Christian Nationalism, Americans United has repeatedly made clear, is a dangerous political philosophy that would run roughshod over the rights of millions of Americans. It causes real harm to real people – yet it is being espoused by some powerful people in powerful places.
To help people understand the threat of Christian Nationalism, Americans United is exposing Project 2025, a 900-page playbook for replacing America’s democracy with theocracy that has been endorsed by a host of Christian Nationalist organizations.
In response, Americans United has launched a national campaign to put a human face on the immense harm that Project 2025 would inflict on the country if its Christian Nationalist agenda is implemented.
The new AU campaign highlights the story of Liz and Gabe Rutan-Ram of Tennessee, a Jewish couple denied the opportunity to foster-to-adopt a child because a taxpayer-funded, evangelical Christian foster care agency refused to serve them solely because they are Jews.
AU is representing the Rutan-Rams in court because religious freedom should not be a license to discriminate or harm others. Yet Project 2025 would do just that. A portion of the Christian Nationalist playbook specifically promotes the idea of taxpayer-funded religious discrimination and calls for allowing publicly funded, faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to refuse to serve non-Christians, LGBTQ+ people and others who don’t pass their religious litmus tests.
The new AU initiative includes a video, backed with digital and print ads, billboards and more. The campaign will focus on Milwaukee this month and Chicago next month. The idea is to put a human face on the damage Project 2025 can do.
“If Project 2025 can come for us, it can come for anyone,” Gabe Rutan-Ram warns in the video, adding that the Christian Nationalists behind the project are “hellbent on trying to make us second-class citizens.”
“To know Project 2025 recognizes what’s happening and is supporting it, it’s really hard to swallow,” Liz Rutan-Ram added. “It’s an injustice.”
Please visit AU’s site to learn more about Project 2025 and AU’s new initiative. Get armed with the facts and share the information widely. And if you’re not a member of Americans United, now is the time to sign up.
Project 2025 is an existential threat to religious freedom and American democracy. It’s time for all hands on deck.
