NEWS STORY: Religious leaders seek ways to restore civility to public discourse

c. 1999 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ As politicians are in the throngs of the battle _ sometimes partisan and bitter _ over the issue of impeachment, a range of religious leaders and members of Congress met Tuesday (Jan 26) to see if they could fashion a way to restore civil discourse to the political […]

c. 1999 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ As politicians are in the throngs of the battle _ sometimes partisan and bitter _ over the issue of impeachment, a range of religious leaders and members of Congress met Tuesday (Jan 26) to see if they could fashion a way to restore civil discourse to the political arena.

The summit, sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance, included such renowned panelists as the Lutheran scholar Martin E. Marty and the Rev. James Forbes, pastor of the Riverside Church in New York.


Two Congressmen, Rep. Amo Houghton, R-N.Y., and Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Ohio, also participated in the summit as respondents.”We want to find very pragmatic ways that concerned people can debate differences of opinion on the issues of our society without attacking each other personally and ripping the very fabric of our society into fragments that prevent the enjoyment of mutual cooperation and community,”said the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance executive director.

The alliance, a liberal Washington-based group has been a vocal promoter of civility in public discourse, encouraging political candidates to sign a code of civility. Often viewed as platform to oppose the conservative Christian Coalition, the alliance invited coalition founder Pat Robertson to the session but Robertson was unable to attend.”Civility is not an inconsequential issue,”said Gaddy, who also moderated the event.”If we can’t handle the present crisis claiming the attention of our nation without rhetoric and behavior that tear us apart as a nation, we have a far larger problem than that at the center of deliberations in the United States Senate.” The three-hour summit covered a variety of topics, from tips on how to overcome personal bias to finding ways to avoid using labels to automatically stereotype people.

In response to one question asking how someone can maintain passion and still be civil, Forbes responded that he has compared civility to”my dental hygienist who goes on a plaque attack but tries to leave my gums intact.” Illustrating civility’s role in forging relationships, Rabbi David Saperstein of Washington stressed that opponents on one issue need not be archenemies; they simply disagree on an issue.

Saperstein, who serves as director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, told about how in his own experience the Roman Catholics have been strong allies on various social issues _ such as poverty _ even though Catholics and Jews traditionally disagree when it comes to the issue of reproductive health.”Your opponent on one issue is your ally on another,”he said.

Throughout the meeting, many participants echoed sentiments of panelist John B. Anderson, a former 10-term Republican congressman from Illinois, who said that”much of what passes for free speech doesn’t help us very much to solve the nation’s problems.” Many of those present voiced similar frustration and called for renewed debate without the personal attacks that have become commonplace in today’s political sphere.

The teachings of slain civil rights activist, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. _ who preached that in order to change someone, you must love them _ were called upon frequently by various participants often on different sides of issues.”It is extremely difficult for me to love bigots and racists,”admitted Richard Land. Nevertheless, if the Rev. Martin Luther King was able to do it than so can he, declared the conservative president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Another panelist, the Rev. Robert F. Drinan, a Jesuit priest who served five terms in Congress, also called upon the memory of King but offered a different viewpoint.”I like angry people,”said Drinan, currently a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. The nationally known author and public advocate then listed off examples of”angry people”throughout history, including the abolitionists, suffragists and civil rights leaders, whose passionate _ and sometimes uncivil _ actions affected positive change.


While all the participants acknowledged the beneficial aspects of debate and struggle, most seemed less than eager to endow anger with positive connotations.”We have to learn to practice civility even when emotions are inflamed, partisan loyalties are challenged and constitutional principles are at stake,”said Gaddy.”Yes, we want to impact the impeachment process _ not to determine the final decision that it should produce, but to influence the manner in which a final decision is reached.” In a press conference following the event, Gaddy and others affiliated with the organization discussed plans for similar forums nationwide. Currently, organizers said that summits are being planned for New Hampshire, New York City, San Francisco and Nashville, Tenn., among others. The dates are not yet available, but organizers expect them to occur in the first quarter.

DEA END ROCKWOOD

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