Social Principles

“Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers  of John Wesley. He set the example for us to combine personal and social  piety. Ever since predecessor churches to United Methodism flourished  in the United States, we have been known as a denomination involved with  people’s lives, with political and social struggles, having local to  international mission implications. Such involvement is an expression of  the personal change we experience in our baptism and conversion.

The United Methodist Church believes God’s love for the world is an active and engaged love, a love  seeking justice and liberty. We cannot just be observers. So we care  enough about people’s lives to risk interpreting God’s love, to take a  stand, to call each of us into a response, no matter how controversial  or complex. The church helps us think and act out a faith perspective,  not just responding to all the other ‘mind-makers-up’ that exist in our  society.”

Excerpt from The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2012. Copyright © 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.

The United Methodist Church has a long history of concern for social  justice. Its members have often taken forthright positions on  controversial issues involving Christian principles. Early Methodists  expressed their opposition to the slave trade, to smuggling, and to the  cruel treatment of prisoners. A social creed was adopted by The Methodist  Episcopal Church (North) in 1908. Within the next decade similar  statements were adopted by The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and by  The Methodist Protestant Church. The Evangelical United Brethren Church  adopted a statement of social principles in 1946 at the time of the  uniting of the United Brethren and The Evangelical Church. In 1972, four  years after the uniting in 1968 of The Methodist Church and The  Evangelical United Brethren Church, the General Conference of The United  Methodist Church adopted a new statement of Social Principles, which  was revised in 1976 (and by each successive General Conference). The Social Principles, while not to be considered church law, are a  prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the General Conference to  speak to the human issues in the contemporary world from a sound  biblical and theological foundation as historically demonstrated in  United Methodist traditions. They are a call to faithfulness and are  intended to be instructive and persuasive in the best of the prophetic  spirit.  The Social Principles are a call to all members of The United  Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice.

(See ¶ 509.)From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission. 

We, the people called United Methodists, affirm our faith in God our  Creator and Father, in Jesus Christ our Savior, and in the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Guard. We acknowledge our complete dependence upon God in  birth, in life, in death, and in life eternal. Secure in God’s love, we affirm the goodness of life and confess our many sins against God’s will  for us as we find it in Jesus Christ. We have not always been faithful stewards of all that has been committed to us by God the Creator. We  have been reluctant followers of Jesus Christ in his mission to bring all persons into a community of love. Though called by the Holy Spirit  to become new creatures in Christ, we have resisted the further call to  become the people of God in our dealings with each other and the earth  on which we live. We affirm our unity in Jesus Christ while acknowledging differences in applying our faith in different cultural contexts as we  live out the gospel.  We stand united in declaring our faith that God’s  grace is available to all, that nothing can separate us from the love of  God in Christ Jesus.Grateful for God’s forgiving love, in which we live  and by which we are judged, and affirming our belief in the inestimable worth of each individual, we renew our commitment to become faithful witnesses to the gospel, not alone to the ends of earth, but also to the depths of our common life and work.

From The Book of Discipline of The United  Methodist Church — 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist  Publishing House. Used by permission.

All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which  we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources,  plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human  beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect. Economic, political, social, and technological developments have increased our human numbers, and lengthened and enriched our lives. However, these developments have led to regional defoliation, dramatic extinction of  species, massive human suffering, overpopulation, and misuse and  over-consumption of natural and nonrenewable resources, particularly by  industrialized societies. This continued course of action jeopardizes the natural heritage that God has entrusted to all generations. Therefore, let us recognize the responsibility of the church and its  members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God’s creation. 

(From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist  Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House.  Used by permission.)

We support and encourage social policies that serve to reduce and  control the creation of industrial byproducts and waste; facilitate the safe processing and disposal of toxic and nuclear waste and move toward  the elimination of both; encourage reduction of municipal waste; provide  for appropriate recycling and disposal of municipal waste; and assist the cleanup of polluted air, water, and soil. We call for the preservation of old-growth forests and other irreplaceable natural  treasures, as well as preservation of endangered plant species. We support measures designed to maintain and restore natural ecosystems. We support policies that develop alternatives to chemicals used for growing, processing, and preserving food, and we strongly urge adequate research into their effects upon God’s creation prior to utilization. We urge development of international agreements concerning equitable utilization of the world’s resources for human benefit so long as the integrity of the earth is maintained. We are deeply concerned about the  privatization of water resources, the bottling of water to be sold as a  commodity for profit, and the resources that go into packaging bottled water. We urge all municipalities and other governmental organizations to develop processes for determining sustainability of water resources and to determine the environmental, economic, and social consequences of privatization of water resources prior to the licensing and approval thereof. 

The whole earth is God’s good creation and as such has inherent value. We are aware that the current utilization of energy resources threatens this creation at its very foundation. As members of The United Methodist Church we are committed to approaching creation, energy production, and especially creation’s resources in a responsible, careful and economic way. We call upon all to take measures to save energy. Everybody should adapt his or her lifestyle to the average consumption of energy that  respects the limits of the planet earth. We encourage persons to limit  CO2 emissions toward the goal of one tonne per person annually. We  strongly advocate for the priority of the development of renewable energies. The deposits of carbon, oil, and gas resources are limited and their continuous utilization accelerates global warming. The use of nuclear power is no solution for avoiding CO2 emissions. Nuclear power plants are vulnerable, unsafe, and potential health risks. A safe, permanent storage of nuclear waste cannot be guaranteed. It is therefore not responsible to future generations to operate them. The production of agricultural fuels and the use of biomass plants rank lower than the  provision of safe food supplies and the continued existence for small  farming businesses. 

We support regulations that protect and conserve the life and health of animals, including those ensuring the humane treatment of pets, domesticated animals, animals used in research, wildlife, and the painless slaughtering of meat animals, fish, and fowl. We recognize  un-managed and managed commercial, multinational, and corporate exploitation of wildlife and the destruction of the ecosystems on which  they depend threatens the balance of natural systems, compromises  biodiversity, reduces resilience, and threatens ecosystem services. We  encourage commitment to effective implementation of national and  international governmental and business regulations and guidelines for  the conservation of all animal species with particular support to safeguard those threatened with extinction. 

We acknowledge the global impact of humanity’s disregard for God’s  creation. Rampant industrialization and the corresponding increase in the use of fossil fuels have led to a buildup of pollutants in the earth’s atmosphere. These “greenhouse gas” emissions threaten to alter dramatically the earth’s climate for generations to come with severe  environmental, economic, and social implications. The adverse impacts of  global climate change disproportionately affect individuals and nations least responsible for the emissions. We therefore support efforts of all governments to require mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas  emissions and call on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emissions. 

The universe, known and unknown, is the creation of God and is due the  respect we are called to give the earth. We therefore reject any nation’s efforts to weaponize space and urge that all nations pursue the  peaceful and collaborative development of space technologies and of outer space itself. 

We recognize science as a legitimate interpretation of God’s natural  world. We affirm the validity of the claims of science in describing the natural world and in determining what is scientific. We preclude  science from making authoritative claims about theological issues and  theology from making authoritative claims about scientific issues. We find that science’s descriptions of cosmological, geological, and  biological evolution are not in conflict with theology. We recognize  medical, technical, and scientific technologies as legitimate uses of  God’s natural world when such use enhances human life and enables all of  God’s children to develop their God-given creative potential without  violating our ethical convictions about the relationship of humanity to the natural world. We reexamine our ethical convictions as our understanding of the natural world increases. We find that as science expands human understanding of the natural world, our understanding of  the mysteries of God’s creation and word are enhanced.

In acknowledging the important roles of science and technology, however, we also believe that theological understandings of human experience are crucial to a full understanding of the place of humanity in the universe. Science and theology are complementary rather than mutually incompatible. We therefore encourage dialogue between the scientific and theological communities and seek the kind of  participation that will enable humanity to sustain life on earth and, by  God’s grace, increase the quality of our common lives together.

We support policies that protect the food supply and that ensure the  public’s right to know the content of the foods they are eating. We call for rigorous inspections and controls on the biological safety of all foodstuffs intended for human consumption. We urge independent testing for chemical residues in food, and the removal from the market of foods contaminated with potentially hazardous levels of pesticides,  herbicides, or fungicides; drug residues from animal antibiotics,  steroids, or hormones; contaminants due to pollution that are carried by  air, soil, or water from incinerator plants or other industrial operations. We call for clear labeling of all processed, genetically created, or genetically altered foods, with pre-market safety testing  required. We oppose weakening the standards for organic foods. We call for policies that encourage and support a gradual transition to sustainable and organic agriculture. 

We support policies that increase access to quality food, particularly for those with the fewest resources. We affirm local, sustainable, and small-scale agriculture opportunities that allow  communities to feed themselves. We decry policies that make food  inaccessible to the communities where it is grown and the farm workers  involved in its growth.

From The Book of Discipline of The United  Methodist Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist  Publishing House. Used by permission.

The community provides the potential for nurturing human beings into the  fullness of their humanity. We believe we have a responsibility to innovate, sponsor, and evaluate new forms of community that will encourage development of the fullest potential in individuals. Primary for us is the gospel understanding that all persons are  important—because they are human beings created by God and loved through and by Jesus Christ and not because they have merited significance. We  therefore support social climates in which human communities are  maintained and strengthened for the sake of all persons and their growth. We also encourage all individuals to be sensitive to others by using appropriate language when referring to all persons. Language of a derogatory nature (with regard to race, nationality, ethnic background, gender, sexuality, and physical differences) does not reflect value for one another and contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

(From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist  Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House.  Used by permission.)

We believe the family to be the basic human community through which  persons are nurtured and sustained in mutual love, responsibility, respect, and fidelity. We affirm the importance of loving parents for all children. We also understand the family as encompassing a wider range of options than that of the two-generational unit of parents and  children (the nuclear family). We affirm shared responsibility for parenting where there are two parents and encourage social, economic,  and religious efforts to maintain and strengthen relationships within families in order that every member may be assisted toward complete personhood. 

We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman. We believe that God’s blessing rests upon such marriage, whether or not there are children of the union. We reject social norms that assume different standards for women than for men in marriage. We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. 

God’s plan is for lifelong, faithful marriage. The church must be on the forefront of premarital, marital, and post-marital counseling in order to create and preserve strong marriages. However, when a married couple is estranged beyond reconciliation, even after thoughtful consideration and counsel, divorce is a regrettable alternative in the midst of brokenness. We grieve over the devastating emotional, spiritual, and economic consequences of divorce for all involved, understanding that women and especially children are disproportionately impacted by such burdens. As the church we are concerned about high divorce rates. It is recommended that methods of mediation be used to minimize the adversarial nature and fault-finding that are often part of our current judicial processes, encouraging reconciliation wherever possible. We also support efforts by governments to reform divorce laws and other aspects of family law in order to address negative trends such as high divorce rates.

Although divorce publicly declares that a marriage no longer exists, other covenantal relationships resulting from the marriage remain, such as the nurture and support of children and extended family ties. We urge  respectful negotiations in deciding the custody of minor children and support the consideration of either or both parents for this responsibility in that custody not be reduced to financial support,  control, or manipulation and retaliation. The welfare of each child is  the most important consideration.

Divorce does not preclude a new marriage. We encourage an intentional  commitment of the Church and society to minister compassionately to those in the process of divorce, as well as members of divorced and remarried families, in a community of faith where God’s grace is shared by all.

Single Persons

We affirm the integrity of single persons, and we reject all social  practices that discriminate or social attitudes that are prejudicial against persons because they are single. This also includes single  parents, and we recognize the extra responsibilities involved.

We affirm with Scripture the common humanity of male and female, both  having equal worth in the eyes of God. We reject the erroneous notion that one gender is superior to another, that one gender must strive against another, and that members of one gender may receive love, power, and esteem only at the expense of another. We especially reject the idea that God made individuals as incomplete fragments, made whole only in union with another. We call upon women and men alike to share power and control, to learn to give freely and to receive freely, to be  complete and to respect the wholeness of others. We seek for every individual opportunities and freedom to love and be loved, to seek and receive justice, and to practice ethical self-determination. We understand our gender diversity to be a gift from God, intended to add to the rich variety of human experience and perspective; and we guard against attitudes and traditions that would use this good gift to leave members of one sex more vulnerable in relationships than members of another. 

We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to  responsible stewardship of this sacred gift.

Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are  married, sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of  monogamous, heterosexual marriage.

We deplore all forms of the commercialization, abuse, and  exploitation of sex. We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation of children and for adequate protection, guidance, and counseling for abused children. All persons,  regardless of age, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation, are  entitled to have their human and civil rights ensured and to be protected against violence. The Church should support the family in  providing age-appropriate education regarding sexuality to children, youth, and adults.

We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created  in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the Church in  their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and  emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships  with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God’s grace is  available to all. We will seek to live together in Christian community,  welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and  accepted us. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn  lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.1

1See Judicial Council Decision 702.

We recognize that family violence and abuse in all its forms—verbal,  psychological, physical, sexual—is detrimental to the covenant of the  human community. We encourage the Church to provide a safe environment,  counsel, and support for the victim. While we deplore the actions of the  abuser, we affirm that person to be in need of God’s redeeming love. 

Sexual Abuse

Violent, disrespectful, or abusive sexual expressions do not confirm sexuality as God’s good gift. We reject all sexual expressions that  damage the humanity God has given us as birthright, and we affirm only that sexual expression that enhances that same humanity. We believe that sexual relations where one or both partners are exploitative, abusive, or promiscuous are beyond the parameters of acceptable Christian  behavior and are ultimately destructive to individuals, families, and the social order. We deplore all forms of the commercialization and exploitation of sex, with their consequent cheapening and degradation of human personality. To lose freedom and be sold by someone else for sexual purposes is a form of slavery, and we denounce such business and  support the abused and their right to freedom.

We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation or use of children by adults and encourage efforts to hold perpetrators legally and financially responsible. We call for the establishment of adequate protective services, guidance, and counseling opportunities for children thus abused.

Sexual Harassment

We believe human sexuality is God’s good gift. One abuse of this good gift is sexual harassment. We define sexual harassment as any unwanted sexual comment, advance, or demand, either verbal or physical, that is reasonably perceived by the recipient as demeaning, intimidating, or  coercive. Sexual harassment must be understood as an exploitation of a power relationship rather than as an exclusively sexual issue. Sexual  harassment includes, but is not limited to, the creation of a hostile or abusive working environment resulting from discrimination on the basis of gender.

Contrary to the nurturing community, sexual harassment creates improper, coercive, and abusive conditions wherever it occurs in  society. Sexual harassment undermines the social goal of equal opportunity and the climate of mutual respect between men and women. Unwanted sexual attention is wrong and discriminatory. Sexual harassment  interferes with the moral mission of the Church.

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is wrong. We affirm the right of all people to live free from such assaults, encourage efforts of law enforcement to prosecute such crimes, and condemn rape in any form. It does not matter where the person is, what the person is wearing, whether or not he or she is intoxicated, if he or she is flirtatious, what is the victim’s gender,  or any other circumstance. 

The beginning of life and the ending of life are the God-given boundaries of human existence. While individuals have always had some degree of control over when they would die, they now have the awesome power to determine when and even whether new individuals will be born. Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion.

But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child.

We recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures by certified medical providers. We support parental, guardian, or other responsible adult notification and consent before abortions can be performed on girls who have not yet reached the age of legal adulthood. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection or eugenics (see Resolution 3184).

We oppose the use of late-term abortion known as dilation and  extraction (partial-birth abortion) and call for the end of this practice except when the physical life of the mother is in danger and no other medical procedure is available, or in the case of severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life. This procedure shall be performed only  by certified medical providers. Before providing their services, abortion providers should be required to offer women the option of anesthesia.

We call all Christians to a searching and prayerful inquiry into the sorts of conditions that may cause them to consider abortion. We entrust God to provide guidance, wisdom, and discernment to those facing an  unintended pregnancy.

The Church shall offer ministries to reduce unintended pregnancies.  We commit our Church to continue to provide nurturing ministries to  those who terminate a pregnancy, to those in the midst of a crisis pregnancy, and to those who give birth.

We mourn and are committed to promoting the diminishment of high abortion rates. The Church shall encourage ministries to reduce  unintended pregnancies such as comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education, advocacy in regard to contraception, and support of  initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all women and girls around the globe.

Young adult women disproportionately face situations in which they feel that they have no choice due to financial, educational, relational, or other circumstances beyond their control. The Church and its local  congregations and campus ministries should be in the forefront of supporting existing ministries and developing new ministries that help such women in their communities. They should also support those crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women explore all options related to unplanned pregnancy. We  particularly encourage the Church, the government, and social service  agencies to support and facilitate the option of adoption. (See ¶ 161L.)  We affirm and encourage the Church to assist the ministry of crisis  pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately  help women find feasible alternatives to abortion.

Governmental laws and regulations do not provide all the guidance required by the informed Christian conscience. Therefore, a decision concerning abortion should be made only after thoughtful and prayerful consideration by the parties involved, with medical, family, pastoral, and other appropriate counsel.

Ministry to Those Who Have Aborted

We urge local pastors to become informed about the symptoms and  behaviors associated with post-abortion stress. We further encourage local churches to make available contact information for counseling agencies that offer programs to address post-abortion stress for all seeking help. 

Children are a gift from God to be welcomed and received. We recognize  that some circumstances of birth make the rearing of a child difficult. We affirm and support the birth parent(s) whose choice it is to allow the child to be adopted. We recognize the agony, strength, and courage of the birth parent(s) who choose(s) in hope, love, and prayer to offer the child for adoption. In addition, we also recognize the anxiety, strength, and courage of those who choose in hope, love, and prayer to be able to care for a child. We affirm and support the adoptive  parent(s)’ desire to rear an adopted child as they would a biological  child. When circumstances warrant adoption, we support the use of proper legal procedures. When appropriate and possible, we encourage open adoption so that a child may know all information and people related to them, both medically and relationally. We support and encourage greater awareness and education to promote adoption of a wide variety of  children through foster care, international adoption, and domestic  adoption. We commend the birth parent(s), the receiving parent(s), and  the child to the care of the Church, that grief might be shared, joy might be celebrated, and the child might be nurtured in a community of Christian love. 

While we applaud medical science for efforts to prevent disease and illness and for advances in treatment that extend the meaningful life of human beings, we recognize that every mortal life will ultimately end in death. Death is never a sign that God has abandoned us, no matter what the circumstances of the death might be. As Christians we must  always be prepared to surrender the gift of mortal life and claim the  gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Care for dying persons is part of our stewardship of the divine gift of life when cure is no longer possible. We encourage the use of medical technologies to provide palliative care at the end of life when  life-sustaining treatments no longer support the goals of life, and when  they have reached their limits. There is no moral or religious obligation to use these when they impose undue burdens or only extend the process of dying. Dying persons and their families are free to discontinue treatments when they cease to be of benefit to the patient.

We recognize the agonizing personal and moral decisions faced by the  dying, their physicians, their families, their friends, and their faith community. We urge that decisions faced by the dying be made with thoughtful and prayerful consideration by the parties involved, with medical, pastoral, and other appropriate counsel. We further urge that all persons discuss with their families, their physicians, and their  pastoral counselors, their wishes for care at the end of life and provide advance directives for such care when they are not able to make these decisions for themselves. Even when one accepts the inevitability of death, the Church and society must continue to provide faithful care, including pain relief, companionship, support, and spiritual nurture for the dying person in the hard work of preparing for death. We  encourage and support the concept of hospice care whenever possible at the end of life. Faithful care does not end at death but continues  during bereavement as we care for grieving families. We reject euthanasia and any pressure upon the dying to end their lives. God has continued love and purpose for all persons, regardless of health. We affirm laws and policies that protect the rights and dignity of the  dying.

We believe that suicide is not the way a human life should end. Often suicide is the result of untreated depression, or untreated pain and suffering. The church has an obligation to see that all persons have access to needed pastoral and medical care and therapy in those circumstances that lead to loss of self-worth, suicidal despair, and/or  the desire to seek physician-assisted suicide. We encourage the church to provide education to address the biblical, theological, social, and ethical issues related to death and dying, including suicide. United Methodist theological seminary courses should also focus on issues of death and dying, including suicide.

A Christian perspective on suicide begins with an affirmation of faith that nothing, including suicide, separates us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Therefore, we deplore the condemnation of people who  complete suicide, and we consider unjust the stigma that so often falls  on surviving family and friends.

We encourage pastors and faith communities to address this issue  through preaching and teaching. We urge pastors and faith communities to  provide pastoral care to those at risk, survivors, and their families, and to those families who have lost loved ones to suicide, seeking always to remove the oppressive stigma around suicide. The Church opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The rights and privileges a society bestows upon or withholds from those  who comprise it indicate the relative esteem in which that society  holds particular persons and groups of persons. We affirm all persons as  equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and  strengthened. We support the basic rights of all persons to equal access  to housing, education, communication, employment, medical care, legal  redress for grievances, and physical protection. We deplore acts of hate  or violence against groups or persons based on race, color, national  origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition,  sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. Our respect for the inherent dignity of all persons leads us to call for the  recognition, protection, and implementation of the principles of The  Universal Declaration of Human Rights so that communities and individuals may claim and enjoy their universal, indivisible, and inalienable rights. 

(From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist  Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House.  Used by permission.

Racial and Ethnic Groups

Racism is the combination of the power to dominate by one race over  other races and a value system that assumes that the dominant race is innately superior to the others. Racism includes both personal and institutional racism. Personal racism is manifested through the  individual expressions, attitudes, and/or behaviors that accept the  assumptions of a racist value system and that maintain the benefits of this system. Institutional racism is the established social pattern that supports implicitly or explicitly the racist value system. Racism plagues and cripples our growth in Christ, inasmuch as it is  antithetical to the gospel itself.

Unfortunately, historical and  institutional racism provide support for white privilege, and white people, as a result of the color of their skin, are granted privileges and benefits that are unfairly denied persons of color. We define racial discrimination as the disparate treatment and lack of full access to  resources and opportunities in the church and in society based on race  or ethnicity. Therefore, we recognize racism as sin and affirm the  ultimate and temporal worth of all persons. We rejoice in the gifts that  particular ethnic histories and cultures bring to our total life. We commend and encourage the self-awareness of all racial and ethnic groups and oppressed people that leads them to demand their just and equal rights as members of society. We assert the obligation of society and groups within the society to implement compensatory programs that  redress long-standing, systemic social deprivation of certain racial and ethnic groups. We further assert the right of members of historically  underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to equal opportunities in  employment and promotion; to education and training of the highest  quality; to nondiscrimination in voting, in access to public accommodations, and in housing purchase or rental; to credit, financial  loans, venture capital, and insurance policies; and to positions of  leadership and power in all elements of our life together. We support affirmative action as one method of addressing the inequalities and discriminatory practices within our Church and society. 

Religious Minorities
Religious persecution has been common in the history of civilization. We  urge policies and practices that ensure the right of every religious group to exercise its faith free from legal, political, or economic restrictions. We condemn all overt and covert forms of religious intolerance, being especially sensitive to their expression in media  stereotyping. We assert the right of all religions and their adherents to freedom from legal, economic, and social discrimination.

Immigrants
We recognize, embrace, and affirm all persons, regardless of country of  origin, as members of the family of God. We affirm the right of all  persons to equal opportunities for employment, access to housing, health care, education, and freedom from social discrimination. We urge the Church and society to recognize the gifts, contributions, and struggles of those who are immigrants and to advocate for justice for all.

Children

Once considered the property of their parents, children are now  acknowledged to be full human beings in their own right, but beings to whom adults and society in general have special obligations. Thus, we support the development of school systems and innovative methods of education designed to assist every child toward complete fulfillment as  an individual person of worth. All children have the right to quality education, including full sex education appropriate to their stage of  development that utilizes the best educational techniques and insights.  Christian parents and guardians and the Church have the responsibility  to ensure that children receive sex education consistent with Christian  morality, including faithfulness in marriage and abstinence in singleness. Moreover, children have the rights to food, shelter, clothing, health care, and emotional well-being as do adults, and these  rights we affirm as theirs regardless of actions or inactions of their  parents or guardians. In particular, children must be protected from  economic, physical, emotional, and sexual exploitation and abuse. 

Young People

Our society is characterized by a large population of young people who  frequently find full participation in society difficult. Therefore, we urge development of policies that encourage inclusion of young people in  decision-making processes and that eliminate discrimination and exploitation. Creative and appropriate employment opportunities should be legally and socially available for young people. 

In a society that places primary emphasis upon youth, those growing old  in years are frequently isolated from the mainstream of social  existence. We support social policies that integrate the aging into the  life of the total community, including sufficient incomes, increased and  nondiscriminatory employment opportunities, educational and service  opportunities, and adequate medical care and housing within existing communities. We urge social policies and programs, with emphasis on the  unique concerns of older women and ethnic persons, that ensure to the  aging the respect and dignity that is their right as senior members of  the human community. Further, we urge increased consideration for adequate pension systems by employers, with provisions for the surviving spouse. 

Women

We affirm women and men to be equal in every aspect of their common  life. We therefore urge that every effort be made to eliminate sex-role stereotypes in activity and portrayal of family life and in all aspects of voluntary and compensatory participation in the Church and society. We affirm the right of women to equal treatment in employment,  responsibility, promotion, and compensation. We affirm the importance of women in decision-making positions at all levels of Church and society and urge such bodies to guarantee their presence through policies of employment and recruitment. We support affirmative action as one method  of addressing the inequalities and discriminatory practices within our  Church and society. We urge employers of persons in dual career families, both in the Church and society, to apply proper consideration of both parties when relocation is considered. We affirm the right of women to live free from violence and abuse and urge governments to enact policies that protect women against all forms of violence and discrimination in any sector of society.

Men

Because we affirm women and men to be equal in every aspect of their common life, we also affirm the rights of men. We affirm equal opportunities in employment, responsibility, and promotion. Men should not be ignored or lose opportunities or influence because they are men.

We recognize that men are also victims of domestic violence and abuse. We encourage communities to offer the same policies and  protection as provided for women in similar situations. We affirm the right of men to live free from violence and abuse and urge governments to enact policies that protect men against all forms of violence and discrimination in any sector of society.

We recognize that men’s role in raising children is in equal  importance to women’s and call for equal rights as women in opportunities for parental leave. When parents divorce, men often have less contact with their children. We call for equal access to  child-custody, but emphasize that the best interest of the child always  is the most important.

We recognize and affirm the full humanity and personhood of all  individuals with mental, physical, developmental, neurological, and  psychological conditions or disabilities as full members of the family of God.

We also affirm their rightful place in both the church and society.  We affirm the responsibility of the Church and society to be in ministry with children, youth, and adults with mental, physical, developmental, and/or psychological and neurological conditions or disabilities whose particular needs in the areas of mobility, communication, intellectual comprehension, or personal relationships might make more challenging their participation or that of their families in the life of the Church  and the community.

We urge the Church and society to recognize and receive the gifts of  persons with disabilities to enable them to be full participants in the  community of faith. We call the Church and society to be sensitive to, and advocate for, programs of rehabilitation, services, employment, education, appropriate housing, and transportation. We call on the Church and society to protect the civil rights of persons with all types  and kinds of disabilities.

Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons. We are committed to supporting those rights and liberties for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation.

We see a clear issue of simple justice in protecting the rightful claims where people have shared material resources, pensions, guardian relationships, mutual powers of attorney, and other such lawful claims typically attendant to contractual relationships that involve shared contributions, responsibilities, and liabilities, and equal protection  before the law.

Moreover, we support efforts to stop violence and other forms of coercion against all persons, regardless of sexual orientation.

Since the growing worldwide population is increasingly straining the world’s supply of food, minerals, and water and sharpening international tensions, the reduction of the rate of consumption of resources by the affluent and the reduction of current world population growth rates have become imperative. People have the duty to consider the impact on the  total world community of their decisions regarding childbearing and  should have access to information and appropriate means to limit their  fertility, including voluntary sterilization. We affirm that programs to  achieve a stabilized population should be placed in a context of total economic and social development, including an equitable use and control of resources; improvement in the status of women in all cultures; a human level of economic security, health care, and literacy for all. We oppose any policy of forced abortion or forced sterilization. 

Alcohol

We affirm our long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol as a faithful witness to God’s liberating and redeeming love for persons. We  support abstinence from the use of any illegal drugs. Since the use of illegal drugs, as well as illegal and problematic use of alcohol, is a major factor in crime, disease, death, and family dysfunction, we support educational programs as well as other prevention strategies encouraging abstinence from illegal drug use and, with regard to those who choose to consume alcoholic beverages, judicious use with deliberate  and intentional restraint, with Scripture as a guide.

Tobacco

We affirm our historic tradition of high standards of personal discipline and social responsibility. In light of the overwhelming evidence that tobacco smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco are hazardous to the health of persons of all ages, we recommend total abstinence from the use of tobacco.

We urge that our educational and communication resources be utilized to support and encourage such abstinence. Further, we recognize the harmful effects of passive smoke and support the restriction of smoking  in public areas and workplaces.

Other Drugs

Millions of living human beings are testimony to the beneficial  consequences of therapeutic drug use, and millions of others are testimony to the detrimental consequences of drug misuse. We encourage wise policies relating to the availability of potentially beneficial or potentially damaging prescription and over-the-counter drugs; we urge that complete information about their use and misuse be readily available to both doctor and patient. We support the strict  administration of laws regulating the sale and distribution of alcohol and controlled substances. We support regulations that protect society from users of drugs of any kind, including alcohol, where it can be shown that a clear and present social danger exists. Drug-dependent persons and their family members, including those who are assessed or diagnosed as dependent on alcohol, are individuals of infinite human worth deserving of treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing life-changing recovery. Misuse or abuse may also require intervention, in order to prevent progression into dependence. Because of the frequent  interrelationship between alcohol abuse and mental illness, we call upon  legislators and health care providers to make available appropriate mental illness treatment and rehabilitation for drug-dependent persons. We commit ourselves to assisting those who suffer from abuse or dependence, and their families, in finding freedom through Jesus Christ and in finding good opportunities for treatment, for ongoing counseling, and for reintegration into society. 

Medicinal Experimentation

Physical and mental health has been greatly enhanced through discoveries  by medical science. It is imperative, however, that governments and the  medical profession carefully enforce the requirements of the prevailing  medical research standard, maintaining rigid controls in testing new technologies and drugs utilizing human beings. The standard requires that those engaged in research shall use human beings as research subjects only after obtaining full, rational, and un-coerced consent. 

Genetic Technology 

The responsibility of humankind to God’s creation challenges us to deal carefully with and examine the possibilities of genetic research and technology in a conscientious, careful, and responsible way. We welcome the use of genetic technology for meeting fundamental human needs for health and a safe environment. We oppose the cloning of humans and the genetic manipulation of the gender of an unborn child.

Because of the effects of genetic technologies on all life, we call  for effective guidelines and public accountability to safeguard against any action that might lead to abuse of these technologies, including political or military ends. We recognize that cautious, well-intended use of genetic technologies may sometimes lead to unanticipated harmful consequences. The risks of genetic technology that can hardly be calculated when breeding animals and plants and the negative ecological and social impacts on agriculture make the use of this technology doubtful. We approve modern methods of breeding that respect the existence of the natural borders of species.

Human gene therapies that produce changes that cannot be passed to  offspring (somatic therapy) should be limited to the alleviation of  suffering caused by disease. Genetic therapies for eugenic choices or  that produce waste embryos are deplored. Genetic data of individuals and their families should be kept secret and held in strict confidence unless confidentiality is waived by the individual or by his or her  family, or unless the collection and use of genetic identification data  is supported by an appropriate court order. Because its long-term effects are uncertain, we oppose genetic therapy that results in changes that can be passed to offspring (germ-line therapy). All the genetic procedures must be accompanied by independent, ethically oriented measures of testing, approval, and control.

Right to Health Care

Health is a condition of physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. John 10:10b says, “I came so that they could have  life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.” Stewardship  of health is the responsibility of each person to whom health has been  entrusted. Creating the personal, environmental, and social conditions  in which health can thrive is a joint responsibility—public and private.  We encourage individuals to pursue a healthy lifestyle and affirm the  importance of preventive health care, health education, environmental  and occupational safety, good nutrition, and secure housing in achieving health. Health care is a basic human right.

Providing the care needed to maintain health, prevent disease, and  restore health after injury or illness is a responsibility each person  owes others and government owes to all, a responsibility government ignores at its peril. In Ezekiel 34:4a, God points out the failures of  the leadership of Israel to care for the weak: “You don’t strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays, or  seek out the lost.” As a result all suffer. Like police and fire protection, health care is best funded through the government’s ability to tax each person equitably and directly fund the provider entities. Countries facing a public health crisis such as HIV/AIDS must have  access to generic medicines and to patented medicines. We affirm the  right of men and women to have access to comprehensive reproductive  health/family planning information and services that will serve as a means to prevent unplanned pregnancies, reduce abortions, and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The right to health care includes care for persons with brain diseases, neurological conditions, or physical  disabilities, who must be afforded the same access to health care as all other persons in our communities. It is unjust to construct or  perpetuate barriers to physical or mental wholeness or full participation in community.

We believe it is a governmental responsibility to provide all citizens with health care.

We encourage hospitals, physicians, and medical clinics to provide access to primary health care to all people regardless of their health-care coverage or ability to pay for treatment.

Mental Health

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and  fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”  Unfortunately, mental health eludes many in our world resulting in  considerable distress, stigma, and isolation. Mental illness troubles our relationships because it can affect the way we process information, relate to others, and choose actions. Consequently, mental illnesses  often are feared in ways that other illnesses are not. Nevertheless, we know that regardless of our illness we remain created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

No person deserves to be stigmatized because of mental illness. Those  with mental illness are no more violent than other persons are. Rather, they are much more likely to be victims of violence or preyed on by others. When stigma happens within the church, mentally ill persons and their families are further victimized. Persons with mental illness and their families have a right to be treated with respect on the basis of common humanity and accurate information. They also have a right and responsibility to obtain care appropriate to their condition. The United Methodist Church pledges to foster policies that promote compassion, advocate for access to care and eradicate stigma within the church and in communities.

Organ Donation and Transplant

We believe that organ transplantation and organ donation are acts of  charity, agape love, and self-sacrifice. We recognize the life-giving benefits of organ and other tissue donation and encourage all people of faith to become organ and tissue donors as a part of their love and ministry to others in need. We urge that it be done in an environment of respect for deceased and living donors and for the benefit of the  recipients, and following protocols that carefully prevent abuse to donors and their families.

Persons Living with HIV and AIDS

Persons diagnosed as positive for Human Immune Virus (HIV) and with  Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) often face rejection from their families and friends and various communities in which they work and interact. In addition, they are often faced with a lack of adequate  health care, especially toward the end of life.

All individuals living with HIV and AIDS should be treated with dignity and respect.

We affirm the responsibility of the Church to minister to and with these  individuals and their families regardless of how the disease was contracted. We support their rights to employment, appropriate medical  care, full participation in public education, and full participation in the Church.

We urge the Church to be actively involved in the prevention of the  spread of AIDS by providing educational opportunities to the congregation and the community. The Church should be available to provide counseling to the affected individuals and their families.

Rural Life

We support the right of persons and families to live and prosper as farmers, farm workers, merchants, professionals, and others outside of  the cities and metropolitan centers. We believe our culture is impoverished and our people deprived of a meaningful way of life when rural and small-town living becomes difficult or impossible. We  recognize that the improvement of this way of life may sometimes necessitate the use of some lands for nonagricultural purposes. We oppose the indiscriminate diversion of agricultural land for nonagricultural uses when nonagricultural land is available. Further, we encourage the preservation of appropriate lands for agriculture and open space uses through thoughtful land use programs. We support governmental and private programs designed to benefit the resident farmer rather than the factory farm and programs that encourage industry to locate in nonurban areas.

We further recognize that increased mobility and technology have brought a mixture of people,religions, and philosophies to rural communities that were once homogeneous. While often this is seen as a threat to or loss of community life, we understand it as an opportunity to uphold the biblical call to community for all persons. Therefore, we encourage rural communities and individuals to maintain a strong  connection to the earth and to be open to: offering mutual belonging, caring, healing, and growth; sharing and celebrating cooperative leadership and diverse gifts; supporting mutual trust; and affirming individuals as unique persons of worth, and thus to practice shalom.

Urban/Suburban Life

Urban-suburban living has become a dominant style of life for more and  more persons. For many it furnishes economic, educational, social, and  cultural opportunities. For others, it has brought alienation, poverty, and de-personalization. We in the Church have an opportunity and responsibility to help shape the future of urban-suburban life. Massive programs of renewal and social planning are needed to bring a greater  degree of humanization into urban-suburban lifestyles. We must judge all  programs, including economic and community development, new towns, and urban renewal, by the extent to which they protect and enhance human  values, permit personal and political involvement, and make possible  neighborhoods open to persons of all races, ages, and income levels. We  affirm the efforts of all developers who place human values at the heart  of their planning. We must help shape urban-suburban development so  that it provides for the human need to identify with and find meaning in smaller social communities. At the same time, such smaller communities must be encouraged to assume responsibilities for the total urban-suburban community instead of isolating themselves from it. 

Sustainable Agriculture

A prerequisite for meeting the nutritional needs of the world’s population is an agricultural system that uses sustainable methods, respects ecosystems, and promotes a livelihood for people that work the  land.

We support a sustainable agricultural system that will maintain and support the natural fertility of agricultural soil, promote the diversity of flora and fauna, and adapt to regional conditions and  structures—a system where agricultural animals are treated humanely and  where their living conditions are as close to natural systems as possible. We aspire to an effective agricultural system where plant, livestock, and poultry production maintains the natural ecological cycles, conserves energy, and reduces chemical input to a minimum.

Sustainable agriculture requires a global evaluation of the impact of  agriculture on food and raw material production, the preservation of animal breeds and plant varieties, and the preservation and development of the cultivated landscape.

World trade of agricultural products needs to be based on fair trade and prices, based on the costs of sustainable production methods, and must consider the real costs of ecological damage. The needed  technological and biological developments are those that support  sustainability and consider ecological consequences.

Media Violence and Christian Values

In our society, the media plays an important role. It influences people all over the world. Content, representations, pictures, scenes,  however, are often in a stark contrast to human and Christian values. We  express disdain of dehumanizing portrayals, sensationalized through  mass media “entertainment” and “news.” These practices degrade humankind and violate the teachings of Christ and the Bible.

United Methodists, along with those of other faith groups, must be made aware that the mass media often undermine the truths of Christianity by promoting permissive lifestyles and detailing acts of graphic violence. Instead of encouraging, motivating, and inspiring its audiences to adopt lifestyles based on the sanctity of life, the entertainment industry often advocates the opposite, painting a cynical  picture of violence, abuse, greed, profanity, and a constant denigration of the family. The media must be held accountable for the part they play in the decline of values we observe in society today. Many in the  media remain aloof to the issue, claiming to reflect rather than to  influence society. For the sake of our human family, Christians must work together to halt this erosion of moral and ethical values in the world community. We oppose any kind of sexist image as well as those that glorify violence. We reject the implicit message that conflicts can be resolved and just peace can be established by violence. Within the bounds of the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, the media are responsible for respecting human rights. In support of these  matters, we work together with all people of good will.

Information Communication Technology

Because effective personal communication is key to being a  responsible and empowered member of society, and because of the power afforded by information communication technologies to shape society and  enable individuals to participate more fully, we believe that access to these technologies is a basic right.

Information communication technologies provide us with information,  entertainment, and a voice in society. They can be used to enhance our quality of life and provide us with a means to interact with each other, our government, and people and cultures all over the world. Most information about world events comes to us by the broadcast, cable, print media, and the Internet. Concentrating the control of media to large commercial interests limits our choices and often provides a  distorted view of human values. Therefore, we support the regulation of  media communication technologies to ensure a variety of independent  information sources and provide for the public good.

Personal communication technologies such as the Internet allow persons to communicate with each other and access vast information  resources that can have commercial, cultural, political, and personal value. While the Internet can be used to nurture minds and spirits of children and adults, it is in danger of being overrun with commercial interests and is used by some to distribute inappropriate and illegal material. Therefore, the Internet must be managed responsibly in order  to maximize its benefits while minimizing its risks, especially for children. Denying access in today’s world to basic information communication technologies like the Internet due to their cost or  availability, limits people’s participation in their government and  society. We support the goal of universal access to telephone and Internet services at an affordable price.

We claim all economic systems to be under the judgment of God no less  than other facets of the created order. Therefore, we recognize the  responsibility of governments to develop and implement sound fiscal and  monetary policies that provide for the economic life of individuals and  corporate entities and that ensure full employment and adequate incomes with a minimum of inflation. We believe private and public economic  enterprises are responsible for the social costs of doing business, such  as employment and environmental pollution, and that they should be held  accountable for these costs. We support measures that would reduce the  concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. We further support  efforts to revise tax structures and to eliminate governmental support  programs that now benefit the wealthy at the expense of other persons. 

(From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist  Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House.  Used by permission.

We believe private ownership of property is a trusteeship under God,  both in those societies where it is encouraged and where it is  discouraged, but is limited by the overriding needs of society. We  believe that Christian faith denies to any person or group of persons  exclusive and arbitrary control of any other part of the created  universe. Socially and culturally conditioned ownership of property is,  therefore, to be considered a responsibility to God. We believe,  therefore, governments have the responsibility, in the pursuit of  justice and order under law, to provide procedures that protect the  rights of the whole society as well as those of private ownership. 

We support the right of all public and private employees and employers  to organize for collective bargaining into unions and other groups of  their own choosing. Further, we support the right of both parties to protection in so doing and their responsibility to bargain in good faith within the framework of the public interest. In order that the rights  of all members of the society may be maintained and promoted, we support  innovative bargaining procedures that include representatives of the  public interest in negotiation and settlement of labor-management  contracts, including some that may lead to forms of judicial resolution of issues. We reject the use of violence by either party during  collective bargaining or any labor/management disagreement. We likewise  reject the permanent replacement of a worker who engages in a lawful strike. 

Every person has the right to a job at a living wage. Where the private  sector cannot or does not provide jobs for all who seek and need them, it is the responsibility of government to provide for the creation of such jobs. We support social measures that ensure the physical and mental safety of workers, that provide for the equitable division of  products and services, and that encourage an increasing freedom in the  way individuals may use their leisure time. We recognize the opportunity  leisure provides for creative contributions to society and encourage methods that allow workers additional blocks of discretionary time. We  support educational, cultural, and recreational outlets that enhance the  use of such time. We believe that persons come before profits. We  deplore the selfish spirit that often pervades our economic life. We  support policies that encourage the sharing of ideas in the workplace,  cooperative and collective work arrangements. We support rights of  workers to refuse to work in situations that endanger health and/or life  without jeopardy to their jobs. We support policies that would reverse the increasing concentration of business and industry into monopolies. 

Consumers should exercise their economic power to encourage the  manufacture of goods that are necessary and beneficial to humanity while avoiding the desecration of the environment in either production or  consumption. Consumers should avoid purchasing products made in  conditions where workers are being exploited because of their age,  gender, or economic status.

And while the limited options available to consumers make this  extremely difficult to accomplish, buying “Fair Trade Certified”  products is one sure way consumers can use their purchasing power to  make a contribution to the common good. The International Standards of  Fair Trade are based on ensuring livable wages for small farmers and  their families, working with democratically run farming cooperatives,  buying direct so that the benefits and profits from trade actually reach  the farmers and their communities, providing vitally important advance  credit, and encouraging ecologically sustainable farming practices.  Consumers should not only seek out companies whose product lines reflect  a strong commitment to these standards, but should also encourage  expanded corporate participation in the Fair Trade market.

Consumers should evaluate their consumption of goods and services in  the light of the need for enhanced quality of life rather than unlimited  production of material goods. We call upon consumers, including local congregations and Church-related institutions, to organize to achieve  these goals and to express dissatisfaction with harmful economic,  social, or ecological practices through such appropriate methods as  boycott, letter writing, corporate resolution, and advertisement.

In spite of general affluence in the industrialized nations, the  majority of persons in the world live in poverty. In order to provide  basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and  other necessities, ways must be found to share more equitably the  resources of the world. Increasing technology, when accompanied by  exploitative economic practices, impoverishes many persons and makes  poverty self-perpetuating. Poverty due to natural catastrophes and  environmental changes is growing and needs attention and support.  Conflicts and war impoverish the population on all sides, and an  important way to support the poor will be to work for peaceful solutions.

As a church, we are called to support the poor and challenge the  rich. To begin to alleviate poverty, we support such policies as:  adequate income maintenance, quality education, decent housing, job  training, meaningful employment opportunities, adequate medical and  hospital care, humanization and radical revisions of welfare programs,  work for peace in conflict areas and efforts to protect creation’s  integrity. Since low wages are often a cause of poverty, employers  should pay their employees a wage that does not require them to depend  upon government subsidies such as food stamps or welfare for their  livelihood.

Because we recognize that the long-term reduction of poverty must  move beyond services to and employment for the poor, which can be taken  away, we emphasize measures that build and maintain the wealth of poor  people, including asset-building strategies such as individual  development savings accounts, micro-enterprise development programs,  programs enabling home ownership, and financial management training and  counseling. We call upon churches to develop these and other ministries  that promote asset-building among the poor. We are especially mindful of  the Global South, where investment and micro-enterprise are especially  needed. We urge support for policies that will encourage equitable  economic growth in the Global South and around the world, providing a  just opportunity for all.

Poverty most often has systemic causes, and therefore we do not hold poor people morally responsible for their economic state.

For centuries people have moved across borders in search of work. In  our global world this is still a relevant and increasing form of  immigration. Improved wages, better working conditions, and jobs  available are reasons for immigration due to work opportunities. Workers  from other countries are in many societies an important resource to  fill the society’s need of workers. But foreign workers too often meet  exploitation, absence of protecting laws, and unreasonable wages and working conditions.

We call upon governments and all employers to ensure for foreign  workers the same economic, educational, and social benefits enjoyed by  other citizens.

Foreign workers also need a religious fellowship, and we call for the  churches to include these in their care and fellowships and to support  them in their efforts for better conditions.

Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, destructive of good government and good stewardship. As an act of faith and concern, Christians should  abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized  by the practice. Where gambling has become addictive, the Church will  encourage such individuals to receive therapeutic assistance so that the individual’s energies may be redirected into positive and constructive  ends. The Church acknowledges the dichotomy that can occur when opposing  gambling while supporting American Indian tribal sovereignty and  self-determination. Therefore, the Church’s role is to create sacred  space to allow for dialogue and education that will promote a holistic  understanding of the American Indians’ historic quest for survival. The  Church’s prophetic call is to promote standards of justice and advocacy  that would make it unnecessary and undesirable to resort to commercial  gambling—including public lotteries, casinos, raffles, Internet  gambling, gambling with an emerging wireless technology and other games  of chance—as a recreation, as an escape, or as a means of producing  public revenue or funds for support of charities or government. 

The value of family farms has long been affirmed as a significant  foundation for free and democratic societies. In recent years, the  survival of independent farmers worldwide has been threatened by various  factors, including the increasing concentration of all phases of  agriculture into the hands of a limited number of transnational  corporations. The concentration of the food supply for the many into the  hands of the few raises global questions of justice that cry out for vigilance and action.

We call upon the agribusiness sector to conduct itself with respect  for human rights primarily in the responsible stewardship of daily bread  for the world, and secondarily in responsible corporate citizenship  that respects the rights of all farmers, small and large, to receive a  fair return for honest labor. We advocate for the rights of people to  possess property and to earn a living by tilling the soil.

We call upon governments to revise support programs that  disproportionately benefit wealthier agricultural producers, so that  more support can be given to programs that benefit medium and smaller  sized farming operations, including programs that build rural  processing, storage, distribution, and other agricultural  infrastructure; which link local farmers to local schools; and which  promote other community food security measures.

We call upon our churches to do all in their power to speak  prophetically to the matters of food supply and the people who grow the  food for the world and to develop ministries that build food security in local communities.

Corporations are responsible not only to their stockholders, but also to  other stakeholders: their workers, suppliers, vendors, customers, the  communities in which they do business, and for the earth, which supports  them. We support the public’s right to know what impact corporations  have in these various arenas, so that people can make informed choices  about which corporations to support. We applaud corporations that  voluntarily comply with standards that promote human well-being and  protect the environment. 

Finance

Financial institutions serve a vital role in society. They must guard,  however, against abusive and deceptive lending practices that take  advantage of the neediest among us for the gain of the richest. Banking  regulations must prevent the collection of usurious interest that keeps  people in cycles of debt. Personal credit issuing institutions must  operate with responsibility and clarity that allow all parties to  understand the full terms of agreements.

Trade and Investment

We affirm the importance of international trade and investment in an  interdependent world. Trade and investment should be based on rules that  support the dignity of the human person, a clean environment and our  common humanity. Trade agreements must include mechanisms to enforce  labor rights and human rights as well as environmental standards.  Broad-based citizen advocacy and participation in trade negotiations  must be ensured through democratic mechanisms of consultation and  participation. 

Graft and Corruption

God’s good creation, the fullness of its bounty, and the loving,  nurturing relationships that bind all together are intended by God to be enjoyed in freedom and responsible stewardship. To revere God’s creation is a sacred trust that enables us to fashion just, equitable,  sustainable relationships and communities. The strength, stability,  security, and progress of such relationships and communities depend on  the integrity of their social, economic, political, and cultural  processes, institutions, and stakeholders. Graft, referring to unfair or  illegal means of acquiring money, gain, or advantage, especially by  abusing one’s position in politics, business, and social institutions,  transgresses human dignity and violates human rights. Corruption,  referring to dishonest and undue exploitation of power for personal  gain, subverts God’s intention for the fullness of life and creation.  Graft and corruption tangle the social thread of communities, erode the  moral fiber of human relationships, and sully the reputation of social  institutions. Legislative and judicial mechanisms, including a strong,  just criminal justice system, must deal with graft and corruption at  every level of society. Good, just political governance characterized by  transparency, accountability, and integrity is crucial to the  eradication of graft and corruption. Societies that are graft-ridden and  plagued with corruption are needful of God’s pardoning love and  redeeming grace.

Public Indebtedness

The huge budget deficits produced by years of overspending by  governments around the world is of great concern. We acknowledge that  for a limited time in a nation’s history governmental deficits are  sometimes necessary. However, long periods of excessive overspending by  governments have produced huge deficits and significant economic  challenges for many nations. Such wanton carelessness cannot continue.  Therefore, we call upon all governments to reduce budget deficits and to  live within their means. We ask the governments and institutions that  lend money to reduce significantly the interest rates on the money  borrowed. We ask that public officials, when making financial  adjustments, remember first and foremost obligations that promote the  well-being of society such as the funding of schools and other  opportunities that foster the growth of the individual, as well as  agencies that care for the poor, the elderly, the disabled, and the  disenfranchised.

We recognize that, if deficits are not brought under control, future  generations will be shackled with a burden of public indebtedness that  will force societies to live under the specter of coerced repayments,  rising inflation, mass unemployment, and despair. Thus, this is not just  a financial issue, but an issue of justice for those who are yet to be  born. Wise stewardship is needed today to provide for future  generations. We call on church leadership throughout the connection to  encourage public officials to reduce public indebtedness and to begin the process toward balanced and fair budgets.

While our allegiance to God takes precedence over our allegiance to any  state, we acknowledge the vital function of government as a principal  vehicle for the ordering of society. Because we know ourselves to be  responsible to God for social and political life, we declare the  following relative to governments: 

(From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist  Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House.  Used by permission.)

We hold governments responsible for the protection of the rights of the people to free and fair elections and to the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, communications media, and petition for redress of  grievances without fear of reprisal; to the right to privacy; and to the  guarantee of the rights to adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care. The form and the leaders of all governments should be  determined by exercise of the right to vote guaranteed to all adult citizens. We also strongly reject domestic surveillance and intimidation  of political opponents by governments in power and all other misuses of elective or appointive offices. The use of detention and imprisonment  for the harassment and elimination of political opponents or other  dissidents violates fundamental human rights. Furthermore, the  mistreatment or torture, and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment or punishment of persons by governments for any purpose violates Christian teaching and must be condemned and/or opposed by Christians and churches wherever and whenever it occurs.

The Church regards the institution of slavery, the practice and  commission of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression as infamous and atrocious evils. Such evils are destructive of humanity, promote impunity, and therefore must be unconditionally prohibited by all governments and shall never be tolerated by the Church.

The strength of a political system depends upon the full and willing  participation of its citizens. The church should continually exert a strong ethical influence upon the state, supporting policies and  programs deemed to be just and opposing policies and programs that are unjust. 

The United Methodist Church has for many years supported the separation  of church and state. In some parts of the world this separation has  guaranteed the diversity of religious expressions and the freedom to  worship God according to each person’s conscience. Separation of church  and state means no organic union of the two, but it does permit  interaction. The state should not use its authority to promote particular religious beliefs (including atheism), nor should it require  prayer or worship in the public schools, but it should leave students  free to practice their own religious convictions. We believe that the  state should not attempt to control the church, nor should the church seek to dominate the state. The rightful and vital separation of church and state, which has served the cause of religious liberty, should not be misconstrued as the abolition of all religious expression from public life. 

Citizens of all countries should have access to all essential information regarding their government and its policies. Illegal and unconscionable activities directed against persons or groups by their own governments must not be justified or kept secret, even under the guise of national security. 

We believe that every person has the right to education. We also believe that the responsibility for education of the young rests with the family, faith communities, and the government. In society, this function can best be fulfilled through public policies that ensure access for all persons to free public elementary and secondary schools and to  post-secondary schools of their choice. Persons should not be precluded by financial barriers from access to church-related and other  independent institutions of higher education. We affirm the right of public and independent colleges and universities to exist, and we endorse public policies that ensure access and choice and that do not create unconstitutional entanglements between church and state. We believe that colleges and universities are to ensure that academic freedom is protected for all members of the academic community and a  learning environment is fostered that allows for a free exchange of  ideas. We affirm the joining of reason and faith; therefore, we urge colleges and universities to guard the expression of religious life on campus. 

Governments and laws should be servants of God and of human beings.  Citizens have a duty to abide by laws duly adopted by orderly and just  process of government. But governments, no less than individuals, are  subject to the judgment of God. Therefore, we recognize the right of  individuals to dissent when acting under the constraint of conscience and, after having exhausted all legal recourse, to resist or disobey  laws that they deem to be unjust or that are discriminatorily enforced.  Even then, respect for law should be shown by refraining from violence  and by being willing to accept the costs of disobedience. We do not  encourage or condone any form of violent protest as a legitimate exercise of free speech or civil disobedience. We offer our prayers for those in rightful authority who serve the public, and we support their efforts to afford justice and equal opportunity for all people. We  assert the duty of churches to support those who suffer because of their  stands of conscience represented by nonviolent beliefs or acts. We urge  governments to ensure civil rights, as defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to persons in legal jeopardy because of those nonviolent acts. 

We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore and transform all human beings. The United Methodist Church is deeply concerned about crime throughout the world and the value of any life taken by a murder or homicide. We believe all human life is sacred and created by God and therefore, we must see all human life as significant and valuable. When governments implement the death penalty (capital punishment), then the life of the convicted person is devalued and all possibility of change in that person’s life ends. We believe in  the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that the possibility of reconciliation with Christ comes through repentance. This gift of  reconciliation is offered to all individuals without exception and gives  all life new dignity and sacredness. For this reason, we oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes. 

To protect all persons from encroachment upon their personal and  property rights, governments have established mechanisms of law  enforcement and courts. A wide array of sentencing options serves to  express community outrage, incapacitate dangerous offenders, deter  crime, and offer opportunities for rehabilitation. We support  governmental measures designed to reduce and eliminate crime that are consistent with respect for the basic freedom of persons.

We reject all misuse of these mechanisms, including their use for the  purpose of revenge or for persecuting or intimidating those whose race,  appearance, lifestyle, economic condition, or beliefs differ from those in authority. We reject all careless, callous, or discriminatory enforcement of law that withholds justice from persons with disabilities  and all those who do not speak the language of the country in which  they are in contact with the law enforcement. We further support  measures designed to remove the social conditions that lead to crime,  and we encourage continued positive interaction between law enforcement  officials and members of the community at large.

In the love of Christ, who came to save those who are lost and vulnerable, we urge the creation of a genuinely new system for the care and restoration of victims, offenders, criminal justice officials, and the community as a whole. Restorative justice grows out of biblical  authority, which emphasizes a right relationship with God, self, and  community. When such relationships are violated or broken through crime,  opportunities are created to make things right.

Most criminal justice systems around the world are retributive.These  retributive justice systems profess to hold the offender accountable to the state and use punishment as the equalizing tool for accountability.  In contrast, restorative justice seeks to hold the offender accountable to the victimized person, and to the disrupted community. Through God’s  transforming power, restorative justice seeks to repair the damage, right the wrong, and bring healing to all involved, including the victim, the offender, the families, and the community. The Church is transformed when it responds to the claims of discipleship by becoming an agent of healing and systemic change.

We deplore war and urge the peaceful settlement of all disputes among  nations. From the beginning, the Christian conscience has struggled with the harsh realities of violence and war, for these evils clearly frustrate God’s loving purposes for humankind. We yearn for the day when there will be no more war and people will live together in peace and  justice. Some of us believe that war, and other acts of violence, are  never acceptable to Christians. We also acknowledge that many Christians  believe that, when peaceful alternatives have failed, the force of arms may regretfully be preferable to unchecked aggression, tyranny and genocide. We honor the witness of pacifists who will not allow us to become complacent about war and violence. We also respect those who support the use of force, but only in extreme situations and only when  the need is clear beyond reasonable doubt, and through appropriate international organizations. We urge the establishment of the rule of  law in international affairs as a means of elimination of war, violence, and coercion in these affairs.

We reject national policies of enforced military service as incompatible with the gospel. We acknowledge the agonizing tension  created by the demand for military service by national governments. We urge all young adults to seek the counsel of the Church as they reach a conscientious decision concerning the nature of their responsibility as citizens. Pastors are called upon to be available for counseling with all young adults who face conscription or who are considering voluntary enlistment in the armed forces, including those who conscientiously refuse to cooperate with a system of conscription.

We support and extend the ministry of the Church to those persons who  conscientiously oppose all war, or any particular war, and who therefore refuse to serve in the armed forces or to cooperate with  systems of military conscription. We also support and extend the  Church’s ministry to all persons. This includes those who  conscientiously choose to serve in the armed forces or to accept alternative service. When persons choose to serve in the armed forces, we support their right to adequate care for injuries suffered, and advocate for sufficient resources to meet their physical and mental  health needs, both during and after their service. We are aware that we  can become guilty both by military action and by conscientious objection, and that we all are dependent on God’s forgiveness.

God’s world is one world. The unity now being thrust upon us by technological revolution has far outrun our moral and spiritual capacity to achieve a stable world. The enforced unity of humanity, increasingly evident on all levels of life, presents the Church as well as all  people with problems that will not wait for answer: injustice, war, exploitation, privilege, population, international ecological crisis, proliferation of arsenals of nuclear weapons, development of  transnational business organizations that operate beyond the effective control of any governmental structure, and the increase of tyranny in  all its forms. This generation must find viable answers to these and related questions if humanity is to continue on this earth. We commit ourselves as a Church to the achievement of a world community that is a fellowship of persons who honestly love one another. We pledge ourselves to seek the meaning of the gospel in all issues that divide people and threaten the growth of world community. 

(From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist  Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House.  Used by permission.)

As individuals are affirmed by God in their diversity, so are nations and cultures. We recognize that no nation or culture is absolutely just and right in its treatment of its own people, nor is any nation totally without regard for the welfare of its citizens. The Church must regard nations as accountable for unjust treatment of their citizens and others living within their borders. While recognizing valid differences in culture and political philosophy, we stand for justice and peace in every nation. 

Some nations possess more military and economic power than do others.  Upon the powerful rests responsibility to exercise their wealth and influence with restraint. We will promote restorative justice strategies to support positive social change and peace building. We affirm the right and duty of people of all nations to determine their own destiny.  We urge the major political powers to use their nonviolent power to maximize the political, social, and economic self-determination of other nations rather than to further their own special interests. We applaud international efforts to develop a more just international economic order in which the limited resources of the earth will be used to the maximum benefit of all nations and peoples. We urge Christians in every society to encourage the governments under which they live and the economic entities within their societies to aid and work for the  development of more just economic orders. 

We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy. We oppose unilateral first/preemptive strike actions and strategies on the part of any government. As disciples of Christ, we are called to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict. We insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to  resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among  them. We advocate the extension and strengthening of international treaties and institutions that provide a framework within the rule of law for responding to aggression, terrorism, and genocide. We believe that human values must outweigh military claims as governments determine their priorities; that the militarization of society must be challenged and stopped; that the manufacture, sale, and deployment of armaments must be reduced and controlled; and that the production, possession, or use of nuclear weapons be condemned. Consequently, we endorse general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. 

Persons and groups must feel secure in their life and right to live within a society if order is to be achieved and maintained by law. We denounce as immoral an ordering of life that perpetuates injustice and impedes the pursuit of peace. Peoples and nations feel secure in the world community when law, order, and human rights are respected and upheld.

Believing that international justice requires the participation of all peoples and nations, we endorse the United Nations, its related bodies, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court as the best instruments now in existence to achieve a  world of justice and law. We commend the efforts of all people in all  countries who pursue world peace through law. We endorse international  aid and cooperation on all matters of need and conflict. We urge acceptance for membership in the United Nations of all nations who wish such membership and who accept United Nations responsibility. We urge the United Nations to take a more aggressive role in the development of international arbitration of disputes and actual conflicts among nations by developing binding third-party arbitration. Bilateral or  multilateral efforts outside of the United Nations should work in concert with, and not contrary to, its purposes. We reaffirm our historic concern for the world as our parish and seek for all persons and peoples full and equal membership in a truly world community.

We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends.We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family.We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.

We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the  elimination of economic and social distress.

We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of  justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world.

We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.

(It is recommended that this statement of Social Principles be continually available to United Methodist Christians and that it be emphasized regularly in every congregation. It is further recommended  that “Our Social Creed” be frequently used in Sunday worship.)

A Companion Litany to Our Social Creed

God in the Spirit revealed in Jesus Christ,
calls us by grace
  to be renewed in the image of our Creator,
that we may be one
in divine love for the world.

Today is the day
God cares for the integrity of creation,
wills the healing and wholeness of all life,
weeps at the plunder of earth’s goodness.
And so shall we.

Today is the day
God embraces all hues of humanity,
delights in diversity and difference,
favors solidarity transforming strangers into friends.
And so shall we.

Today is the day
God cries with the masses of starving people,
despises growing disparity between rich and poor,
demands justice for workers in the marketplace.
And so shall we.

Today is the day
God deplores violence in our homes and streets,
rebukes the world’s warring madness,
humbles the powerful and lifts up the lowly.
And so shall we.

Today is the day
God calls for nations and peoples to live in peace,
celebrates where justice and mercy embrace,
exults when the wolf grazes with the lamb.
And so shall we.

Today is the day
God brings good news to the poor,
proclaims release to the captives,
gives sight to the blind, and
sets the oppressed free.
And so shall we.

From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church – 2012. Copyright 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.