Manhattan Declaration

On September 28, 2009, Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christians gathered in NewYork to make the following declaration:

We are Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them.  These truths are: 

•      The sanctity of human life
•      The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
•      The rights of conscience and religious liberty

Not all religious leaders signed the declaration stating it did not acknowledge the true depth of our differences and did not focus on the importance of the gospel.

So, should religious leaders sign such a document that deals with issues that are facing America today even if it does not mention the Gospel?

I am on record that I am ready to go to prison or even die for the truth of the Gospel.  Namely, that Jesus and only Jesus is the way to the Father and therefore salvation and Heaven. 

But so far the day of being forbidden from that proclamation has not yet come.

However, right now we are being boxed into facing the possibility of being forbidden from proclaiming some moral absolutes of the Scripture such as “same sex marriage” and “abortion.”  That is why I was glad to be one of the original signers of the “Manhattan Declaration.”

Therefore…

The fact that other leaders of other denominations with whom I disagree regarding the purity of the Gospel is no reason for me not to accept the challenge of standing up and being counted.

There were previous declarations and documents of ecumenical nature that I did not sign…but the Manhattan Declaration is different; therefore who else had signed it does not diminish the importance of its clear stand.

This is the time for all of us to either speak up or forever be silenced.