Interfaith Alliance (Alliance) is a left-of-center religious organization that was formed to combat conservative-aligned religious groups. The Interfaith Alliance opposes school choice and providing public funds to support attendance at religious or private schools, supports allowing students to use restrooms based on gender self-identification, supports removing school resource officers, opposes private prayer during high school athletic competitions, and supports federal mandates for local schools. Interfaith Alliance states a minority of Christians are attempting to exert undue religious influence on a majority of Americans and claims this “Christian nationalism” incorporates white supremacy, authoritarianism, xenophobia, patriarchy, and threatens democracy. ¹

Background

The Interfaith Alliance was formed in response to conservative-aligned religious groups promoting Republican victories in the 1994 midterm elections. ² The Interfaith Alliance states that religious freedom is a foundation for American democracy but there must be a boundary between religion and government. ³

The Interfaith Alliance claims to fight “Christian nationalism,” stating it is a dangerous ideology that threatens democracy. ⁴ The Interfaith Alliance defines Christian nationalism as a framework that conflates American identity with religious identity saying it incorporates notions of white supremacy, nativism, patriarchy, and authoritarianism. ⁵ In addition to the national office, Interfaith Alliance has state and local offices across the country. ⁶

Positions

The Interfaith Alliance states there is a concerted effort by the religious right to distort the meaning of religious freedom. ⁷ Paul Raushenbush, president and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, has said a minority of white Christians are attempting to exert undue religious influence on a majority of Americans. ⁸ Raushenbush states that Christian nationalism is entangled with white supremacy, authoritarianism, and xenophobia. ⁹ Raushenbush blames Christian nationalism for voter suppression laws, efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and the January 6^th Capitol riot. ¹⁰ Raushenbush argues that allowing a football coach to lead a prayer at football games amounted to religious coercion and is a “terrible use of religion.” ¹¹

The Alliance opposes government-funded tuition support to private and religious schools and advocates for funding to only government-run schools. ¹² Interfaith Alliance supports children using any restroom facility that matches their gender self-identification, opposes placing school resource officers or other police in schools), and supports expanding federal laws and oversight over local schools. ¹³

The Interfaith Alliance is a strong supporter of LGBT interests, claiming that sexual orientation and gender identity play a defining role in everyone’s lives and that religious conservatives are seeking to discriminate against LGBT people. ¹⁴ The Interfaith Alliance supported the 2021 Equality Act in Congress that sought to federalize nondiscrimination laws for LGBT people. ¹⁵

The Interfaith Alliance supported the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson while opposing the nominations of Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. ¹⁶ The Interfaith Alliance “condemned” the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2023 Colorado wedding-vendor case 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, stating the Court’s ruling posed a risk to religious minorities, nonreligious groups, and LGBT people. ¹⁷

Initiatives

The Interfaith Alliance is a sponsor of Faith for Pride events each June to support LGBT communities to worship, organize, mobilize against legislation targeting LGBT interests, and support grassroots LGBT activists. ¹⁸ The Alliance also works to combat antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes. ¹⁹ The Interfaith Alliance produces a curriculum to discuss and ways to act against hate crimes. ²⁰ The Interfaith Alliance fights against Christian nationalism stating it is a myth that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation. ²¹

Funding

In 2021, the Interfaith Alliance had net assets of $714,456. ²² According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2021 Interfaith Alliance recorded $1,344,172 in revenue and $1,042,417 in expenses. ²³ In 2020, Interfaith Alliance raised $823,672 in revenue and $1,078,365 in expenses. ²⁴

Leadership

Paul Raushenbush was named president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance in September 2022. ²⁵ From 2019 to 2022, Raushenbush was senior advisor for public affairs and innovation at Interfaith America. ²⁶ Raushenbush was senior vice president at Auburn Seminary from 2015 to 2019. ²⁷ From 2009 to 2015, Raushenbush was founding editor of religion at the left-leaning Huffington Post. ²⁸

Raushenbush spent almost eight years as associate dean of religious life at Princeton University where he led transgender remembrance services at the chapel. ²⁹ Previously, Raushenbush was a youth pastor at churches in New York City and Seattle, Washington. ³⁰

Raushenbush’s political donations include $1,250 to former President Barack Obama, $250 to President Joe Biden, and $250 to U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA). ³¹

1. “Challenging Christian Nationalism.” Interfaith Alliance. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://interfaithalliance.org/initiatives/challenging-christian-nationalism/.
2. Shimron, Yonat. “Paul Raushenbush: ‘Christian Nationalism Is A Threat to American Way of Life.” Religion News Service. July 22, 2022. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://religionnews.com/2022/07/22/paul-raushenbush-christian-nationalism-is-a-threat-to-the-american-way-of-life/.
3. “Our Mission.” Interfaith Alliance. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://interfaithalliance.org/about-us/our-mission/.
4. Shimron, Yonat. “Paul Raushenbush: ‘Christian Nationalism Is A Threat to American Way of Life.” Religion News Service. July 22, 2022. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://religionnews.com/2022/07/22/paul-raushenbush-christian-nationalism-is-a-threat-to-the-american-way-of-life/; Raushenbush, Paul Brandeis and Dr. Sharon Harris-Ewing. “Combatting Christian Nationalism To Protect Democracy.” News-Press. February 12, 2023. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/2023/02/12/combating-christian-nationalism-to-protect-democracy/69885057007/.
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7. “Advancing Religious Freedom.” Interfaith Alliance. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://interfaithalliance.org/get-involved/issues/advancing-true-religious-freedom/.
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23. Interfaith Alliance, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2021.
24. Interfaith Alliance, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2020.
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