- Civility Is Vital To Our Country

For most of history, people were ruled by kings and tyrants. The United States Constitution was an experiment – that worked brilliantly.  At its foundation was an understanding of people and their basic rights and their tendencies. Today most nations have written constitutions, and the U.S. constitution has influenced all of them. It is a model of rights and protection for all. The right of religion, free speech and press is core.

There is a strong move towards secularism and religious antagonism. There are growing attacks on Christian religions by atheists and are hostile to religion. They are skilled at demonizing those who are believers.

So, what do we do?

Dallin A. Oaks suggests:

First, we must speak with love, always showing patience, understanding and compassion toward our adversaries. We are under command to love our neighbor, to forgive all men , to do good to them who despitefully use us and to conduct our teaching in mildness and meekness. ….Even as we seek to speak with love, we must not be surprised when our positions are ridiculed and we are persecuted and reviled…

Second, we must not be deterred or coerced into silence by the kinds of intimidation. We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice. These are the rights of all citizens and they are also the rights of religious leaders.  We must also insist on this companion condition of democratic government: when churches and their members or any other group act or speak out on public issues, win or lose, they have a right to expect freedom from retaliation.

Third, we must insist on our freedom to preach the doctrines of our faith. … Religious people who share our moral convictions feel some intimidation.

Fourth, as advocates of the obvious truth that persons with religious positions or motivations have the right to express their religious views in public, we must nevertheless be wise in our political participation.

If we aren’t open and civil in our dialog, what is the alternative?    Whatever it might be, it isn’t good.

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