Have you / will you sign the Manhattan Declaration? If you are not familiar with it, please take the time to read through it. It is not very long and it is sure to be discussed a great deal in the days ahead. It will be beneficial to know its contents.
You can find the website for the Manhattan Declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org . There, you can download a copy of the declaration, which is seven pages in length. You can also view a list of well-known signatories.
A brief summary of the declaration is found on the website homepage. It reads:
Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.
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.
Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
After reading the long version of the document, let me know what you think. Will you / did you sign it? Why or why not?
