Clergy across traditions call for peace, civil discourse, and the protection of constitutional freedoms
[Washington, DC] – More than 100 national faith leaders, including Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Glen Guyton, have signed a letter denouncing all forms of political violence and condemning attacks on free speech and the independence of nonprofit organizations. The statement, released today, warns against the growing normalization of violence and the rise of authoritarian threats to democratic freedoms in the United States.
Quoting the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the leaders reaffirm that “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The leaders urge elected officials to reject violent rhetoric, refuse to normalize threats, and actively resist the dangerous drift toward authoritarianism. They also raise concerns about government efforts to target and retaliate against faith-based and nonprofit organizations that don’t conform to the divisive rhetoric of the Trump administration.
“The First Amendment ensures that all individuals and organizations are protected from unlawful targeting by the government for exercising their beliefs, even those organizations with whom we disagree,” the leaders write. “Targeting organizations is an attack on free speech and the First Amendment and sets a dangerous precedent that undermines democratic norms in our country.”
Signatories are urging the President and all elected officials to unequivocally uphold freedom of speech and religious liberty, emphasizing that these rights are not partisan issues—they are fundamental guardrails of our democracy.
“We are grateful for the partnerships that we can establish on behalf of the members of Mennonite Church USA,” said Guyton. “One way we serve individual conferences and congregations is by joining other Christian fellowships in matters of national and global importance. Signing this letter reflects our Anabaptist conviction that the way of Christ is one of love, not violence or harmful rhetoric.”
The statement concludes with a call to moral courage: “As people of faith, we believe that every person is made in the image and likeness of God and has inalienable dignity and worth. It is because of this that we believe that free speech is fundamental to our democracy, and it must be protected.”