The Christian Civic League is out in the public square again. We have survived and thrived in the political arena for more than 100 years because we wear our morality on our sleeve. Some debaters today are offended.

As I was opposing the opening of a new casino on a local radio station using a cost/benefit analysis argument, more than one listener hurled this indictment: “You’re trying to impose your morality on everyone else.”

Stating one’s support or opposition to any legislation is in no way an imposition. The mission of the Christian Civic League is to bring a Christian perspective to public policy issues in Maine; therefore, we are obligated to make the case to oppose the expansion of gambling.

Contained within that argument are obvious moral components as well as economic and socio-economic components. I contend that nearly any issue to be debated in the public policy arena has a moral component, either directly or indirectly. Therefore, the purpose of public debate is to allow all sides to make the case for their opposition or support and thereby serve the public by informing them as they make their choices. Choices such as the one the Legislature may make for the people of Lewiston.

The League’s recent press release stating our opposition to the casino in Lewiston was in response to the announcement of the successful signature verification initiative by the supporters of the Lewiston project.

Our opposition is in no way limited to this project. The Christian Civic League of Maine is absolutely opposed to any expansion of gambling in Maine. We opposed the Oxford casino and will oppose the Lewiston, Biddeford and Washington County projects as well. We will also oppose any attempts to allow gaming tables in Bangor or any other venue.

Here’s what is on my sleeve: The League organization exists to defend and promote family values. While we recognize that many families are suffering from the challenges of a poor economy, we believe that the ravages of the corrupt gambling industry will wreak much more havoc upon Maine families. We understand the vulnerabilities that exist making the temptation to yield to the lure of the gambling industry’s false claims of economic boom, but our community leaders need to resist succumbing to these pressures.

By settling for the jobs typically associated with casinos, we are selling short the ingenuity and determination of Maine people who can do better than opening their arms up to an industry rife with corruption and a ruinous reputation of destroying families via bankruptcy, suicide and divorce.

Yes, the Christian Civic League is morally opposed to any agent so closely associated with the demise of families and, frankly, we stand in historically good company in doing so.

The morality I wear on my sleeve is in good company with people such as William Wilberforce, one of England’s greatest reformers. One day in Parliament he was accused of wearing his morality on his sleeve, to which he replied, “Of course. I wear my morality on my sleeve.”

He was repeatedly rebuffed for having the audacity to bring his personal moral views into the public policy arena as he courageously stood against human slavery in the United Kingdom. Certainly, part of his effective argument included pointing out the economic disadvantages of slavery, but he never backed off from his moral convictions.

Other reformers who wore their Christian morality on their sleeves were closer to home.

Abolitionists faced the same ridicule here in the United States, oftentimes being accused of insensitivity to the economic devastation that would allegedly accompany the emancipation of slaves. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was constantly criticized for making the case of civil rights from a religious/moral context. How far would the abolition or civil rights movements have advanced without the support of the Christian church? Thank God ridicule and criticism did not deter these courageous leaders from standing up for what they knew in Scripture to be right (or against what they knew to be wrong).

We will not demonize those who disagree with us; we will, however continue to aggressively make the case for ending this expansion wearing our morality on our sleeves.

We call upon our representatives and senators and tell them, “Enough is enough!”

Carroll Conley Jr. , a native Mainer, was named executive director of the Christian Civic League in July 2010. Prior to his assignment with the CCL, he was with Bangor Baptist Ministries for 18 years, serving as the headmaster of Bangor Christian Schools and the worship director of Bangor Baptist Church.