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By Jonathan Miller
As the Democratic elected
State Treasurer and Jewish native of Kentucky, a "red" state in the heart of the
Bible belt, I bring a unique perspective to today's intense and polarizing
debate concerning the proper role of religion and "moral values" in the
political arena. I have come to understand that while religion sometimes
has been the source of divisiveness, the language and lessons of faith can unite
most Americans.
 In The Compassionate
Community: Ten Values to Unite America, I share my vision of a society
where Americans of all faiths can build a stronger democracy. The devout would
not be forced to moderate their faith, nor would nonbelievers be forced to adapt
to a religious standard. Rather, public policy would be rooted in the universal
value of compassion--in the words of the Scripture, "to love your neighbor as
yourself."
The
Compassionate Community is my blueprint for a new vision of the
common good. When we all take action on issues such as poverty and climate
change, we truly reflect our shared moral values.
Politicians from both parties reacted swiftly to the lessons learned
from
the 2004 elections. Conservative Republicans tried to exploit their
values advantage by amplifying their rhetoric, accusing liberals of
demeaning
people of faith in policy disputes and judicial
nomination battles. Liberal and moderate Democrats began to inject more
discussions
of faith and values into their public pronouncements and
made best-sellers of authors such as Jim Wallis and former President
Jimmy Carter, both of whom argue that the right is wrong in its
interpretation of God’s teachings.
No one, however, has attempted to design a coherent vision
for American public policy that is rooted in and informed by the true
core
values embraced by our religious and democratic traditions. More significantly,
we have not tried to develop a values-based policy
agenda
that transcends labels and could unite Americans of all faiths and
political
persuasions. Instead, the current values debate is marked by the
use
of inflammatory fear tactics designed to rally partisans at the
ideological
extremes, while ultimately serving to further polarize and divide
our
“red” and “blue” nation.
That’s why I offer The Compassionate Community. It has a
simple theme: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” When Americans put
aside
our own selfish desires and instead act on the behalf of the greater
good, we create a compassionate community, a society that
provides
everyone who works hard and assumes personal responsibility an
opportunity
to share in the American Dream. It reflects our
aspirations,
our ideals, our better angels, in contrast to the selfish
ambition scorned
by the Apostle Paul. It appeals to our hearts, instead of
our fears.
In the ten chapters that follow, I discuss ten essential American
values
that emanate from this core theme, and that will, if enacted, lead
us
to a more united nation. The ten essential values are:
1.
Opportunity
2. Responsibility
3. Work
4. Family
5. Freedom
6.
Faith
7. Justice
8. Peace
9. Respect
10. Life
I discuss some of
my own life experiences—both personal and political—to demonstrate the
universality and current relevance of each of
these values. More importantly,
I draw from some of the lessons I have taught to teenagers in Sunday School
for almost a decade, illustrating
each of these values with the story of a
hero from the Hebrew Bible.
The tales of great biblical figures such as
Abraham, Moses, David, and Esther do more to animate these values than would
thousands of policy
white papers.
Jonathan Miller is the State Treasurer of Kentucky. He
has been named an emerging national leader by groups as diverse as the
Democratic Leadership Council, the United Jewish Communities, and the Aspen
Institute. A graduate of Harvard
College and Law School,
Miller lives in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and their two
daughters. Miller is donating all of his profits from The Compassionate Community to
charity.
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