The link above will take you to the website of the Manhattan Declaration. The Declaration was released on November 20. The full text is available for download here.
The Declaration is introduced in these words:
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:
1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. 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.
The signatories now number over 73,000. These inlude names that have appeared on this blog including Bryan Chapell, Tim Keller, Albert Mohler and Ravi Zacharias. These are brilliant men of reformed conviction.
The document implicitly recognises commonality for all the strands of Christianity named therein. It is also prepared to accept those of any belief who are prepared to agree with and support its contentions. This gives rise to reservations Gospel clarity being compromised by supporting the declaration. Mohler explains his decision to be a signatory here and seeks to deal with these reservations in his post.
The contentions about life, marriage and liberty in the Declaration do represent points in common among Romanists, Orthodox and Evangelicals. Sadly, these positions do not arise from entirely common foundations.
An article from Frank Turk, as one who would not sign the Declaration, can be found on the First Things blog. It sums up the problem that arises from a document that says more than it needs to in areas that are not central to its arguments.
I don’t know if I’ll sign the Declaration just yet. I know they’ll do quite well without me. It is an important statement that deserves study and will serve as a rallying point for the support of a biblical worldview in cultural debate. Reservations about Gospel clarity do not negate the value of its contribution in other significant areas.
After all, it will not be the number who assent to it that determines its worth. Only the truth of its content will make it valuable and lasting.
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