With a recent analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life showing one in five Americans now claim no religious affiliation, the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good in the USA is sponsoring a discussion on faith and the presidential election campaign.
In particular, it will explore whether the Religious Right is responsible in part for driving away people of faith with "fear-mongering and divisive rhetoric on social issues, including issues such as contraception and family planning."
The discussion is set to take place on Monday 15 October 2012 at the National Press Club, in Washington DC.
As the Presidential race tightens and anti-choice groups ramp up their rhetoric, a new document to be released by the New Evangelical Partnership entitled 'A Call to Common Ground on Family Planning, Maternal and Children's Health' makes the case that domestic and international access to family planning is the most important way to reduce abortions.
A panel of distinguished scholars, pollsters, and activists, moderated by Richard Cizik, New Evangelical Partnership President, and Steven D. Martin, New Evangelical Partnership Executive Director, will explore how this new movement is promoting justice, compassion, peace, interfaith understanding, and creation care.
The impact this dynamic movement of "New Evangelicals" might have on the 2012 elections will also be discussed.
Speakers at the gathering will include:
* E.J. Dionne, Author, America's Political Divide, Columnist and MSNBC analyst.
* Marcia Pally, NYU Sociologist, and author, America's New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good.
* Robert P. Jones, CEO, Public Religion Research Institute.
* Mark Hathaway, MD, MPH, Medical Director for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unity Health Care, Inc., Washington, DC.
* Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.
* John L. Esposito, Professor and Founding Director, Prince Alwawaleed Center, Georgetown University.
* Rev Jennifer Crumpton, Author, FemmeEvangelical, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, International Center for Religion and Diplomacy.
* Heather Rice, Director of US Prisons Policy & Program, National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
* Rev Fletcher Harper, President, Green Faith.
Chalice Press and Wm. B. Eerdman's will be promoting A New Evangelical Manifesto (Chalice Press, September, 2012) and America's New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good (Wm.B. Eerdmans, January, 2012) at the event.
More on the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good - http://newevangelicalpartnership.org/
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