Agreement is not a requirement for civility

The local church has not escaped the extreme political polarization in our country. Many in our congregations and communities feel marginalized or demonized by their neighbors on account of their economic status, occupation or political beliefs. It is not unusual to discover that these issues overshadow the blessings of Jesus in our church classrooms (and pulpits) in such a way that people do not feel comfortable in either participating or attending. Because of this, many religious groups are choosing to endorse the National Call for Reflection, Prayer, and Reconciliation of the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD).

NICD was born in May 2011, after the tragic shooting that killed six people, including wounding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She remains a part of the inspiration that undergirds NICD. At the heart of NICD is the assumption: “Civility requires respecting the humanity of others and seeking to understand another person’s perspective. Agreement is not a requirement for civility.”

Participating members of this movement pledge to do three things: (1) Reflect on the divisions in our country and how we treat those who have different views. (2) Pray for the forgiveness, humility and wisdom we need to heal our divisions. (3) Reach out to at least one other person of faith who has different political views to explore ways to work together.

It is safe to assume that, while all religious groups include people from different walks of life who hold differing views of political and social issues, they also agree upon the need to be concerned about the common good and well-being of their neighbors (e.g. following the Golden Rule). Unfortunately though, they usually do not agree on the means to achieve those ends.

It is out of this kind of search for civility that religious groups are coming together to commit themselves to a time of reflection, prayer and reconciliation. For many, this involves a commitment to the following challenge:

• To seek to model and support respectful and honest conversations on public issues within congregations, assemblies and other forums.

• To make a genuine effort to understand the reasons for the views of those with whom there is disagreement, and to try to explain the grounds for personal convictions clearly without arrogance.

• To be mindful of each person’s fallibility and to keep personal views open for correction and reconsideration without betraying deep-seated convictions.

• To encourage all fellow citizens to commit themselves to the practice of civility, and to practice civility in local congregations in order to be a model for the rest of society.

• To encourage public leaders to strive to adhere to high standards of civility, respect, integrity and truthfulness as they work with each other and their constituents while pressing issues.

• To challenge the media in their reporting and commentary to subject all claims and counter claims to rigorous and fair scrutiny, critiquing logic, evaluating sources, checking and providing facts and context.

• To reach out to others who hold differing perspectives, to practice listening across those differences for understanding, and engage in fostering a culture of respect and civility wherein the human spirit and potential may thrive.

If there is to be a model for civility in our country, it should begin in our churches where the dignity and worth of each person is upheld. Voters today are frustrated, worried and even angry with their leaders and ashamed of how our political process works these days. There is a great need to rediscover bipartisan civility as a way to solve the major challenges confronting our nation today. We in our religious communities need to not only practice what is preached but to also hold our elected officials to the same goals.

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