One Year Before Election, Christian Leaders Cross Divides to Call for Respect

(RNS) — This Sunday (Nov. 3) marks exactly one year until the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

And Christian leaders across theological and political divides are kicking off an initiative called “Golden Rule 2020: A Call for Dignity and Respect in Politics,” hoping the next 365 days won’t be a repeat of 2016’s divisive election season.

Representatives from conservative evangelical institutions like the National Association of Evangelicals and progressive mainline denominations like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have signed on to a statement urging their members to pray for the healing of divisions in the U.S. this weekend and promote the “golden rule” in their political discussions and election activities over the next year.

The initiative takes its name from what’s commonly referred to as the golden rule, expressed by Jesus in the Gospels and often paraphrased as: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

“We believe that we can find guidance through this national dilemma in the teachings of Jesus,” the statement reads. 

Golden Rule 2020 grew out of a May meeting of faith leaders hosted by the National Institute for Civil Discourse, whose founding co-chairs were former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, according to the initiative.

“In its simplest expression, civility brings Jesus’…