Sunday, November 22, 2009

Manhattan Declaration and Christian Conscience

In October, 2009, 152 Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Evangelical Christian leaders from all over the United States gathered to draft the Manhattan Declaration as a statement of Christian Conscience. These leaders stood up and JUST SAID NO to the left wing media and Democrat Socialist politicians that do not acknowledge Judeo-Christian values as the foundation of American society and law. Most important, these brave Christian Leaders in professing their Christian faith have stood up to defend the Sanctity of Life, the Dignity of Marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife and the Rights of Conscience and Religious Liberty. Thus far 16,802 people have also signed the Declaration. To read the Declaration in its entirety for yourself and sign on to profess your Christian faith, just go to themanhattandeclaration.org.

The Manhattan Declaration is necessary because Christians have been under attack by secular left wing Socialists and a variety of politically correct interest groups in the United States for years as they attempt to re-write history denying that Judeo-Christian teachings are the foundation of our nation. While we are not a Christian nation because all religions and even atheists are welcome in the United States, it is absolutely true that our founding fathers were all bible reading Christians and that God, as professed in the Christian faith, played an important role in their lives and the beliefs they exhibited in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. These same left wing Socialists and secular activists have attempted to brand Christian teachings in support of life and marriage as "hate speech", which is just plain absurd and dangerous to religious liberty.

In recent years, I am pleased to report that the Catholic Church as been more vocal in its support of life and traditional marriage, which are core beliefs. Catholic Bishops have taken the lead in the HealthScare debate, lobbying the very few anti-abortion Democrats in Congress and Catholics in Congress to make sure that abortion is not federally funded with tax payer monies, as part of the HeathScare Plan. So far, the Bishops were successful in the House version of HealthScare; but not as successful to date in the Senate version. More work and pressure needs to be applied now that the HealthScare debate is going forward in the Senate.

And, going one step further, Catholic Bishops in various states have advised supposedly Catholic politicians that they will not be served Holy Communion in a Catholic Church if they support abortion. The latest to be notified of his hypocrisy was Congressman Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, son of Ted Kennedy. It is impossible and inconsistent for a politician to be both Catholic and pro-abortion since the Catholic Church and many other Christian denominations see abortion as the murder of innocent babies. And, to be clear, the Death Panels that do exist in both the House and Senate versions of HealthScare will lead to Euthanasia, which is also opposed by the Catholic Church. Ultimately, the issue of life and death is in God's hands not some federal bureaucrat deciding that someone is too old to receive life saving health care. If you attend a Christian Church that supports life and the sanctity of marriage and your local Congressman or Senator attends that church and he or she does not support life in particular, you should stand up and tell them that evil is not welcome at your church. These politicians can't have it both ways. There are liberal Christian denominations that accept this evil and these politicians should therefore seek them out rather than remain in a denomination that opposes abortion as a core belief.

The Manhattan Declaration is a statement of Christian conscious and values. Christian leaders are saying that the issues of life and traditional marriage are so important that if necessary civil disobedience is justified to fight for these values. For example, Doctors and health care workers that are opposed to abortion should never be forced to perform this evil procedure. And, if forced to do so, they should be prepared to lose their jobs and or go to jail rather than murder innocent babies. Those in control of buying health insurance for their companies can request that elective abortion be excluded from the group policies at company expense.

We are a crossroad in the culture war. We do need to take back our country to stop the fiscal insanity. But we also need to take back our country to stop the moral insanity. Planned Parenthood, which runs abortion mills all over the country and the National Organization of Women, which represents radical, Democrat Socialist women not women in the mainstream, continue to fight for unrestricted abortion. Supposedly Catholic and Christian politicians must be confronted and feel the heat if they vote to support abortion. There is no better way to do that than to deny them Holy Communion if life and religious ceremonies in death. More than 20 million babies have been murdered since Roe V. Wade became the law of the land in 1971. This is a crime against humanity. Thankfully, the majority of Americans, who have seen the fully formed baby in the womb by ultra sound pictures, are now opposed to abortion and particularly partial birth abortion, which is the most evil practice ever performed in human history. The Manhattan Declaration marks a turning point for Christians. It says very clearly that Christian faith is non-negotiable and that we will fight for our beliefs no matter what the consequences. It also says that we will work to elect Conservatives that share our beliefs in order to bring moral clarity and common sense back to our country.

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