Two Member Denominations Call for Civil Discourse As a Matter of Faith

Leaders of two of MCC’s member denominations issued statements in the past week calling for civil discourse in U.S. civic life and mentioning MCC’s leadership in promoting civil discourse as a matter of faith.

The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, published a guest editorial in the Portland Press Herald calling reminding us that “Holy Week is a good time to remember not to persecute the innocent” (3/23/16).

The Maine Unitarian Universalist Social Advocacy Network (MUUSAN) issued the following statement:

As Unitarian Universalists, we stand for our Fifth Principle, the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large.  We work to promote a strong democracy and to ensure the active participation of citizens in the democratic process.

Therefore we decry the presence of hate speech, vulgarity, extreme incivility and other dangerous and unseemly words and behaviors in the current political campaigns of some candidates for President of the United States.  We believe that such conduct weakens democracy, alienates voters, and disillusions young Americans who await entry into full participation as voters.

Such conduct demeans the office of President of the United States, undermines our democracy’s standing in the world, and diminishes aspirations for democratic participation worldwide.  We unequivocally condemn candidates’ hate speech, comments which demean the humanity of our country’s international neighbors and partners, and public conduct which flies in the face of decency.

We call on Unitarian Universalists and all Americans of conscience to speak out and stand up for a vision of democracy which unifies our country and strengthens the inclusion of all to learn about and participate in the democratic process.

To this end, we affirm and promote the Maine Council of Churches’ Civil Discourse Covenant for Candidates for Public Office: https://mainecouncilofchurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MCC-Civil-Discourse-Covenant.pdf

Approved 3.12.16
Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network

To learn more about MCC’s Covenant on Civil Discourse, click here.