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By Rev. Jacqueline Decker Vanderpol, Rabbi Fred Greene and Rev. Mary Kate Rejouis
Throughout history, our faith traditions have spoken truth to power. Today, we write as religious leaders united in a simple but profound conviction: No leader in America is a king.
This is why we are calling for participation in “No King’s Day” — a day when people of all faiths and no faith can come together to affirm the values that sustain our democracy and protect our freedoms.
The Hebrew Bible tells of a moment when the Israelites demanded a king. The prophet Samuel warned them of the dangers: A king would take their sons, their daughters, their fields and their freedom. Yet they insisted. What followed were centuries of struggle between prophetic voices calling for justice and monarchs wielding unchecked power.
Jesus himself, when offered earthly kingdoms, refused. He taught his followers to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s” — a radical distinction between political authority and ultimate allegiance. Early Christians faced persecution precisely because they would not worship the emperor as divine.
These ancient warnings echo into our present moment. We will not bow down and worship any leader. Our ultimate loyalty belongs to the Divine, to justice, to truth — never to any human being, no matter their office or power.
The United States is a democracy, not a theocracy or dictatorship. This system thrives not on blind obedience but on active participation, robust debate, and yes, protest. Protest is an integral part of religious freedom. The prophets of Israel protested injustice. Jesus overturned tables in the Temple. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched in the streets. Our scriptures and our histories are filled with holy disruption, with faithful people who refused to stay silent when they witnessed wrongdoing.
When we speak out against policies that harm the vulnerable, when we question leaders who abuse their authority, when we organize for change — we are not being divisive. We are being faithful. We are exercising the freedoms that our democracy guarantees and our faiths demand.
We have watched with growing alarm as faith is manipulated to serve political ends, as religious language is deployed to divide rather than unite, as the name of God is invoked to justify cruelty rather than compassion. We will not allow faith to be weaponized against anyone. When religion is used to strip away rights, to demonize immigrants, to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals, to silence dissent, or to concentrate power in the hands of a few — that is not faith. That is its corruption.
True faith recognizes that every person holds inherent worth and dignity. This is not a political statement; it is a theological one. We are all created in the divine image. We all deserve justice, compassion and respect.
No King’s Day is not about partisan politics. It is about foundational principles. It is a day to celebrate the freedoms we cherish — freedom of speech, assembly, religion and the press. It is a day to recommit ourselves to the hard work of democracy: voting, organizing, speaking up, showing up and holding our leaders accountable. It is a day to affirm that our diversity is our strength, that our disagreements can be productive and that our shared humanity transcends our differences.
Whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, secular, or spiritual-but-not-religious, we invite you to join us on No King’s Day on Oct. 18. Gather in your communities — Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie and beyond. Teach your children about democracy. Contact your elected officials. Stand with those whose rights are threatened. Protest injustice.
Our founders knew what we must never forget: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Let No King’s Day be our reminder that freedom is not passive. It requires our constant participation, our courageous voices, and our unwavering commitment to the proposition that all people are created equal.
No kings. No dictators. No idols. Only justice, freedom and the sacred work of building beloved community together.
The Rev. Jacqueline Decker Vanderpol is the Pastor at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. Rabbi Fred Greene serves Congregation Har HaShem, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Boulder. The Rev. Mary Kate Rejouis is the Rector at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church.
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