Group Of Young People Standing At The Entrance Of Voting Room

Faith, Discernment, and Democracy: Young People and the 2024 Election

As the United States approaches the presidential election in November, what are the responsibilities of faithful citizens and voters, especially young adults? Does our faith compel us to vote for a particular candidate? What does it mean to have a “well-formed conscience”? What issues, policies, values, and principles should guide our engagement in political life? Held less than two weeks before the U.S. presidential election, this dialogue with four leaders will explore our responsibilities as voters with values in the face of a deeply polarized political landscape that faces threats to U.S. democratic norms and institutions.

Participants

  • Chris Crawford is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy where he staffs the National Task Force on Election Crises and manages the Faith in Elections Playbook in partnership with Interfaith America. Chris began his career at Susan B. Anthony List, the nation’s largest pro-life political organization.
  • Jack Jenkins is a national reporter for Religion News Service covering religion and politics and the author of American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country (2020).
  • Lauren Reliford is the policy director at the Children’s Defense Fund. She is the former political director at Sojourners. Lauren is a graduate of Boston College and has an MSW from the Catholic University of America.
  • Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. She is a former political reporter for the Washington Examiner and a former political affairs correspondent for ETWN.
  • Anna Gordon, program director for the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, will moderate the conversation.

This Salt and Light Gathering is for Catholics under 40 years old in Washington to help them explore links between faith, Catholic social thought, and their lives and work. Learn more about the Initiative’s Salt and Light Gatherings online.

Recording

The Salt and Light Gathering starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT will be livestreamed and posted online for later viewing. Only registered attendees of the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice will be able to attend this dialogue in person.