In the American Solidarity Party’s preamble, we read:
The American Solidarity Party is based in the tradition of Christian democracy. We acknowledge the state should be pluralistic while upholding a vision of the common good of all and of each individual informed by Christian tradition and acknowledging the primacy of religion in each person’s life.
These are not hollow words. The tenets of Christianity are enduring and ordered toward the welfare of our nation and all its inhabitants – the common good. As a Catholic Christian, my faith imbues all facets of my life. Recognizing the existence of our pluralistic society and the rights of all American citizens, I am nonetheless guided by the example of Jesus Christ and the rich history of thought and axiom his Church has developed.
Sanctity of Life
Human life is sacred, from conception until natural death. We thus oppose abortion, euthanasia, and any direct and intentional attacks on innocent human life. We oppose the death penalty as an unnecessary measure to protect human life.
Without this first principle, all others are moot. Life is a gift, and its protection is the preeminent right of every human being. Abortion is the direct killing of human life; euthanasia is the abandonment of human life. These practices have been legalized in our society and have served only to devalue people, especially the weak and marginalized. The ASP must be a loud mouthpiece, championing respect for human life at all its ages and stages.
Social Justice
We affirm a special collective responsibility to the most vulnerable members of society and call for societal structures that uphold the equal value and dignity of each person, regardless of any personal characteristics. This requires efforts to address systemic and historic injustices, including long-standing racial injustice in a way that confronts inequalities that disparage innate human dignity.
Historically there has been a tendency to ignore or reject those who, often through no fault of their own, are on society’s margins. The ASP must be a vanguard against injustice and the unfair treatment of people. With roots in Christian Democracy, ASP members embrace the call to help those who are poor or in need. Moreover, we should be predisposed to those who suffer discrimination and advocate for those who are maltreated.
Community-Oriented Society
Humans are created to live in communities, and the proper organization of our communities is necessary for the flourishing of our societies. Society consists of various institutions and communities, like families, governments, and religious groups, whose primary authority over their own affairs should be respected and defended. Higher levels of government should serve to empower and support lower levels of authority, rather than replace them.
Humans are social beings. We are wired for interaction and nurturing relationships, both in families and communities. In society, primacy must be given to marriage and family, relationships that are intimate and familiar. Everyone has a right to participate in society and a duty to seek the common good, especially for the poor and vulnerable. The ASP promotes the principles of subsidiarity and sphere sovereignty, holding that what families and small communities can initiate and manage should not be usurped but protected and supported by higher social structures. These rights are in constant threat and will receive vigorous defense.
Centrality of the Family
Natural marriage and the family are the central institutions of society and must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. As the family provides for the nurturing of children, it is the imperative of the state to advance the wellbeing of all families, while respecting the duty of family members to fulfill their roles freely.
The ASP upholds the biblical precept of marriage as the union of husband and wife. I endorse that position, often called traditional marriage. Science and faith both give understanding to the complementarity of the sexes. Parents are the nurturers and principal formators of their children. The children of a conjugal bond, grow in community and become the building blocks of society – and civilization. Government must uphold and support the natural institution of marriage for the welfare of individuals and society at large.
Economic Security
The state and subsidiary organizations must act to remedy economic injustice by creating conditions for widespread ownership of property and production. Personal, cooperative, and social ownership are all valid in a just society. Workers’ rights and a family wage must be ensured, and those who cannot work should receive income adequate for full participation in society.
The well-being of society is dependent on the well-being of its members. Christian democracy derived from this concern, specifically the duties owed to laborers, during a period of capitalist industrialization in America, and rising Marxist ideology in Europe. These divergent economic systems often had one failure in common: limiting workers and, consequently, families from the just outcomes of labor. I support the ASP’s recognition of the fundamental role of government to protect and provide for its citizens’ interests, including the right to productive work, to just wages, to participation in labor unions, to private property ownership, and to economic initiative.
Care for the Environment
Cultivation and good stewardship ought to characterize the relationship between humanity and creation. The earth and its fruits are universally destined for the benefit of all people. Both government and civil society have a responsibility to protect natural resources, now and for future generations.
Caring for the earth – our common home – and its resources is frequently a source of partisan tensions, yet the desired outcomes should be mutual. Clean water and air are needed by all for basic survival, and renewable sources of energy are a benefit to all. The ASP invites all to be good stewards of creation and I view it both a moral and ethical obligation to sustain a healthy living environment.
Peace and International Solidarity
Peace is the fruit of justice and requires solidarity among peoples and nations. Aid and trade policies must advance justice, sustainability, and human flourishing. Diplomatic and nonviolent means of resolution must be exhausted before violent means can be considered. Military action must strictly adhere to just-war principles.
America enjoys the status as a world power, if not a superpower. It claims many nations as allies and its foreign policy action has impact. While it holds influence, its foreign policy is inconsistent, and can favor interests other than advancing international harmony. Solidarity, at its core, is the pursuit of peace and justice. If America is to use persuasion or action in this international quest, it must first address ideological differences and eradicate racial, ethnic and economic injustice within its own borders.