The time has come for citizens of all faiths to unite in an effort to remove this divisive and nettlesome issue from the political and social life of our nation.

The first step toward the goal is the establishment of a new atmosphere of mutual good will and friendly communication on other than the polemical level. Instead of emotional recrimination, loaded phrases and sloganeering, we need a dispassionate study of the facts, a better understanding of the opposite viewpoint and a more serious effort to extend the areas of agreement until a solution is reached.

``All too frequently,'' points out James O' Gara, managing editor of Commonweal, ``Catholics run roughshod over Protestant sensibilities in this matter, by failure to consider the reasoning behind the Protestant position and, particularly, by their jibes at the fact that Protestant opinion on birth control has changed in recent decades.'' All too often our language is unduly harsh.

The second step is to recognize the substantial agreement -- frequently blurred by emotionalism and inaccurate newspaper reporting -- already existing between Catholics and non-Catholics concerning the over-all objectives of family planning. Instead of Catholics' being obliged or even encouraged to beget the greatest possible number of offspring, as many non-Catholics imagine, the ideal of responsible parenthood is stressed. Family planning is encouraged, so that parents will be able to provide properly for their offspring.