Religious Leaders Call for Civil Disobedience if Laws Don’t Respect Faith

A formidable coalition of 150 Catholic, Orthodox and evangelical leaders are calling on Christians in a new manifesto to reject secular authority – and even engage in civil disobedience – if laws force them to accept abortion, same-sex marriage and other ideas that betray their religious beliefs.

On Friday, these leaders released a 4,700-word document – called the "The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience."

The document was signed by leaders ranging from evangelical leader Chuck Colson to two of the leading Catholic prelates in the U.S., Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, and calls on Christians to engage in civil disobedience to defend their doctrines.

The document also blasts the Obama administration, saying that social ills have grown since the election of President Obama, an abortion rights advocate, along with an erosion of what it calls "marriage culture" with the rise of divorce, greater acceptance of infidelity and the uncoupling of marriage from childbearing.

Colson says the project is aimed at instilling social conservative beliefs in a new generation of believers.

"We argue that there is a hierarchy of issues," he told The New York Times. "A lot of younger evangelicals say they're all alike. We're hoping to educate them that these are the three most important issues" – abortion marriage and religious liberty.

"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," says the declaration, which was drafted by Colson, an evangelical, and Princeton University professor Robert P. George, a Roman Catholic.

The declaration lists the "fundamental truths" as the "sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage...

Thanks, Jim..

Drafting Committee
Robert George Professor, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University
Timothy George Professor, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
Chuck Colson Founder, The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview (Lansdowne, Va.)

Signers (as of November 19, 2009)
Dr. Daniel Akin President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, N.C.)
Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola Primate, Anglican Church of Nigeria (Abika, Nigeria)
Randy Alcorn Founder and Director, Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM) (Sandy, Ore.)
Rt. Rev. David Anderson President and CEO, American Anglican Council (Atlanta)
Leith Anderson President of National Association of Evangelicals (Washington, D.C.)
Charlotte K. Ardizzone TV Show Host and Speaker, INSP Television (Charlotte, N.C.)
Kay Arthur CEO and Co-founder, Precept Ministries International (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Dr. Mark L. Bailey President, Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas)
Most Rev. Craig W. Bates Archbishop, International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (Malverne, N.Y.)
Gary Bauer President, American Values; Chairman, Campaign for Working Families
His Grace, The Right Reverend Bishop Basil Essey The Right Reverend Bishop of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America (Wichita, Kan.)
Joel Belz Founder, World Magazine (Asheville, N.C.)
Rev. Michael L. Beresford Managing Director of Church Relations, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (Charlotte, N.C.)
Ken Boa President, Reflections Ministries (Atlanta)
Joseph Bottum Editor of First Things (New York)
Pastor Randy & Sarah Brannon Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church (Madera, Calif.)
Steve Brown National Radio Broadcaster, Key Life (Maitland, Fla.)
Dr. Robert C. Cannada, Jr. Chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando, Fla.)
Galen Carey Director of Government Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals (Washington, D.C.)
Dr. Bryan Chapell President, Covenant Theological Seminary (St. Louis)
Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
Timothy Clinton President, American Association of Christian Counselors (Forest, Va.)
Chuck Colson Founder, The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview (Lansdowne, Va.)
Most Rev. Salvatore Joseph Cordileone Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, Calif.
Dr. Gary Culpepper Associate Professor, Providence College (Providence, R.I.)
Jim Daly President and CEO, Focus on the Family (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Marjorie Dannenfelser President, Susan B. Anthony List (Arlington, Va.)
Rev. Daniel Delgado Board of Directors, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Pastor, Third Day Missions Church (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Patrick J. Deneen Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Associate Professor and Director, The Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy, Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)

Dr. James Dobson Founder, Focus on the Family (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Dr. David Dockery President, Union University (Jackson, Tenn.)
Most Rev. Timothy Dolan Archbishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of New York, N.Y.
Dr. William Donohue President, Catholic League (New York)
Dr. James T. Draper, Jr.
President Emeritus, LifeWay (Nashville, Tenn.)
Dinesh D’Souza Writer and Speaker (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church in North America (Ambridge, Pa. )
Dr. Michael Easley President Emeritus, Moody Bible Institute (Chicago)
Dr. William Edgar Professor, Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia)
Brett Elder Executive Director, Stewardship Council (Grand Rapids, Mich.
Rev. Joel Elowsky Drew University (Madison, N.J.)
Stuart Epperson Co-Founder and Chariman of the Board, Salem Communications Corporation (Camarillo, Calif.)
Rev. Jonathan Falwell Senior Pastor, Thomas Road Baptist Church (Lynchburg, Va.)
William J. Federer President, Amerisearch, Inc. (St. Louis)
Fr. Joseph D. Fessio Founder and Editor, Ignatius Press (Ft. Collins, Colo.)
Carmen Fowler President and Executive Editor, Presbyterian Lay Committee (Lenoir, N.C.)
Maggie Gallagher President, National Organization for Marriage (Manassas, Va.)
Dr. Jim Garlow Senior Pastor, Skyline Church (La Mesa, Calif.)
Steven Garofalo Senior Consultant, Search and Assessment Services (Charlotte, N.C.)
Dr. Robert P. George McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.)
Dr. Timothy George Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School at Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.)
Thomas Gilson Director of Strategic Processes, Campus Crusade for Christ International (Norfolk, Va.)
Dr. Jack Graham Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church (Plano, Texas)
Dr. Wayne Grudem Research Professor of Theological and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary (Phoenix)
Dr. Cornell “Corkie” Haan National Facilitator of Spiritual Unity, The Mission America Coalition (Palm Desert, Calif.)
Fr. Chad Hatfield Chancellor, CEO and Archpriest, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (Yonkers, N.Y.)
Dr. Dennis Hollinger President and Professor of Christian Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, Mass.)
Dr. Jeanette Hsieh Executive Vice President and Provost, Trinity International University (Deerfield, Ill.)
Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr. Senior Pastor, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (Newport Beach, Calif.); Chairman of the Board, Christianity Today International (Carol Stream, Ill.)
Rev. Ken Hutcherson Pastor, Antioch Bible Church (Kirkland, Wash.)
Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church (Beltsville, Md.)
Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse President, American Orthodox Institute; Editor, OrthodoxyToday.org (Naples, Fla.)
Jerry Jenkins Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Moody Bible Institute (Black Forest, Colo.)
Camille Kampouris Editorial Board, Kairos Journal
Emmanuel A. Kampouris Publisher, Kairos Journal
Rev. Tim Keller Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York)
Dr. Peter Kreeft Professor of Philosophy, Boston College (Mass.) and at the Kings College (N.Y.)
Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky.
Jim Kushiner Editor, Touchstone (Chicago)
Dr. Richard Land President, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC (Washington, D.C.)
Jim Law Senior Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church (Woodstock, Ga.)
Dr. Matthew Levering Associate Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University (Naples, Fla.)
Dr. Peter Lillback President, The Providence Forum (West Conshohocken, Pa.)
Dr. Duane Litfin President, Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.)
Rev. Herb Lusk Pastor, Greater Exodus Baptist Church (Philadelphia)
His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida Archbishop Emeritus, Roman Catholic Diocese of Detroit
Most Rev. Richard J. Malone Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine
Rev. Francis Martin Professor of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Heart Major Seminary (Detroit)
Dr. Joseph Mattera Bishop and Senior Pastor, Resurrection Church (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Phil Maxwell Pastor, Gateway Church (Bridgewater, N.J.)
Josh McDowell Founder, Josh McDowell Ministries (Plano, Texas)
Alex McFarland President, Southern Evangelical Seminary (Charlotte, N.C.)
Most Rev. George Dallas McKinney Bishop, Founder and Pastor, St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ (San Diego)
Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns Missionary Bishop, Convocation of Anglicans of North America (Herndon, Va.)
Dr. C. Ben Mitchell Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy, Union University (Jackson, Tenn.)
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Ky.)
Dr. Russell D. Moore Senior Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean of the School of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Ky.)
Most Rev. John J. Myers Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.
Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City, Kan.
David Neff Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today (Carol Stream, Ill.)
Tom Nelson Senior Pastor, Christ Community Evangelical Free Church (Leawood, Kan.)
Niel Nielson President, Covenant College (Lookout Mt., Ga.)
Most Rev. John Nienstedt Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Dr. Tom Oden Theologian, United Methodist Minister; Professor, Drew University (Madison, N.J.)
Marvin Olasky Editor-in-Chief, World Magazine; Provost, The Kings College (New York)
Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Rev. William Owens Chairman, Coalition of African-American Pastors (Memphis, Tenn.)
Dr. J.I. Packer Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College (Canada)
Metr. Jonah Paffhausen Primate, Orthodox Church in America (Syosset, N.Y.)
Tony Perkins President, Family Research Council (Washington, D.C.)
Eric M. Pillmore CEO, Pillmore Consulting LLC (Doylestown, Pa.)
Dr. Everett Piper President, Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Bartlesville, Okla.)
Todd Pitner President, Rev Increase
Dr. Cornelius Plantinga
President, Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Dr. David Platt Pastor, Church at Brook Hills (Birmingham, Ala.)
Rev. Jim Pocock Pastor, Trinitarian Congregational Church (Wayland, Mass.)
Fred Potter Executive Director and CEO, Christian Legal Society (Springfield, Va.)
Dennis Rainey President, CEO, and Co-Founder, FamilyLife (Little Rock, Ark.)
Fr. Patrick Reardon Pastor, All Saints’ Antiochian Orthodox Church (Chicago)
Bob Reccord Founder, Total Life Impact, Inc. (Suwanee, Ga.)
His Eminence Justin Cardinal Rigali Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Frank Schubert President, Schubert Flint Public Affairs (Sacramento, Calif.)
David Schuringa President, Crossroads Bible Institute (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Tricia Scribner Author (Harrisburg, N.C.)
Dr. Dave Seaford Senior Pastor, Community Fellowship Church (Matthews, N.C.)
Alan Sears President, CEO, and General Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Randy Setzer Senior Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church (Lincolnton, N.C.)
Most Rev. Michael J. Sheridan Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Dr. Ron Sider Director, Evangelicals for Social Action (Wynnewood, Pa.)
Fr. Robert Sirico Founder, Acton Institute (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Dr. Robert Sloan President, Houston Baptist University (Houston)
Charles Stetson Chairman of the Board, Bible Literacy Project (New York)
Dr. David Stevens CEO, Christian Medical and Dental Association (Bristol, Tenn.)
John Stonestreet Executive Director, Summit Ministries (Manitou Springs, Colo.)
Dr. Joseph Stowell President, Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Dr. Sarah Sumner Professor of Theology and Ministry, Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, Calif.)
Dr. Glenn Sunshine Chairman of the History Department, Central Connecticut State University (New Britain, Conn.)
Joni Eareckson Tada Founder and CEO, Joni and Friends International Disability Center (Agoura Hills, Calif.)
Luiz Tellez President, The Witherspoon Institute (Princeton, N.J.)
Dr. Timothy C. Tennent President, Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Ky.)
Michael Timmis Chairman, Prison Fellowship and Prison Fellowship International (Naples, Fla.)
Mark Tooley President, Institute for Religion and Democracy (Washington, D.C.)
H. James Towey President, St. Vincent College (Latrobe, Pa.)
Juan Valdes
Middle and High School Chaplain, Florida Christian School (Miami, Fla.)
Todd Wagner Pastor, WaterMark Community Church (Dallas)
Dr. Graham Walker President, Patrick Henry College (Purcellville, Va.)
Fr. Alexander F. C. Webster, Ph.D. Archpriest, Orthodox Church in America; Professorial Lecturer, The George Washington University (Ashburn, Va.)

George Weigel Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center (Washington, D.C.)
David Welch Houston Area Pastor Council Executive Director, US Pastors Council (Houston)
Dr. James Emery White Founding and Senior Pastor, Mecklenburg Community Church (Charlotte, N.C.)
Dr. Hayes Wicker Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church (Naples, Fla.)
Mark Williamson Founder and President, Foundation Restoration Ministries/Federal Intercessors (Katy, Texas)
Parker T. Williamson Editor Emeritus and Senior Correspondent, Presbyterian Lay Committee

Dr. Craig Williford President, Trinity International University (Deerfield, Ill.)
Dr. John Woodbridge Research Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Ill.)
Don M. Woodside Performance Matters Associates (Matthews, N.C.)
Dr. Frank Wright President, National Religious Broadcasters (Manassas, Va.)
Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
Paul Young COO and Executive Vice President, Christian Research Institute (Charlotte, N.C.)
Dr. Michael Youssef President, Leading the Way (Atlanta)
Ravi Zacharias Founder and Chairman of the Board, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (Norcross, Ga.)
Most Rev. David A. Zubik Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
James R. Thobaben, Ph.D., M.P.H. Professor, Bioethics and Social Ethics, Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Ky.)

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