November 22, 2009
Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience
By Barry Bussey
The line has now been drawn. A prominent group of conservative Christian church leaders have issued a “clarion call” to society. It is known as the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience.” In the Obama era of seeking the “common ground,” 150 leaders of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical wings of the church have made it abundantly clear that “common ground” will not mean they discard the historic Christian teachings on life, marriage and religious freedom. They will not remain silent while government and other agencies demand compliance of church-run institutions to accept the secular view on those matters
“We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right - and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation - to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence. It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season. May God help us not to fail in that duty.”
It should not be surprising that such an emphatic statement be made at this time – the amount of social change taken place in western society in just the last fifty years has been unprecedented. The church leaders statement comes at a time of increased uneasiness amongst religious groups in the politics of Capitol Hill, “The present administration is led and staffed by those who want to make abortions legal at any stage of fetal development, and who want to provide abortions at taxpayer expense. Majorities in both houses of Congress hold pro-abortion views.” They point out that,
“In recent decades a growing body of case law has paralleled the decline in respect for religious values in the media, the academy and political leadership, resulting in restrictions on the free exercise of religion. We view this as an ominous development, not only because of its threat to the individual liberty guaranteed to every person, regardless of his or her faith, but because the trend also threatens the common welfare and the culture of freedom on which our system of republican government is founded.”
Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. While he was referring to the physical laws of nature it does cause one to wonder if there is a similar dynamic in the social realm. Is it possible that the events of the last fifty years is now about to receive an opposite and equal reaction among the conservative element in our society? If so, could there be an over-reaction? Or are things so far “gone” to one view that there could never be an over-reaction?
The Declaration, written by Robert P. George of Princeton University, Timothy George of Samford University and Chuck Colson* of The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, is a document that will be discussed for some time. It has the potential to frame the future debate of these important issues of our time. Its language is energetic yet sensitive to opposing sides. “Our message is, and ever shall be, that the just, humane, and truly Christian answer to problem pregnancies is for all of us to love and care for mother and child alike.” “We confess with sadness that Christians and our institutions have too often scandalously failed to uphold the institution of marriage and to model for the world the true meaning of marriage. Insofar as we have too easily embraced the culture of divorce and remained silent about social practices that undermine the dignity of marriage we repent, and call upon all Christians to do the same.”
While acknowledging “that there are those who are disposed towards homosexual and polyamorous conduct and relationships, just as there are those who are disposed towards other forms of immoral conduct” the Declaration argues that
“We, no less than they, are sinners who have fallen short of God’s intention for our lives. We, no less than they, are in constant need of God’s patience, love and forgiveness. We call on the entire Christian community to resist sexual immorality, and at the same time refrain from disdainful condemnation of those who yield to it. Our rejection of sin, though resolute, must never become the
rejection of sinners. For every sinner, regardless of the sin, is loved by God, who seeks not our destruction but rather the conversion of our hearts. Jesus calls all who wander from the path of virtue to “a more excellent way.” As his disciples we will reach out in love to assist all who hear the call and wish to answer it.”
The Declaration closes with the statement, that
“Christianity has taught that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but sometimes required… [as in the example of Martin Luther King, Jr. who argued..] Unjust laws degrade human beings. Inasmuch as they can claim no authority beyond sheer human will, they lack any power to bind in conscience. King’s willingness to go to jail, rather than comply with legal injustice, was exemplary and
inspiring.
Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”
The public policy debates over issues of life, marriage, and religious freedom will continue to take up an inordinate amount of time going forward. This document has clearly laid out the issues the religious community finds most problematic. We are now entering into a debate about the basic structure of society. In my view, the question above all questions is a simple one – but profound – it is this – “What does it mean to be human?” Further questions flow from that one. “Who determines meaning?” “What does our historical understanding of that question mean today?” And then finally, recognizing that we have to live on the same real estate – how do we accomplish that without destroying one another but acknowledge the inherent dignity of our fellow human being?
To read the complete document go to: www.manhattandeclaration.org
Source: http://irla.org/assets/images/news/Standish%20at%20UN%20GA%20Sep.23.09.jpg
The public policy debates over issues of life, marriage, and religious freedom will continue to take up an inordinate amount of time going forward. This document has clearly laid out the issues the religious community finds most problematic. We are now entering into a debate about the basic structure of society. In my view, the question above all questions is a simple one – but profound – it is this – “What does it mean to be human?” Further questions flow from that one. “Who determines meaning?” “What does our historical understanding of that question mean today?” And then finally, recognizing that we have to live on the same real estate – how do we accomplish that without destroying one another but acknowledge the inherent dignity of our fellow human being?
To read the complete document go to: www.manhattandeclaration.org
Source: http://irla.org/assets/images/news/Standish%20at%20UN%20GA%20Sep.23.09.jpg
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*Watergate,..President's Men, member of the FAMILY Charles Colson?
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