The Manhattan Declaration

The purpose of this letter is to introduce the Manhattan Declaration to those readers who may not have heard of it.

The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience. If you think our nation is heading in the wrong direction, you might want to read, and sign, the Manhattan Declaration. By the wrong direction I mean continuing down the road of secularism and relativism. If you’re a supporter of “separation of church and state”, and by that I mean banning any mention of religion in the public square, and failing to consider the Judeo-Christian moral code when developing legislation, this Declaration is not for you. The Declaration was developed in November of 2009 by a group of Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Christians who have united to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon their fellow citizens to join them in defending them. These truths are: the sanctity of human life; the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife; and the right of conscience and religious liberty. Finally, as we approach Martin Luther King Day, we need to consider the eloquent defense of rights and duties of religious conscience offered by Dr. King in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Citing Christian writes such as Augustine and Aquinas, Dr. King taught that just laws elevate and ennoble human beings because they are rooted in the moral law whose ultimate source is God Himself. Unjust laws degrade human beings. Since they can claim no authority beyond sheer human will. They lack any power to bind in conscience. Dr. King’s willingness to go to jail rather than comply with legal injustice, was an example all Christians should consider following.