Nearly 80 evangelical Christian leaders in the United States have joined in condemnation of Republican candidate Donald Trump.

In a letter, published as a petition on change.org, they say the "meaning and integrity" of the Christian faith in the US hangs in the balance.

"We believe that racism strikes at the heart of the gospel; we believe that racial justice and reconciliation is at the core of the message of Jesus," they say. "We believe the candidacy of Donald J. Trump has given voice to a movement that affirms racist elements in white culture - both explicit and implicit."

The Christian leaders distance themselves from any definition of "evangelical" as associated with mostly white, politically conservative, older men.

"We are not those evangelicals," they say. "We are Americans of African and European descent, Latino/a, Asian American, and Native American. We are women and men, as well as younger and older evangelical Christians. We come from a wide range of denominations, churches, and political orientations."

They include the best-selling Christian author Tony Campolo, Lisa Sharon Harper of Jim Wallis' Sojourners and Simple Way founder Shane Claiborne.

"We believe in the unity of the body of Christ, but we acknowledge the diverse nature of a community whose faith is biblical and evangelical," they say.

"We recognise that despite our unity in Christ, we will inevitably disagree about which political stances come closest to the heart of God for our nation."

They say they believe they "must respond" when evangelicalism becomes dangerously identified with one particular candidate whose statements, practice, personal morality, and ideology "risk damaging our witness to the gospel before the watching world."

They go on to attack Trump for using fear "to demonise and degrade immigrants, foreigners, and people from different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds."

He launched his presidential campaign by demonising Mexicans, immigrants, and Muslims, and has repeatedly spoken against migrants and refugees coming to this country - those whom Jesus calls "the stranger" in Matthew 25, they add.

"Trump has steadily refused to clearly and aggressively confront extremist voices and movements of white supremacy, some of whom now call him their 'champion', and has therefore helped to take the dangerous fringes of white nationalism in America to the mainstream of politics."

In addition, he mocks women and the sanctity of marriage vows, disregards facts and the accountability to truth, and worships wealth and shameful materialism, they say.

"Because we believe that racial bigotry has been a cornerstone of this campaign, it is a foundational matter of the gospel for us in this election, and not just another issue. This is not just a social problem, but a fundamental wrong. Racism is America's original sin. Its brazen use to win elections threatens to reverse real progress on racial equity and set America back."

They say they "simply will not tolerate the racial, religious, and gender bigotry that Donald Trump has consistently and deliberately fuelled."

Other signatories include Rev William Barber, President of Repairers of the Breach, the writer Austin Channing Brown, Dr Rich Cizik of the New Evangelical Partnership, President Obama's "Pastor in Chief" Joshua DuBois of Values Partnerships, Rev Cynthia Hale of Ray of Hope Christian Church, Rev Daniel Hill of River City Community Church, Rev Greg Thompson of Trinity Presbyterian Church, and Sojourners President Jim Wallisal Action.

More than 3,600 other supporters have also signed the petition, 

Thing Progress commented: "Although 69 percent of white evangelicals now back Trump according to a new PRRI poll, several influential leaders of the Religious Right have been actively hostile to the business mogul's candidacy. Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's political arm, has been an especially vocal opponent of Trump's, arguing he is against 'everything [evangelicals] believe'.

"Meanwhile, the conservative-leaning Christian Post published a scathing criticism of Trump in February—the first time the publication has ever taken a stand on a political candidate—and a Liberty University board member resigned in protest when the school's president endorsed the Donald."

Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm tweeted: 

Author Tsh Oxenreider tweeted: