Welcome to The Civility Project:

It seems our society has become increasingly divided and polarized. Every week we are treated to scenes of bitter fighting, protests turning to violence and vandalism, name-calling, and personal attacks. Important debates are no longer fought with ideas and words but with shouting and screaming, even throwing things.

I am concerned about the hate and animosity being aimed at men and women with whom we may disagree on one issue or another and have decided to do something about it. I reached out to some people from various political, racial and religious backgrounds to see if we could join our hearts and minds together in calling others to civility. Some of us may agree on nothing other than the importance of civility in society.

We are proud to launch The Civility Project—a collection of liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, blacks and whites, and people of various faith—or no faith— who agree that even in sharp disagreement we should not be disagreeable. 

I am a conservative evangelical Southern Baptist who tried to elect Mitt Romney, a Mormon, as president. My friend Lanny Davis is of the Jewish faith and has worked closely with Bill and Hillary Clinton. Other original endorsers of this project are closely aligned with Barack Obama or worked hard for a Republican successor to President Bush. Our respect for one another and our debate with each other is marked by civility, and we simply want to encourage it across the country (and around the world).

We may even have different motivations for practicing civility. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am motivated by biblical teaching such as, “Let all that you do be done in love” (I Corinthians 16:14). But whether out of spiritual conviction or pure pragmatism, civility should be preferred to incivility and that’s why we’re inviting everyone who will to take the Civility Pledge. It simply says:

• I will be civil in my public discourse and behavior.
  
• I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them.
  
• I will stand against incivility when I see it.
  

If you’d like to be part of a civility movement in this country just add your voice to ours, share this site with others, and give us your feedback. Thank you.

Mark DeMoss
President, The DeMoss Group
Founder, The Civility Project

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