Statement by Rev. Joan Brown Campbell
- July 15, 1996
- Washington, D.C.
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- This month marks an important milestone. It was two years ago, in July, 1994, that a
small group of concerned and committed members of the clergy created The Interfaith
Alliance. The Alliance was founded on the twin commitments of honestly representing the
shared religious principles held by the broad spectrum of America's religious community
and offering a clear, faith-based alternative voice to religious political extremists.
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- In the two years since The Interfaith Alliance's inception, we have been greeted with a
groundswell of support and active involvement from the mainstream religious community.
TIA's membership now exceeds 30,000 individuals and organizations from more than 40
different faith communities. TIA's grassroots network now comprises over 110 local,
regional, and state Alliances 32 states from Washington State to Florida. These
organizations, led by clergy partnered with concerned lay people, are working tirelessly
to challenge those who, in the name of Christianity, would manipulate religion as a
weapon to push a partisan and destructive social agenda.
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- The Interfaith Alliance's grassroots network draws on shared religious principles to
offers Americans a mainstream, faith-based agenda committed to the positive role of
religion as a healing and constructive force in public life.
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- Allow me to sketch out for you the scope and breadth of our grassroots activities.
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- Minnesota's Alliance sponsored a candidates' prayer breakfast and a public discussion
of family values among Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Native American
representatives.
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- The Washington state Alliance, with its 14 local chapters, designed a campaign to shine
the light on "stealth" school board candidates by issuing a pledge of fair campaigning for
local school board races.
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- The Florida alliance leaders joined a broad coalition of concerned religious and lay
groups in urging Governor Chiles to veto legislation that would allow school sponsored
prayer in the Florida school system.
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- Oregon voters in the recent special U.S. Senate election received 70,000 voter guides
that presented fair, objective information about both candidate's' stands on issues
important to their families.
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- In the fall of 1995, the Virginia Interfaith Alliance distributed 40,000 mainstream voter
guides for the 1995 Virginia state legislative races.
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- The Interfaith Alliance was present from New Hampshire to Florida during the recent
presidential nomination race speaking up for tolerance and speaking out against the
voices of division among religious/political leaders.
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- This is the picture of religiously grounded, yet interfaith civic involvement in towns,
cities, counties, and states across America. It is people coming together to work at the
grassroots level, emphasizing the constructive role that religious values can play in our
public life. It is people of conviction standing up to the threat to our freedoms posed by
religious political extremists in their demands for orthodoxy and their rejection of
differing beliefs. This is a picture of thousands of American families who care deeply
about their country and believe deeply in their God...and who are standing up to those
who sanctimoniously question that faith based on political differences. These are people
who see The Interfaith Alliance as a voice for restoring values, strengthening families,
and building community.
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- That is why I came here two years ago. That is why I proudly returned today.
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