The Pietist Schoolman

What might be five core principles that can be developed from a “moral liberal” perspective on American politics?

1. All adult members of society who wish to work can find work at a living wage.

A living wage is one that is essential to allow families to provide for the basic needs of the family and provide a cushion for emergencies. Every full time worker will have guaranteed health care available from either private or public resources or some combination.

2. Although the market will be the essential determiner of productivity and quality of goods there is a need for the political institutions to ensure the implementation of a commitment to “equal opportunity.”

The general public through elective offices will “contain” capitalism to ensure that the potential “abuses” of the system are minimized and the economic institutions reflect reasonable community norms and values.

3. Democratic capitalism needs to recover and effectively articulate its moral voice.

First, we must insist once again that bringing children into the world entails a moral responsibility to provide, not only material necessities, but also moral education and character formation. Second, schools need to continue to play a major role in character formation and moral education.

During my tenure on the St. Paul Board of Education I tried to support the following propositions:

a.  restore moral values as a fundamental purpose of public education.  Although one must reject the authoritarian implications of the new religious right, one must also more intentionally recognize the value of religious communities to society and ensure that their proper place is found in the curriculum when academically appropriate.

b.  Remember that a community is only as strong as its commitment to its children and provide them with educational and community services which promote such values as respect, self-discipline, integrity, honesty, generosity and fairness. Support for character education.

c.  Restore the value of community service and provide experiences for youth which allow them to connect across generations, value diverse ethnic communities, and reach out to persons in need.

d.  Recognize and value academic excellence. Each person has a responsibility to develop one’s gifts and share the results of that achievement with the  larger community for the well being of all.

e.  Reestablish the value and significance of public institutions such as libraries, schools, playgrounds and parks as part of a community’s commitment to provide a just and equal opportunity society for all of its members.

f.  Support the family as a necessary, intentional part of a successful community and provide it with the resources and opportunities to carry out its primary task: to raise children in a healthy, supportive and moral environment.

4. Remember that a moral community is a socially and economically just community. All members of the community have a reasonably equal opportunity to be successful, contributing citizens.

The political system will provide programs to ensure a reasonable “equal opportunity” for all of its citizens and support networks for those who are unable to naturally make it in a democratic capitalist society. Compensating programs will be put in place through private and public coalitions to ensure wealth is not a predeterminer of success in achieving social mobility.

5. Value the efforts to seek common ground and spend as much time seeing what unites us as in exploring what divides us as a nation.

American is a fragile experiment. We are a democratic capitalist society that values religious differences, ethnic diversity, and competing ideological positions. If we wish to survive we need to find ways to regain a commitment to civil discourse. One evangelical organization has recently been helpful in this process, The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, led by Richard Cizik and David Gushee.