| Founded | November 20, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
Key people | Robert P. George,James Dobson,Al Mohler,Ravi Zacharias,Cornelius Plantinga |
| Website | https://www.manhattandeclaration.org/ |
The "Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience" is amanifesto issued byEastern Orthodox,Catholic, andevangelicalChristian leaders[1][2][3] to affirm support of "the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, andreligious liberty".[4] It was drafted on October 20, 2009, and released November 20, 2009, having been signed by more than 150 American religious leaders.[5] On the issue of marriage, the declaration objects not only tosame-sex marriage but also to the general erosion of the "marriage culture" with the specter ofdivorce, greater acceptance ofinfidelity and the uncoupling of marriage fromchildbearing.[6] The declaration's website encourages supporters to sign the declaration, and it counts 551,130 signatures as of July 18, 2015[update].[7]
The declaration vowscivil disobedience if Christians feel that their rights tocivil liberties offree exercise of religion andfreedom of speech are being violated. It states that Christianity has taught through the centuries that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but sometimes required,[8] and refers toMartin Luther King Jr.'s defense of the rights and duties of religious conscience in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail".[9]
One of the drafters,Princeton University professorRobert P. George, stated, "We certainly hope it doesn't come to that. However, we see case after case of challenges to religious liberty", including laws which he claims would force health care workers to assist inabortions or pharmacists to carryabortifacient drugs orbirth control.[8] George continued, "When the limits of conscience are reached and you cannot comply, it's better to suffer a wrong than to do it."[8]
CatholicArchbishop of Washington,Donald Wuerl's office was restrained about the issue of civil disobedience, indicating that the prelate was not calling on the faithful to "do anything specific".[6][10]
In 2012, the Manhattan Declaration's call to "civil disobedience" was cited in theMiller v. Jenkins lawsuit under theRacketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, in which theBeachy Amish-Mennonite Christian Brotherhood was accused of helping a Baptist womankidnap her daughter to Nicaragua as part of achild custody dispute with her former lesbian partner.[11]Liberty University School of Law was also a named defendant in the lawsuit, because of alleged instruction to law students that "the correct course of action for such a situation would be to 'engage in civil disobedience' and defy court orders".[11]
Notable signatories include:[12]
The document was written byevangelical leader and Christian authorCharles Colson,Princeton University law professorRobert P. George andBeeson Divinity School deanTimothy George.[10]
Many prominentEvangelical figures opposed it, includingJohn F. MacArthur,D. James Kennedy,Alistair Begg, andR. C. Sproul.[15][failed verification][16]
Some religious leaders have criticized and protested the Manhattan Declaration, calling its principles in general, and its opposition to same-sex marriage in particular, contrary to the teachings of Jesus.[17][18][19] Catholic scholarAnthony Stevens-Arroyo wrote, "While two wars are being waged, with unemployment in double digits, the financial system of the world in suspense, these religious leaders declare that abortion, stem-cell use and same sex marriage override any other Gospel value. (You won't find Jesus saying anything about abortion or stem cells in the Gospel, but the Savior said a great deal about the homeless, the sick, and the hungry.) It's cheating to speak pious platitudes about Christianity and ignore Jesus' words."[20]
Some discussed the document as a political strategy, regarding it as the religious right's effort to re-establish its relevance in the public square,[21][22] but others noted that younger generations of evangelicals and Catholics were less likely to oppose same-sex marriage and more likely to prioritize economic issues over social, and that the document was thus unlikely to win them over.[22][23] Stevens-Arroyo criticized fellow Catholics who signed the declaration for aligning themselves with evangelicals in what he described as opposition to the separation of church and state.[24]
The declaration's invocation of Martin Luther King and of the principles of civil disobedience has also been questioned.[25][26] An editorial in theLos Angeles Times characterized the invocation of King as "specious" and criticized the document, belittling the "anecdotes" regarding restrictions on Christians' religious freedom as "of the sort radio talk-show hosts purvey" or from outside the United States, and noting that federal law already exempts "believers in some cases from having to comply with applicable laws."[27]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2016) |
In response to a petition which argued the Manhattan Declarationapp promotedbigotry andhomophobia, which received 7,000 signatures,Apple removed the app from iPhones and iPads, in November 2010, and later from iTunes.[28][29] Apple toldCNN that the app had been removed because it "violates our developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people".[29] The app had originally been rated by Apple as a +4, meaning that it contained no material deemed objectionable.[28][29]
A month later, organizers of the Manhattan Declaration resubmitted a modified version of the app.[30] The new version lacks a "quiz", which, in the old version, had asked questions about political issues and assigned a score based on a set of normative answers.[31] As of December 10, 2010, more than 45,000 had signed a petition to have it reinstated.[30]Charles Colson voiced apprehension that Apple's move could have negative implications for more Christian apps, stating: "There is nothing in the Manhattan Declaration that is not rooted in Scripture. So if that becomes the offense then all the other apps would be subject to the same charge."[30][32]
In 2010, similar declarations were released in the United Kingdom and Australia.[33][34]
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