideas of service, duty, and compassion that built this country.”

Frame it as inclusive and pluralistic. Include discussions of:

• Christianity, Judaism, Islam
• Humanism, secular ethics, Eastern traditions
• Moral questions like: What do I owe others? What gives life meaning? How should I treat people I disagree with?

✅ Tie it to civic purpose

“We want young people to know they matter — not just to themselves, but to their neighbors, their communities, and their country.”

Moreover, Democrats would need "cultural depth" to make that kind of religious-values message credible and not come off as just pandering. They would have to embed it authentically within their broader cultural, political, and moral identity, rather than just dropping a one-off talking point.

 

Here’s how they could add cultural depth to a message encouraging voluntary religious participation for people:

1. Show Long-Term Engagement with Faith Communities

Not just a campaign slogan — but consistent outreach and partnership with:

• Churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples
• Faith-based nonprofits (soup kitchens, youth programs, refugee aid)
• Interfaith coalitions working on housing, climate, and justice

If Democrats are already working with faith leaders on issues like poverty, addiction, and education, then a message about “faith and moral formation” feels grounded — not opportunistic.

 

2. Highlight Faith-Based Democratic Voices

Instead of vague nods to “faith,” platform devout Democrats who live their values:

• Black pastors supporting economic justice
• Catholic activists working on immigration reform
• Muslim leaders promoting civic engagement
• Jewish Democrats advancing civil rights

Let them speak for the party — not just in religious language, but in moral, community-based terms that align with core Democratic values.

 

3. Tie Religious Values to Universal Democratic Goals

Make the case that faith-based upbringing supports goals like:

• Empathy and compassion → social justice
• Discipline and responsibility → strong families and education
• Charity and service → anti-poverty programs

“Whether you draw strength from scripture or conscience, what matters is that we raise children to care for others and work for justice.”

 

4. Include Pluralism and Secular Morality in the Message

Balance the religious tone by:

• Affirming that secular Americans also raise moral, civic-minded kids
• Framing faith as one valuable path, not the only one
• Emphasizing mutual respect and shared public values

“This isn’t about forcing belief — it’s about honoring the many ways Americans raise children to be compassionate, curious, and courageous.”

 

They should also like Jimmy Carter make a strong call for moral education rooted in the wisdom of religious traditions (especially Abrahamic ones), while being clear that this is about learning from religion, not enforcing it. If they did then they could:

 

1. Reclaim Moral Leadership

By linking values like discipline, compassion, integrity, and courage to religious teachings, Democrats could show that faith traditions have long supported the very ideals they fight for — social justice, inclusion, and dignity.

“We’re not telling kids what to believe — we’re showing them what generations before us believed about honor, service, and the common good.”

 

2. Respond to the Crisis of Meaning Among Young People

Many young Americans today feel:

• Disconnected from tradition or community
• Overwhelmed by anxiety, digital overload, and political division
• Starved for a sense of purpose bigger than themselves

Teaching about faith traditions (without preaching) could help offer roots, narrative, and community values — tools for anchoring their lives.

 

3. Bridge Divides Across Generations and Faiths

• Older Americans might feel heard when Democrats say:
• “We know our children are missing something. They deserve to learn not just how to succeed — but how to live.”
• Immigrant and minority religious communities would likely respond positively, seeing their traditions valued, not erased.
• Even secular voters could support this if framed as values education, not religious indoctrination.

 

What This Message Must Be Careful To Do:

✅ Emphasize: Learning from religion, not practicing it

“We’re not here to preach. We’re here to teach. About how different faiths, especially the Abrahamic ones, helped shape the ideas of service, duty, and compassion that built this country.”

✅ Frame it as inclusive and pluralistic

Include discussions of:

• Christianity, Judaism, Islam
• Humanism, secular ethics, Eastern traditions
• Moral questions like: What do I owe others? What gives life meaning? How should I treat people I disagree with?

✅ Tie it to civic purpose

“We want young people to know they matter — not just to themselves, but to their neighbors, their communities, and their country.”

[Apparition of Jack]

And y’all made fun of me when I said bring back Christian Democracy

[Yimpa]

37 minutes ago, Apparition of Jack said:

And y’all made fun of me when I said bring back Christian Democracy

On 5/10/2025 at 0:47 AM, Yimpa said:

I am checking Infinite Madness off of my to-do list. ✅

 

[aurum]

A lot of non-denominational, Christian churches are like this. 

There's also the Unity organization: https://www.unity.org/

They're a lot closer to SD Green. 

[Lyubov]

They need to lean into a lot of things. The party is like half of their voters, confused about who they are. They need to fucking toughen up ffs. 

[Hardkill]

32 minutes ago, Lyubov said:

They need to lean into a lot of things. The party is like half of their voters, confused about who they are. They need to fucking toughen up ffs. 

Yeah, and large parts of the country perceive the Democrats as overeducated, too urban, too coastal, and too secular.

[Hardkill]

14 hours ago, Apparition of Jack said:

And y’all made fun of me when I said bring back Christian Democracy

It's actually not a bad idea. 
 

Or it could be more like Judeo-Christian Democracy.

[Basman]

I'd argue that economic issues is the most bipartisan and unifying issue for Americans but leaning more into religion could certainly be a good thing.

Also, your post kind of looks like it is AI generated. Maybe I'm wrong but you should make that disclaimer if that is the case.

[Hardkill]

45 minutes ago, Basman said:

I'd argue that economic issues is the most bipartisan and unifying issue for Americans but leaning more into religion could certainly be a good thing.

Also, your post kind of looks like it is AI generated. Maybe I'm wrong but you should make that disclaimer if that is the case.

Yeah, economic issues are supposed to be bipartisan and unifying issues, but apparently too many Americans seem to prioritize or get too distracted by culture wars like Trans and queers vs. anti-Trans and anti-queer, gays and lesbians vs. straight people, white people vs. racial minorities, Immigrants vs. native-born Americans, men vs. women, religion vs. secularism, nationalism vs. globalism, pro-abortion vs. pro-life, and on and on and on.

Okay, you got me. Some of what I posted on my original post was from using Chat GPT, but not all of it was. In fact, it took a lot of time to refine the kinds of responses and texts that I was looking for.

Edited Monday at 11:29 PM by Hardkill

[Basman]

1 hour ago, Hardkill said:

Okay, you got me. Some of what I posted on my original post was from using Chat GPT, but not all of it was. In fact, it took a lot of time to refine the kinds of responses and texts that I was looking for.

Bullet-point style format and those emojis are a dead giveaway.

[Hardkill]

3 hours ago, Basman said:

Bullet-point style format and those emojis are a dead giveaway.

Those Damn emojis.......

But hey, there's nothing wrong with the bullet-point style format. It makes statements more organized and readable.