Principles Of A Global Ethic

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1998 Parliament of the World's Religions A Global Einic The Principles of a Global Ethic i Our world is experiencing a fundamental crisis: A crisis in global economy, global ecology, and global politics. The lack of a grand vision, the tangle of unresolved problems, political paralysis, mediocre political leadership with little insight or foresight, and in general too little sense for the commonweal are seer every vhere: Too many old answers to new challenges... Hundreds of millions of human beings on our planet increasingly susser from unemployment, poverty, hunger, and the destruction of their families Ilope lor a lasting peace among nations slips away from us. There are tensions between the sexes and generations. Children die, kill, and are killed. More and more countries are shaken by corruption in. politics and business. It is increasingly dislicult to live together peacefully in our cities because of social, racial, and ethnic conficts, the abuse of drugs, organized crime, and even anarchy. Even ncighbors osten live in fear of one another. Our planet continues to be ruthlessly plundered. A collapse of the ecosystem threatens us. Time and again we see leaders and members of rcligions incite aggression, fanaticism, hate, and xenophobia-even inspire and legitimize violent and bloodly consicts. Religion osten is misused for purely power-political goals, including war. We are filled with disgust. We condeinn these blights and declare that they need not be. An ethic already exists within the religious teachings of the world which can counter the global distress. Of course this ethic provides no direct solution for all the immense problems of the world, but it does supply the inoral foundation for a better indiviclual and global order: A vision which can lead women and men away from despair, and society away from chaos.