Thursday, December 10, 2009

I signed it...




WHAT:
The Manhattan Declaration:
A Call of Christian Conscience

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.
 
WHY:
To quote Ligon Duncan:
"I believe that it is important for individuals from the major quadrants of the historic Christian tradition to speak on these pressing matters in solidarity.  Furthermore, I believe that the explicit assertions and emphasis of the documents relate only to areas of principled social-ethical agreement between evangelicals and non-evangelicals."
 
HOW:
Go HERE
________________________________
 
There has been lots of controvery regarding this declaration and men I respect have come down on both sides of the issue.  I completely understand the concern that many have regarding this document and the potential for it to be seen as an agreement on the Gospel. 
 
To be clear, I do not agree with the Arminian, the Catholic, or the Orthodox views on what the Gospel is or on what Justification is.  However, I do find agreement with these "believers" regarding the 3 things expressed in the Manhattan Declaration and I think it is vital to fight for such values - even as I understand that the true mission of Christians is not to subdue the world with good morality, but to transform the world by the message of Jesus' death and ressurection as a penal substitutionary atonement.
 
I feel that I can both focus on the Great Commission as my first priority and still stand united with those whom I disagree for the sake of proclaiming the biblical truth about pressing moral issues of our day.
 
Thats why I signed it...how about you?

No comments:

Post a Comment