Denver ? Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Thursday that the party will work to win the support of faith-based voters.

“I am thrilled to be in a party that no longer cedes the faith community to the Republican Party,” Dean said to a Faith in Action panel at the Democratic National Convention.

Dean said Democrats have been remiss in the past for not talking about their faith and values.

But, he said, unlike some Republican Party officials who “talk about a mono-religious county,” Democrats embrace religious diversity, and believe in acting on their faith instead of just talking about it.

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama has made strong overtures to religious groups, and often talks of his Christian faith.

David Gushee, head of Evangelicals for Social Action, said environmental protection, acting on climate change and supporting human rights are “moral values issues.”

He said recent accounts of U.S. involvement in the harsh treatment of prisoners and suspected terrorists should be stopped.

“The moral center of America must say this is wrong,” he said.

Gushee said his organization doesn’t endorse candidates, but instead pushes policies and hopes that “candidates will support our policies.”