In the weeks and months ahead we will likely be hearing much about the "Manhattan Declaration," a 4,700 word document released Friday, signed by several leading Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians, united in efforts to "reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good" and calling upon their fellow citizen to join in the defense of:
-The sanctity of human life.
-The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife.
-The rights of conscience and religious liberty.
Anyone can now go to www.manhattandeclaration.org and sign on as well. It will be interesting to see which politicians are willing to be included.
Of the over 150 original signers, the following are from California (note that the FlashReport’s own Frank Schubert is included)..
Pastor Randy & Sarah Brannon
Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church (Madera)
Most Rev. Salvatore Joseph Cordileone
Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
Dinesh D’Souza
Writer and Speaker (Rancho Santa Fe)
Stuart Epperson
Co-Founder and Chariman of the Board, Salem Communications Corporation (Camarillo)
Dr. Jim Garlow
Senior Pastor, Skyline Church (La Mesa)
Dr. Cornell "Corkie" Haan
National Facilitator of Spiritual Unity, The Mission America Coalition (Palm Desert)
Most Rev. George Dallas McKinney
Bishop, Founder and Pastor, St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ (San Diego)
Frank Schubert
President, Schubert Flint Public Affairs (Sacramento)
Dr. Sarah Sumner
Professor of Theology and Ministry, Azusa Pacific University (Azusa)
Joni Eareckson Tada
Founder and CEO, Joni and Friends International Disability Center (Agoura Hills)
An excerpt from the Declaration…
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. Restrictions on the freedom of conscience or the ability to hire people of one’s own faith or conscientious moral convictions for religious institutions, for example, undermines the viability of the intermediate structures of society, the essential buffer against the overweening authority of the state, resulting in the soft despotism Tocqueville so prophetically warned of. Disintegration of civil society is a prelude to tyranny.
As Christians, we take seriously the Biblical admonition to respect and obey those in authority. We believe in law and in the rule of law. We recognize the duty to comply with laws whether we happen to like them or not, unless the laws are gravely unjust or require those subject to them to do something unjust or otherwise immoral. The biblical purpose of law is to preserve order and serve justice and the common good; yet laws that are unjust—and especially laws that purport to compel citizens to do what is unjust—undermine the common good, rather than serve it.
The statement ends with these words…
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.
For all of the details on the Manhattan Declaration, here again is the link…
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Finally….enough is enough….The Social Civil War has started.
Christians will stand up like Muslims, Blacks, Latinos and put fear into the media, government, movie stars, liberals, commies and socialists when Christians are berrated, persecuted and defamed.
This slime has beat on us at every turn and spit on us ever since Justice Black, the religious bigot and KKK lover, gave us this seperation of church and state B.S., no prayer in schools et al.
Be counted Flash Report junkies. Your political parties and candidates are not your Gods….they have sold you out time and time again in California and in the United States Congress….ala health care now…killing babies and rationing care to sick seniors….while raising premiums for young people to the moon and threatening to put us in jail if we do not pay their “Stamp Tax” to fund the Welfare State for approximately 30 million people who will not fund their own health care even ONE CENT!!!!
Your living in wicked times….
Are you a true American? Do you care about your kids’ and grandkids’ futures…or are you RINOS, moderates….the one third of colonists who “gallantly” made money from both sides during the Revolutionary War.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Wow, a winning stance for Republicans.
Maybe they should think about stopping idiotic gun control, cutting taxes and increasing freedom instead of starting a theocracy.
I don’t care who marries who as long as my taxes are low and you don’t touch my guns.
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Had we not aborted millions of babies, they would be grown, working and paying into the system and Social Security wouldn’t be broke! Evil prevails if good men do nothing!
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
JD Shannon:
Your comment is based on unknown data. You assume that every aborted kid will become a thriving member of society, when many of these spawn would be further filling our prisons and likely not that employable … that is, likely avg net pay in to Soc Sec will be far less than social svcs and prison required by many.
I don’t care for abortion… but if we avoid bringing it up in CA Republicans may have a chance of winning some seats in CA. It’s a 100% LOSING issue in CA and is a major part of why CA Rs barely hold 1/3 seats in legislature and rarely hold statewide office.
Because of this, a publicly declared anti-choice stance IN CALIFORNIA results in higher taxes and more gun control – because the party espousing it automatically is rejected by a huge number of voters.
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA