Conservative Christians – who mostly sat out the 2008 election—seem to have gotten a second wind.
The Manhattan Declaration – issued a couple of weeks ago by a group of Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders – focuses on “traditional values”:
(1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
If you thought the “culture wars” were over, think again …
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Manhattan Declaration – Summary
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.
Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians are uniting 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 (1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
These truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society … and they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture.
Human Life
Although the protection of the weak and vulnerable is the first obligation of government, the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are ever more threatened.
We pledge to work unceasingly for the equal protection of every innocent human being at every stage of development and in every condition.
Marriage
Marriage is the original and most important institution for sustaining the health, education, and welfare of all. But, the institution of marriage, is already wounded by the false and destructive belief that marriage is all about romance and other adult satisfactions … leading to promiscuity,infidelity and divorce.
Marriage is about the unique character and value of acts and relationships whose meaning is shaped by their aptness for the generation, promotion and protection of life.
Marriage is not a “social construction,” but is rather an objective reality—the covenantal union of husband and wife—that it is the duty of the law to recognize, honor, and protect.
Where marriage erodes, social pathologies rise.
Religious Liberty
Freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized. Attacks on religious liberty are dire threats not only to individuals, but also to the institutions of civil society including families, charities, and religious communities.
The health and well-being of such institutions provide an indispensable buffer against the overweening power of government and is essential to the flourishing of every other institution … on which society depends.
Full summary:
http://manhattandeclaration.org/images/content/ManhattanDeclarationSummary.pdf