By Father Jonathan Morris
FOX News Religion Contributor

I’ve got a hunch. One year from now we will look back and remember today as the genesis of an on-line community that has set itself apart for its wildly diverse membership and for the rational and respectful tone of its debate of ethical issues.

Until now, through my op-ed column, I’ve done most of the talking. But with the advent of the “Fox Forum”, I can now pass the mic to you. Through your live comments, reactions, suggestions, questions, and answers to my postings—for all to see—I am confident we will affect public opinion together for the good and with new force.

I want to start our mutual venture by sharing with you why I think this forum is important.

At the end of World War II, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed a list of undeniable human rights guaranteed to all people.

This 1948 document, titled “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (UDHR), sought to pre-empt future atrocities, such as those committed by the Nazi regime.

At the heart of the UDHR is a conviction that the human race is capable of agreeing upon certain tenets of universal morality that are necessary for the peaceful existence of nations and for the genuine flourishing of their citizens.

I believe such common-sense morality, the ultimate protector of human dignity and rights, has been weakened greatly by relativistic, fundamentalist, and materialistic ideologies.

For humanity’s sake, it must be recovered!

On this forum we will discuss religion and faith, but it will not be a pulpit for preaching. There’s a place for that, for sure. This isn’t it.

Instead, I want to invite people of all faiths—and of no faith at all—to analyze the news from a moral, social, and spiritual perspective. We will discuss not only whether this or that is right or wrong, but we will ask “why?” And there are answers.

I am convinced that—notwithstanding legitimate differences of opinion on some ethical issues—human reason demands adherence to certain basic moral precepts valid for all people, of all times, places, cultures, and religions.

I am also convinced that individuals, families, communities, and countries can lose their moral compass—the bad starts looking good, and the good, bad. Have you noticed that we either live according to what we believe or eventually we change what we believe to coincide with how we live? In other words, we have to form our conscience, and that takes work.

So this forum will be about forging common ground on issues of critical moral implication. You won’t always agree with me, and I won’t always agree with you, but if we form the habit of thinking critically, listening attentively, and expressing our opinions with respect, we will do the world and ourselves a great deal of good.

Welcome aboard!

Oh, and one more thing. Please, if you would, take a moment now and make your first post. Without revealing your full name, tell us a bit about yourselves, where you are from, what you think about what I’ve explained above, and your suggestions of how to make this a helpful community for you. Be active. Let’s not let a handful of cowards run this forum—people who know only to tear down with name-calling, labels, and generalizations, but who don’t have the courage to explain their reasons for disagreeing. It’s up to you and me. Let’s do it.

God bless, Father Jonathan

Father Jonathan Morris is a Fox News Contributor and the author of the new book, “The Promise: God’s Purpose and Plan for when Life Hurts”, available now on www.amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.