Thank you to all who participated in our inaugural online discussion last weekend. Held in conjunction with the Archdiocese of LA’s RE Congress, the conversation about faith in the public square resulted in a brief, but interesting glimpse into the views of some members of the Catholic Legislative Network.
Contrary to the heated conversation that characterizes much of what passes for public discourse nowadays, CLN members took a much more respectful approach. Abortion and immigration were mentioned several times reflecting the significance and urgency of these issues. The predominance of one political party in California was brought up as well as the infrastructure needs of the state and unemployment. Revamping the war on poverty, streamlining Medi-Cal, reducing violence and increasing school choice were also topics of conversation.
As to the question of how we can promote civility in political discussions, Network members had some outstanding ideas. In addition to prayer, they also suggested:
- “Avoiding imprecise language and sweeping generalizations, especially when talking about contentious issues, is essential to fostering healthy dialogue.”
- “As always, we start with ourselves. When matters start to escalate, put on the brakes. It takes two to have an argument. The truth is powerful enough in itself, it doesn’t need to be shouted.”
- “Listen, discern, THEN respond. Use words only when necessary.”
The Network will be exploring other ways to use this new polling tool. In the meantime, remember that you can comment on current events at any time on our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/CACathConf/