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Spiritual
Covenant with
America—
Summary
1. Covenant with
American Families
We support economic and political institutions that foster kindness and
generosity, mutual respect, and commitment to the common good - recognizing
that strong families need a social context that promotes solidarity and
rewards generosity, a societal environment that reinforces what we teach
our children.
2. Covenant of
Personal Responsibility
We honor each other as created in the image of God - as embodiments of
the sacred. We join with others to challenge left- or right-wing politics
that see human beings as little more than maximizers of self-interest.
3. Covenant of
Social Responsibility
We will break through the social disconnection that traps so many people
in loneliness and alienation. We will reinstill the value of working for
the common good. We will support a Social Responsibility Amendment to
the Constitution that requires corporations to apply for a new corporate
charter every ten years.
4. Covenant for
a Values-Based Education
We support education that fosters children's capacity to be loving and
caring human beings and helps students grow into responsible, ethically
and ecologically attuned adults, as opposed to a system that teaches students
that they can advance themselves only at the expense of others.
5. Covenant for
Health Care
Everyone deserves affordable health care. The bonds of trust and caring
are shattered in a society when we feel that no one cares whether we live
or die unless we have money for expensive treatments or costly insurance.
6. Covenant of
Environmental Stewardship
We will joyously preserve and protect the earth and will seek to reverse
the damage done through ignorance and irresponsibility. We will halt the
reckless wasting of the world's resources.
7. Covenant for
Building a Safer World
We understand that our well-being as Americans is intrinsically tied to
the well-being of everyone else on this planet. So we will support the
Strategy of Generosity to ensure homeland security, not only because it
is morally right but because it is in our best interests. We believe the
U.S. should join in a Global Marshall Plan to dedicate part of our annual
GDP to eliminating homelessness, hunger, poverty, inadequate education
and inadequate health care.
8. Covenant to
Separate Church and State and Science
We seek to keep religion out of government and governmentout of religion
and both out of science. We will not allow anyone to use government to
impose a particular religious worldview on the rest of us. The values
we seek to introduce to shape our public life are shared by many secular
as well as many religious people.
