American Humanist Association
Contract with the American Family
Reprinted NZ Humanist 133
RESPONSE TO THE CHRISTIAN COALITION
The Christian Coalition 'Contract with the American Family,' released with
much fanfare on May 17, 1995, has little to do with really helping American
families. Rather, it represents a full-blown assault on the American
constitutional principle of separation of church and state, the formal
entrance onto the political stage of what is for all practical purposes a
religious political party that can only divide Americans along religious
lines, and a movement that can only harm American families.
The 'contract' would intrude government into the business of the family
and religious institutions, contaminate our common schools with sectarian
divisiveness, undermine the rights of conscience of children and families,
weaken and possibly destroy our system of religiously neutral, democratic
public schools, greatly increase educational costs while lowering educational
quality, and balkanize our society along creedal, ideological, ethnic, class,
and other lines.
Therefore, the American Humanist Association joins with millions of
Americans across the religious and nonreligious spectrum in insisting:
- that the Jeffersonian constitutional principle of separation of church
and state be maintained and strengthened;
- that, recognizing our country's rich pluralism and the fact that
students have never lost their right to engage in voluntary personal,
private prayer in public schools, the religious neutrality of our public
schools be respected and reinforced;
- that religious liberty is adequately protected by the First and
Fourteenth Amendments and that no new amendment is needed;
- that public funding for education be limited to secular public schools
under full public control;
- that the right of every woman to freedom of conscience on reproductive
matters be safeguarded from public or private infringement;
- that both private charity and government assistance have important
roles to play in maintaining and enhancing families and family
values;
- that children's rights should be considered no less important than
parental rights and that children have the right to a family environment
that is nurturing and non-abusive;
- that, while we deplore images of gratuitous violence and sexual
exploitation, we oppose censorship because a society is healthiest when
people can choose among views in an open market place of ideas;
- that federal funding for the arts, humanities, public broadcasting, and
public education makes indispensable contributions to a culturally
enriched, creative society, which in turn enriches the lives of children
and families; and
- that families and family values are enhanced by public actions and
policies that help alleviate the effects of poverty.
In summary, the American Humanist Association urges Americans of all
persuasions to work together in a democratic spirit to protect children,
families, and the constitutional guarantees of fundamental liberties from the
narrow, political agendas of sectarian special interests.
Passed unanimously by the membership assembled at the fifty-fourth annual
conference of the American Humanist Association on May 19, 1995
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