[CondoleezzaProtege]

just as a note, some of his closest peers, including Pastors John Macarthur and R.C Sproul have openly declared their reasons for NOT signing the document. Their reasons have already been posted in threads that can be found in "manhattandeclaration" section of freerepublic.com.

[reg45]

Although I am not a Christian, I support the concept behind the Manhattan Declaration and wish to express my support.

[Guyin4Os]

I'm not signing it, simply because those three issues are not the most important issues, as the Declaration states. The most important issue of our time is the Great Commission: "All authority has been given to me on heaven and on earth. Therefore go to all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And Lo! I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18,19

We have problems with abortion, the sanctity of marriage and the free, unrestricted practice of our faith BECAUSE we have shoved aside the Great Commission.

Jesus did not command us to protect marriage as an institution in society. He did not command us to picket abortion clinics. He did not command us to exercise our freedom of speech. Those are all important things, but not THE most important thing.

The most important thing for Christians to do is to make disciples out of all nations, baptize them, and teach them to be obedient to Christ's commands. If we do this, all else falls into place.

[Mr Rogers]

I’m inclined to disagree with signing.

It says:

“Christians confess that God alone is Lord of the conscience. Immunity from religious coercion is the cornerstone of an unconstrained conscience. No one should be compelled to embrace any religion against his will, nor should persons of faith be forbidden to worship God according to the dictates of conscience or to express freely and publicly their deeply held religious convictions. What is true for individuals applies to religious communities as well.”

Let’s be realistic. Both Catholics and Reformers once killed ‘heretics’ with great glee...or at least sought them out for killing. The Anglican Church, the Catholic Church, Calvin in Geneva, Luther in Germany - Christianity has had great experience with ‘state churches’. “No one should be compelled to embrace any religion against his will, nor should persons of faith be forbidden to worship God according to the dictates of conscience or to express freely and publicly their deeply held religious convictions”?

Hypocrisy.

Homosexuality is sin. So is adultery. So is fornication. I guess I’m a little bit bothered by focusing on one issue - homosexual marriage. Will these signers refuse to marry non-christians, or those who live together before marriage? Do they advocate using the power of the state to prevent fornication, or adultery? Easy divorce has probably done more harm to marriage than homosexual marriage.

Are these religious leaders going to call for pulling kids out of school, to avoid indoctrination?

It seems to me this is just an easy way to take a stand on issues that have little to do with the sins of their members...

[Mrs. Don-o]

Albert Mohler is one of the men I respect most: an acute thinker, good communicator, and esteemed brother in Christ. If there’s a Catholics for Mohler fan club out there, I owe them some dues!