In Matthew 22:21 Jesus Christ told his followers to give to Caesar (the government) what is justly due and give to God what is justly due.
In the fifth chapter of Acts, we see Christ’s followers being persecuted for preaching the Gospel, particularly preaching in Jesus Name. This brings to mind several modern lawsuits regarding the name of Christ in public schools and prayer at city council meetings. Most gave in because of the misinterpretation of the First Amendment. Yet, following the precedent set by Jesus himself, in Acts 5:29 we see Peter and the other Apostles declaring “We must obey God rather than men!”
Just before Thanksgiving, in the year of our Lord 2009, an ecumenical group of Christians drew a similar line in the sand as those first followers of Christ. Over 150 Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders have signed the Manhattan Declaration, a pledge in defense of life, religious liberty and traditional marriage.
Here is a video interview between Mike Huckabee and Chuck Colson discussing the Manhattan Declaration, which is an official document composed by a group of Christain leaders that are uniting against causes such as abortion, gay marriage and others.
Here is the press release from…
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 20, 2009—Today a group of prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars released the Manhattan Declaration, which addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty. The 4,700-word declaration issues a clarion call to Christians to adhere to their convictions and informs civil authorities that the signers will not—under any circumstance—abandon their Christian consciences. Drafted by Dr. Robert George, Dr. Timothy George and Chuck Colson and signed by more than 150 Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders, the Manhattan Declaration was made public at a noon ET press conference held in the Lisagor Room at the National Press Club.
Excerpts from the declaration include:
- “We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence.”
- “We recognize the duty to comply with laws whether we happen to like them or not, unless the laws are gravely unjust or require those subject to them to do something unjust or otherwise immoral.”
- “…We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriage or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.”
The authors and original signatories of the Manhattan Declaration are now inviting others who will agree to the pledge to sign the declaration as well.
As Colson told Huckabee, “If you continue to assault the family, continue to assault life, continue to assault our liberties, we will ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but under no circumstance will we render to Caesar what is God’s. So we have taken a very firm line. We’ve drawn a line, and we want true Christians to stand up and defend what we believe now.”
Now the question is… how many will sacrifice for the cause of Christ and how many will deny their faith?
Philip Johnson wrote: “Now… if we could just get the people sitting in the pews to stop having abortions, to keep from divorcing, and to start taking care of the elderly, maybe we would get somewhere. 
We like to point our fingers at non-believers, but we are told that God’s people need to reform first. In addition to making this declaration to the non-believers, we need to alter the declarations that we have been making to our congregations!
Abortion, homosexuality, abandoning the elderly, etc, are symptoms and not the causes. Those symptoms are the result of selfishness (lovers of their own selves). For example, the same selfishness that causes non-believers to have abortions causes us to limit the number of our children. Apparently, we just happen to be better at using birth control. If non-believers could just get better at using birth control (so as not to need abortions), would we have nothing to complain about then?
Symptoms of selfishness that seem to be common in the pews are small family sizes, waiting longer to get married, more elderly in nursing homes, less family cohesiveness, more working mothers, etc.
Yes, I think that we should speak out. I have been arrested for civil disobedience before. But I most desire that… “God’s people shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
My good friend James A Looper responded: “I agree with Philip. There is a time for civil disobedience but if the people in the pews do not repent we are wasting our time.” James then suggested Christians read what Jonathan Edwards wrote:
“At such a day as this, God especially calls his people to the exercise of extraordinary meekness and mutual forbearance. Christ appears, as it were, coming in his kingdom, which calls for great moderation in our behavior toward all men: “Let your moderation be known to all; the Lord is at hand” (Phil 4:5). The awe of the Divine Majesty, that appears present or approaching, should dispose us to this moderation and deter us from the contrary. For us to be judging one another and behaving with fierceness and bitterness toward one another, when he who is the Searcher of all hearts, to whom we must all give an account, appears so remarkably present, is exceedingly unsuitable. Our business at such a time at this should be at home, searching and condemning ourselves and taking heed to our own behavior. If there is glorious prosperity for the church of God approaching, those who are the most meek will have the largest share in it.”
Jonathan Edwards, Works, I:421.
What Is Truth?
I originally published this column back in January of 2005. Since then (and especially lately), many people have called and written with requests to republish it. So, with a few minor revisions, here it is.