Church must denounce incivility
BY JIM WINKLER
Meaningful and civil discourse has been an overarching priority for the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society as we assist local churches and represent United Methodist positions to elected officials. As Congress has debated and deliberated health-insurance reform legislation, I have been deeply disturbed by the lack of basic decency and common courtesy among people who have disagreements about public policy.
The appalling display on the weekend of March 20 by protesters in Washington, D.C., demonstrates the overtly racist message of too many of the so-called “Tea Party” members. Such behavior must be denounced by all people.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., a United Methodist clergyman, was spat on as he walked to the nation’s Capitol past a Tea Party protest of health-care reform. Cleaver also heard a vile racial epithet uttered at him.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested the perpetrator of the spitting, but Cleaver refused to press charges, demonstrating his deep faith and love for humanity.
“Let us not delude ourselves into believing this is an isolated incident,” Cleaver said after the incident. “A calculated campaign fomenting hate led up to this incident. In the strongest terms possible I denounce efforts to incite people to acts of racism.”
Cleaver said Abraham Lincoln’s second
inaugural address expressed our fervent prayer:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up our nation’s wounds, to care for those who shall have borne the battle and for the widow and orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
I call upon United Methodists to model civil discourse as we seek to ensure that all Americans benefit from just laws. There is no room for such uncivil behavior no matter what the discussion, be it health-care or comprehensive immigration reform or changing inequities in criminal justice laws.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth contains important words for us:
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We entreat you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
Jim Winkler is General Secretary of the General Board of Church & Society,
Meaningful and civil discourse has been an overarching priority for the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society as we assist local churches and represent United Methodist positions to elected officials. As Congress has debated and deliberated health-insurance reform legislation, I have been deeply disturbed by the lack of basic decency and common courtesy among people who have disagreements about public policy.
The appalling display on the weekend of March 20 by protesters in Washington, D.C., demonstrates the overtly racist message of too many of the so-called “Tea Party” members. Such behavior must be denounced by all people.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., a United Methodist clergyman, was spat on as he walked to the nation’s Capitol past a Tea Party protest of health-care reform. Cleaver also heard a vile racial epithet uttered at him.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested the perpetrator of the spitting, but Cleaver refused to press charges, demonstrating his deep faith and love for humanity.
“Let us not delude ourselves into believing this is an isolated incident,” Cleaver said after the incident. “A calculated campaign fomenting hate led up to this incident. In the strongest terms possible I denounce efforts to incite people to acts of racism.”
Cleaver said Abraham Lincoln’s second
inaugural address expressed our fervent prayer:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up our nation’s wounds, to care for those who shall have borne the battle and for the widow and orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
I call upon United Methodists to model civil discourse as we seek to ensure that all Americans benefit from just laws. There is no room for such uncivil behavior no matter what the discussion, be it health-care or comprehensive immigration reform or changing inequities in criminal justice laws.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth contains important words for us:
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We entreat you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
Jim Winkler is General Secretary of the General Board of Church & Society,
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