TOP STORY: RELIGION AND POLITICS: Vying for the pro-family mantle

c. 1996 Religion News Service (UNDATED) In the fight over American values, the turf war over “family” is fierce. Last May, the Christian Coalition unveiled its 10-point plan called “Contract with the America Family.” It promotes school prayer, restriction of abortion and abolition of the Department of Education. Now, religious activists on the left are […]

c. 1996 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) In the fight over American values, the turf war over “family” is fierce.

Last May, the Christian Coalition unveiled its 10-point plan called “Contract with the America Family.” It promotes school prayer, restriction of abortion and abolition of the Department of Education.


Now, religious activists on the left are preparing to unveil a countering document, a 15-point “Progressive, Ethical Covenant with American Families.” It will be debated at “The Summit on Ethics and Meaning” in Washington, D.C. beginning Sunday.

The combatants-on left and right-are vying for the title of America’s authentic pro-family force. And in this moral skirmish, even the definition of family is contested.

The left-leaning cohort defines family to include “single-parent and gay and lesbian families.” Gay rights are anathema to the 1.7 million members of the Christian coalition.

The liberal covenant makes two points about family break-up. Its draft copy says society should “support single people and those leaving oppressive relationships.” At the same time, it wants to shore up couples struggling to stay together.

“We seek to create a social ethos in which people try to work through the difficulties,” the draft reads, “and consider divorce only after very serious efforts, including counseling, have been tried.”

The liberal covenant also calls for an increased minimum wage, reduced work week and a year of paid, guaranteed family leave. The covenant wants media cynicism systematically challenged and children’s television cleaned up.

The Christian Coalition’s contract argues for restricting pornography, which may overlap with the new group’s call to end “manipulative sexuality in children’s television.”

Michael L. Russell, a spokesman for the Christian Coalition, has no quarrel with the covenant’s advocacy to “build family-support networks in every community.” He just wants assurances that the Religious Left won’t rely on the federal government to do it.


“We would oppose creating another level of bureaucracy and another burden on the taxpayer,” Russell said. “But if someone wants to get out there, as a member of the private sector, that’s great. Just don’t cut a government check to fund it.”

The covenant also calls for a creation of “Council of Elders” in every community to transmit accumulated wisdom to the next generation. It wants decision-making in the workplace recast to reduce stress. It wants full employment, housing, health care and child care.

The draft document, mailed to summit participants, does not explain how to pay for all this. It does say, “We do not want government to be the vehicle for this contract, but rather to institutionalize these changes in a more direct way through democratic mechanism we will establish throughout our society.”

Samuel M. Kelman, 55, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, said his review of his pre-summit pamphlets left him somewhat uneasy about how the group intends to reach its lofty goals. But Kelman is all for trying.

“I’m doing my best to restrain my skepticism,” Kelman said. “I want this meeting to be more than just an emotional experience.”

JC END

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