RMC briefing: Kamala Harris and the faith vote
08/20/24 • 56 min
The US Vice President Kamala Harris will be formally nominated as the Democrat's presidential candidate at the party’s convention in Chicago this week. With a Hindu mother, Baptist father and Jewish husband, she embodies religious pluralism in a diverse country. But will this make her more or less appealing to constituencies of faith, or the non-religious?
In this Religion Media Centre briefing, the speakers considered how the Democrats, a party with 30 per cent non-religious and 60 per cent Christian, are finding common ground around values, as people decide how to vote, irrespective of faith. The briefing heard the view that the conservative white evangelical support of Donald Trump, with its particular take on Christianity, has pushed the Democrats towards greater clarity that religion and the state are separate and this is what binds their party in a big tent, including people of all faiths and none. Hosted by Rosie Dawson, the speakers were:
- Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter senior correspondent, who is covering the Convention
- Richa Karmarkar, reporter at Religion News Service, primarily covering Hinduism
- Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at Pew Research Centre
- Dr Melissa Deckman, Chief Executive Officer, Public Religion Research Institute
- Hemant Mehta, American author, blogger, and atheist activist
- Senator Kim Jackson, Georgia
- Rev Canon Broderick Greer, Canon Precentor St John's Cathedral, Denver
For further information on RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
The US Vice President Kamala Harris will be formally nominated as the Democrat's presidential candidate at the party’s convention in Chicago this week. With a Hindu mother, Baptist father and Jewish husband, she embodies religious pluralism in a diverse country. But will this make her more or less appealing to constituencies of faith, or the non-religious?
In this Religion Media Centre briefing, the speakers considered how the Democrats, a party with 30 per cent non-religious and 60 per cent Christian, are finding common ground around values, as people decide how to vote, irrespective of faith. The briefing heard the view that the conservative white evangelical support of Donald Trump, with its particular take on Christianity, has pushed the Democrats towards greater clarity that religion and the state are separate and this is what binds their party in a big tent, including people of all faiths and none. Hosted by Rosie Dawson, the speakers were:
- Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter senior correspondent, who is covering the Convention
- Richa Karmarkar, reporter at Religion News Service, primarily covering Hinduism
- Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at Pew Research Centre
- Dr Melissa Deckman, Chief Executive Officer, Public Religion Research Institute
- Hemant Mehta, American author, blogger, and atheist activist
- Senator Kim Jackson, Georgia
- Rev Canon Broderick Greer, Canon Precentor St John's Cathedral, Denver
For further information on RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
Previous Episode
RMC Briefing: Building community after the riots
Fear and anxiety immediately followed the riots which spread across England last week, with Muslims in particular afraid to leave the house because of the hatred and violence on the streets. But in this Religion Media Centre briefing, faith leaders described how within 24 hours, faith and community leaders sought and found solidarity and support from their neighbours, other faith groups, police, councils and what has been seen as the vast majority of the British public, appalled at what they were witnessing.
Speakers made clear that these were race riots. No group has felt safe and communities of all kinds felt "triggered" by the fact that angry racist outbursts emerged so quickly and were so widespread. The contrast between violence and the overnight reversal to peace has left concerns and questions, which faith leaders addressed in this discussion. Questions about British identity, the need to call out and stop Islamophobia, the need for a government strategy for social cohesion, the essential work of continuing conversations in local communities, and the challenge for teachers dealing with the aftermath when schools return in September.
Many of the participants on this call took part in the Religion Media Centre's Creating Connections events, bringing together faith representatives and the media in towns and cities across England. The host is Leo Devine and the speakers include RE advisers and teachers Ed Pawson, Dr Kate Christopher and Manju Kaur; Muslim leaders Julie Siddiqi and Imam Musharraf Hussein; Community leaders Amrick Singh Ubhi and Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana; and journalists Gary Newby, Content Editor at ITV News Central, and Alex Strangwayes-Booth, formerly BBC and now with CTVC.
For further information on RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
Next Episode
RMC Briefing: Faith and community groups rallying at Grenfell Tower fire were "best in humanity"
The report into the fire at Grenfell Tower, which claimed 72 lives in 2017, says the disaster was a devastating critique of failure, incompetence, dishonesty and greed at all levels, in government and business. In a section on how religion was part of the story, the report said Muslims felt abandoned and neglected by the council. But there was one chink of hope. Faith and community organisations, which filled the vacuum left by the authorities and offered sanctuary and support, were described as "the best in humanity".
In this Religion Media Centre briefing, faith leaders who were there on the front line offer their response to the report's findings and explain how collaboration between the faith groups emerged as people flocked to their buildings for help.
Hosted by Ruth Peacock, the speakers are: -Bishop Graham Tomlin, formerly Bishop of Kensington -Abdurahman Sayed, CEO Al-Manaar, Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre -Rev Alan Everett, former vicar at St. Clement's Church, Notting Hill, and author of 'After the Fire' -Eddie Tulasiewicz, head of policy and public affairs, National Churches Trust -Nasima Khanom, psychotherapist working with survivors and relatives
- Bishop Graham Tomlin, formerly Bishop of Kensington
- Abdurahman Sayed, CEO Al-Manaar, Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre
- Rev Alan Everett, former vicar at St. Clement's Church, Notting Hill, and author of 'After the Fire'
- Eddie Tulasiewicz, head of policy and public affairs, National Churches Trust
- Nasima Khanom, psychotherapist working with survivors and relatives
- Abdulsami Arjumand, Muslim Charities Forum
For further information on RMC briefings: [email protected]
Links
Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/
X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw
Contact Information
[email protected]
(+44) 0203 970 0709
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