Adopted by The General Assembly of The National Council of Churches of Christ and Church World Service November 11, 2004
Whereas matters of faith have played a highly visible role in what has been the most divisive electoral season in half a century;
Whereas the national discussion of moral values during the campaign resulted in the widely held perception of opposing Christian camps in the United States;
Whereas we believe that what Christians hold in common outweighs their differences, and that all Christians have something to learn from those Christians with whom they disagree, and because we deplore the pitting of Christians against each other;
Whereas the Justice and Advocacy Commission of the National Council of Churches of Christ carries out programs that embody values upon which there is wide Christian agreement, and recently has produced Christian Principles in an Election Year in order to begin conversations in the pew on these values;
and
Whereas the Council’s Faith and Order Commission has long experience in addressing painful church-dividing issues, and includes theologians in communions beyond the member communions of the NCCC,
Therefore, this General Assembly boldly affirms and gives public voice to the belief that Christian values include the work of eliminating poverty, preserving the environment, and promoting peace; and in addition boldly claims and shares the Christian principles developed for this election year in order to begin the urgently needed public conversation;
and
Therefore, we further request the Justice and Advocacy Commission in collaboration with the Faith and Order Commission to design and present to the Executive Committee for approval and implementation a process that attempts to engage the spectrum of Christian churches in our communities in dialogues about Christian values.