When Joe Biden became the president of the United States, he signed several executive orders reversing some of the orders of his predecessor. People like to focus on the policies that President Biden is changing, but one of the executive orders he signed that many people overlook is about faith and social justice.
One of Biden’s executive orders that he signed reestablishes the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The goal of this office is to promote partnerships within religious and secular communities to better serve people in need. It aims to fight racism and inequality, help those affected by COVID-19, and uphold the principle of the separation of church and state.
Why the United States needs faith and leadership
It’s not our place to say what faith someone does or does not have. That is ultimately the responsibility of the individual. However, it’s no secret that many Americans of faith felt undervalued by the previous administration. If you weren’t a right-leaning, evangelical Christian, then it was like your values and beliefs didn’t matter.
This sentiment was discouraging for many people, leading to many walking away from the church. People saw Christianity as a tool of conservative politics. As a means of oppression. As a means of exclusion and selfishness. And frankly, this has a lot to do with what the leadership in our country promoted.
Now, we’re not here to tell anyone how to vote or what to believe. These are just the facts. The previous administration was more harmful for faith than helpful. Now we see a new light of hope in the new administration and its efforts to build bridges and make progress, rather than exclude and self-elevate.
A main belief of Western Christinaity is that each person’s faith is an individual relationship and journey. We agree that the individuality of your faith journey is paramount, but we also see that the role of genuine faith in leadership is also important. It will be exciting to see how many people grow in their faith, rather than lose it, under leadership that promotes unity and progress.
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