Immanuel Lutheran Church

From where does the phrase "separation of church and state" come?  It is not part of the original U.S. Constitution of 1787.  It is not in any Constitutional amendment.  The idea of a "wall of separation" came from a private letter written by President Thomas Jefferson and has been misused to slowly, but surely, eliminate Christianity from the public sector and replace it with an anti-God religion of humanism.

The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment was intended to protect the church from the (federal) government, not the government from the church.  Therefore, no "national" church or religion is allowed to be established by the federal government.  The Clause reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."

Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut was a response of assurance that the federal government would never be permitted to interfere with the church.  Today, secular scholars have lifted the Danbury letter out of its entire historical context and have turned the so-called "wall" metaphor completely on its head.  "Separation of church and state" is now used to protect the government from the influence of the church -- establishing a policy of freedom "from" religion, which in reality has become "separation of Christianity and state."  This would have been an entirely foreign and unintended concept to the Founding Fathers.

The consequence is that many Christians believe they must maintain a neutral position.  Thus, they are not prepared to boldly and unashamedly stand on the Word of God as they confront issues like abortion, same-gender unions, racism, etc.  By shrinking back, Christians have allowed the secularists to impose their anti-God atheistic religion on the public schools -- and the culture as a whole.

What can we do?  We need not be ashamed of the Creator God of the Bible.  We need not be silent about Jesus Christ.  We can become more familiar with what God's Word says about everyday issues.  Like St. Paul, Martin Luther and other Christians before us, we can use God's Word to help a hurting culture.  You may join others in the "I am not ashamed" campaign which is an effort to put God's Word on-line for all to see.  Visit www.IAmNotAshamed.org  

PLEASE PRAY for courage to speak God's Word even as we more carefully study its life-changing wisdom... in Jesus' name.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently won a lawsuit that ruled the National Day of Prayer is a violation of the first Amendment.  Pretty impressive, considering that only two atheists (a husband and wife team) run the FFRF.  These two appear to have more spunk and determination than many Christian believers.  Last Christmas, they put up a message in the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda that said, "Religion is but a myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Unlike many Christians, these two atheists devote more than one hour a week to their non-religion.  They and their eight staff members put in countless hours mailing letters to mayors of over 1000 cities and governors urging them not to participate in prayer day.  The work has born fruit.  Polls show that over 80% of Americans claim to be Christians.  Yet, the numberically insignificant FFRF (14,000 members) has effectively put Christianity on the defense.  Anyone participating in prayer day will have to justify it and, in so doing, acknowledge the atheists' legal challenge.

It doesn't appear to matter that President Harry S. Truman issued the proclamation asking Americans to pray.  It doesn't matter that in 1775, the Continental Congress called on Colonists to pray as tensions with England increased.  Or that George Washington called for prayer while he was president and that Abraham Lincoln established a "Day of National Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer" during the Civil War.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt led the nation in a radio prayer on D-Day.

This small, but determined atheist group is on a mission.  They know the real battle is in the court of public opinion and, if they keep repeating their message, others will be inclined to believe it.

So, what are we doing?  Are Christians determined to speak the Truth that changes hearts and minds?  Or are we content to come in to God's House one hour a week and then keep what we've heard God say to ourselves the rest of the week?

Many issues that surround us -- life, family, health, economic, ethical, moral, and legal -- are influenced by faith in something.  Do we see that there is a battle for the hearts and minds of our children and grandchildren?  Do we who claim to believe in Jesus Christ have as much determination to speak up as those who don't believe in Jesus Christ?

Learn how Christians can make a difference by visiting www.frc.org (Family Research Council), www.answersingenesis.org, www.lutheransforlife.org and www.breakpoint.org 

PLEASE PRAY  for courageous Christians who will affect the culture in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, young people ages 18-29 are "considerably less religious than older Americans."  Fewer are affiliated with a particular church or attend worship services.  Fewer are likely to say that "religion is very important" in their lives.

Their worldviews are skewed.  More than half of young adults -- including evangelicals -- believe that evolution is the best explanation for the development of human life.  They defend homosexuality.

The good news is that "more than three-quarters of young adults . . . agree that there are absolute standards of right and wrong," including 85% of evangelicals.  64% of young evangelicals agree that houses of worship should "express their views on day-to-day social and political questions."  Good -- depending on the views.

88% of evangelicals believe the Bible is God's Word and 86% believe in God with "absolute certainty."

So let's think about this.  Young evangelicals believe in absolute right and wrong, they believe God exists, and that the Bible is His Word.  Yet they're less likely to go to church and pray than older people, and they're more accepting of evolution and homosexuality.

The basic beliefs of young evangelicals are sound, but they are not applying them in a consistent way.  For this reason, says Chuck Colson, the Church must do a better job of catechizing our young people and helping them develop a Biblical worldview.  We've got to give them a framework for understanding how absolute truth and the Gospel interact with all of life.  (Excerpts from Breakpoint, a publication of Prison Fellowship Ministries, Charles Colson, 4-6-10)

Visit www.breakpoint.org and www.higherthings.org for more information and resources.

PLEASE PRAY that the Holy Spirit opens hearts and minds... in Jesus' name.

Many claim there is no such thing as truth.  The "self-evident truth" spoken of by Thomas Jefferson, for example, is said to be "outdated" and "a dangerous myth."  But, God's Word is Truth.  God's Word speaks about Truth being 'self-evident" in Romans 2:15:  They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

In most societies, there is a conflict between those who are dependent on Truth (the Word of the Triune God) and those who are dependent on man.  Many leaders and politicans win the support of people by appealing to the basest part of us: hate, envy, greed, and dissatisfaction.  Hitler, for example, stirred the German people to a hatred of the Jews by making them a scapegoat for the financial woes that had befallen the German nation.  He stirred up hatred, dissatisfaction and envy among supposedly Christian men and women.  In doing so, the people were seduced away from the dependency on God and became, instead, a people dependent upon a man.  

Rebelling against God requires lies and deception.  It requires the reduction of human beings from their valued position as creations of God to mere accidents of nature.  It requires a concerted effort to pit people against one another: black against white, rich against poor.  It requires encouragement of immorality -- sexual promiscuity, abortion, easy divorce -- because dissolute, dysfunctional people who have crossed the moral line and thus become estranged from the moral law of God now need the "god" of socialist government.

People who love power are always ready to step in and feed us lies and illusions.  Hitler said that if you feed the people big lies long enough, they will believe them.  But, we can only accept the lies when we avoid the Truth.  For example, a woman who's in denial that she ended her baby's life by way of abortion may be more easily attracted by the deception of a pro-abortion church body or politican defending abortion as a cherished constitutional right.  Leaders who love power and reject the Triune God often create a constant state of crisis.  In this way, people are overwhelmed and tempted to put their trust in man or government rather than the Creator and REdeemer, Jesus Christ.

Lutherans know that evil comes from pride, arrogance, envy; in other words, original sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:1-12; 6:12).  Thus, we can't trust human nature (Romans 7:15-20).  William Penn said, "If man is not governed by God,  he will be ruled by tyrants."  Freedom apart from God is just an illusion of pride.  This is because we are at war with our conscience.

People who depend on God are equipped to build civilization and serve others.  Everywhere the wind of Christianity blows, cultures become more vibrant and productive.  In a decaying Rome, it was Christians who established hospitals, hospice care, and orphanages.  It is Christians who honor "one man-one woman" marriage and, thus, protect a nation's most prized natural resource: children.  Dependent on God, we are able to do the good works already prepared for us, in Christ, to do (Ephesians 2:8-10).

An excellent and helpful book is How Evil Works by David Kupelian (www.amazon.com)

PLEASE PRAY that the Holy Spirit grow your faith and trust in God's Word for it is Wisdom, morality, good judgment, and righteousness for daily living . . . In Jesus' name. 

C.S. Lewis, the great Christian thinker, has a lot to say about social morality.  He notes that many people believe the church ought to lead and affect society.  By that, they mean the institution or even the clergy of the church.  But, this isn't true.  It is not the institution of the church that changes society.  It is each individual Christian.  The institutional church cares for our mortal soul.  But, each Christian lives in a way that affects society.

C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, explains that society isn't going to be what we want it to be until each of us really wants it.  We, however, are not going to want it until we become fully Christian.  Too many of us, Lewis observes, aren't trying to find out what Christianity really says and means; we are, instead, trying to find support in Christianity for our own views.

Lewis reminds us that we are called by Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves.  But, we can't really learn to love our neighbor as ourselves until we learn to love God.  And, we can't learn to love God except by learning to obey Him.

Lewis points out that each Christian has his or her own particular "blueprint" for affecting society.  He -- and Martin Luther -- call it our vocation.  We affect society by obeying God and loving our neighbor in our vocation.  Our vocations include parenting, homemaking, law, medicine, agriculture, business, and public service.  Each individual Christian who fears and loves God also loves his neighbor and, thus, affects society.

To learn more, read either Luther's Small Catechism or Large Catechism.  You may also find practical sense for Christian living in Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  E-mail revbeisel@hotmail.com for more suggestions.

PLEASE PRAY that the Holy Spirit will lead each Christian to trust all of God's Word and use it for daily living, in all walks of life and to Jesus' glory.

To be "racist" is to be contrary to who God is, what He has created, what He has done through Jesus Christ, and how He wants His people to live.  God tells us that He created humans in His image -- male and female (Genesis 1:27).  From that first man and woman came all the people of the world: Adam and Eve's sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4), Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:17-19), and all the people at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:8-9).  At that time, God caused the people to spread out across the earth.  In the New Testament, we read: "From one man God made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth . . ." (Acts 17:26).  There is only one race: the human race!

To be sure, there are different people groups, cultures, and ethnicities.  There are Irish, Norwegian, and Chinese people.  There are Germans, Nigerians, and Polynesians.  But, there is only one race: the human race!

Evolution opposes God's creation of one race.  Darwin introduced the idea of racism by claiming that different groups or races evolved at different times.  Followers of Darwin believe that some people are more like their "ape-like ancestors" than others.  The Australian Aborigines, for example, were considered to be the "missing link" between an ape-like ancestor and the rest of mankind.  That resulted in terrible prejudices and injustices.  Racism increased following the social acceptance of evolution.

As Christians, we believe that all human beings in the world are Homo sapiens.  More and more scientists agree that race is a social construct derived mainly from perceptions conditioned by events of recorded history.  These scientists say the word "race" should be abandoned because it's meaningless.  Christians know that using such a term can also be harmful.  History proves what happens when we put people into categories and try to suppress them.

The Bible doesn't use the word "race."  It does, however, tell us that we're all related, for all human beings are descendants of the first man Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45).  Because Jesus Christ also became a descendant of Adam, being called the "last Adam" (15:45), this is why the Gospel should be preached to all tribes and nations.  The Christian can recognize that it is sin that causes the idea of "race" to divide one human being from another.  But, the Christian also knows that it is Jesus Christ who died to save us from sin and to restore the relationship between God and His beloved creation.

What can we teach our children about human beings of every tribe and nation?  In Jesus Christ, we learn that racism and Christianity are poor companions.  Christians who believed this were instrumental in abolishing slavery and speaking up against the Holocaust.  They can be instrumental in defending all human life today.

To learn more, please visit: www.creationinstruction.org (the website of LCMS instructor Brian Young) or order One Blood from www.answersingenesis.org

PLEASE PRAY that Christians everywhere trust God's Word and, in so doing, help remove harmful ideas of "racism."  Pray that the Holy Spirit change hearts, minds and behavior... in Jesus' name.

Planned Parenthood (PP) began as the dream of Margaret Sanger, a pro-eugenic, pro-abortion advocate.  From 1920-22, Sanger launched the American Birth Control League (ABCL), the forerunner of PP.  This organization was founded to maintain a so-called "fit" nation or, in the words of Sanger, "breed a race of thoroughbreds."  After the Nazi horrors, the ABCL changed its name to Planned Parenthood.

Today, PP pressures governments to limit births, advocate homosexuality (as a form of population or birth control), and mentor sexually-uninhibited youth.  A predominant number of PP's "health centers" are set up in low income, black, and Hispanic neighborhoods.  Our tax dollars fund PP.  To learn  how PP mentors youth, visit www.teenwire.com  Do you agree or disagree with their worldview?  Does it honor God?  

What is Planned Parenthood doing in Iowa?  Listen to Rev. Ken Klaus from Lutheran Hour Ministries Men's Network explain how Planned Parenthood of Iowa is prescribing abortion pills to girls and women without them seeing a doctor.  Go to: www.lhmmen.com/baloneyvideo.asp?id=15064&mode=low 

PLEASE PRAY for courageous options that counter PP such as the Lighthouse Center of Hope here in Iowa Falls.  Pray in Jesus' name.

Marriage is so important to society that it is uniquely protected in the law and culture.  It predates the law and the Constitution, and is an anthropological and sociological reality, not primarily a legal one.  No civilization can survive without it, and those societies that allowed it to become irrelevant have faded into history.

Homosexual activists realize the power of legalizing same-sex "marriage."  It will normalize what God calls "sodomy" or sin.  This is " . . . a chance to wholly transform the definition of family in American culture.  It is the final tool with which to dismantle all sodomy statutes . . . and change how society views and treats us"  (Michealangelo Signorile, OUT magazine, 5-96, p. 30).  To learn more, please visit: www.nationformarriage.org and www.exodusinternational.org

PLEASE PRAY that people courageously speak up using God's Word for marriage and family.  Pray that men and women consider what is best for children.  Pray that those practicing an unhealthy lifestyle be transformed by the power of the Word.

Can you imagine being suspended from work for walking out on a homosexual sensitivity training session?  Or for saying, "God bless you" on the job?  What will our congregation do if it is forced by law to hire practicing homosexuals?

Just ask Christians in Britain.  This is what they are facing.  One British religious freedom lawyer told CBN News, "There's been a massive move by the secularist lobby to privatize religion.  You can have faith . . . just make it private.  It can't affect what you do in the public square."  This same lawyer warns that unless American Christians wake up, "This is all coming to America."

Chuck Colson reports that we've already seen it in our courts, and he's warned many times on his "Breakpoint" program that the gay "marriage" agenda is a direct assault on religious freedom.  To give evidence that the assault is real, Christians are being singled out by secular groups for trying to change the culture.  What?  Isn't that indeed what Christians who believe, trust, and make use of God's Word are supposed to do?  

Just as Muslims live their faith -- in their home life, law, ethics, education, and behaviors -- so are we to do the same.  Why have a faith if one doesn't use it to make a difference in the world?

For updates on what's happening in our courts, schools, and the public square, go to Breakpoint.org  Other moral and ethical sites to visit may be found on our Resource page.

Please pray for the conviction of faith that doesn't stay private.  Jesus is the Light.  The Light shines in the darkness.  It should be on a hill to help others see what is right, true, honorable, and God-pleasing.  Please pray in Jesus' name.

What does God -- the Judge of all Creation -- say?  After He created man and then woman, God announced the institution of marriage: For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Genesis 2:24 RSV).  (God established two other institutions, the church and the government.)  God, in His wisdom, knew what was best for mankind and society.  He said, It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).  So He made for Adam a helper, encourager, friend and lover -- and then commanded them to be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth (Genesis 9:7 RSV).

If we depart from God's plan, do consequences exist?  God's design for marriage has been the bedrock of culture around the world.  5000 years of recorded history give evidence that civilization has been built upon God's institution of marriage.  The institution of marriage represents the very foundation of human social order.  Everything of value sits on that base... including the value of children.  When this bedrock is weakened, society begins to crumble.  Tampering with God's design, as proven in the Netherlands and Belgium, spells doom for the family and everything related to it.  God's Word warns against all harmful forms of sexual behavior -- including premarital sex, adultery, prostitution, incest, pedophilia, and homosexuality -- because such practices wound ourselves and others.

How does the Christian respond to the following questions?

1. Isn't this a civil rights issue?  No.  Homosexual activists often use this argument, but more and more black leaders are speaking out against it.  Being "African-American," for example, defines one's skin color and ethnic heritage.  Being homosexual defines one's sexual behavior or practice.  This is not a civil rights issue; rather, it is a health issue.  The practice of homosexuality is high risk behavior as documented by the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
2. Shouldn't any two people who love each other be committed to one another?  Sure, and people do it all the time but we don't necessarily call it marriage.  Friends are committed to one another, a parent is committed to a child, and grandparents are committed to grandchildren.  All of these are forms of love and require commitment.  None of those commitments are marriage.
3. What is the reality of same-sex marriage?  The legalization of same-sex marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family because the younger generation becomes confused about sexual identity and loses its understanding of lifelong commitment, emotional bonding, sexual purity, the role of children, and the "sanctity" of marriage.  Marriage is reduced to a partnership with attractive benefits and sexual convenience.  The goal of homosexual activists is to push for all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.) without limiting the number of partners or their gender.
4. Who will suffer most from legalized same-sex marriage?   Children will.      
5. Isn't it true that what kids need most are loving parents, regardless of whether the parent is a  mother or father?  No.  Children need a loving mother and father.  Thirty years of research have proven that the most loving mother in the world cannot teach a little boy how to be a man.  Likewise, the most loving man cannot teach a little girl how to be a woman.  Little boys and girls need the loving daily influence of both male and female parents to become who they are meant to be.
6. Aren't homosexuals born that way?  Isn't it therefore intolerant to prohibit them from marrying?  There have been many attempts by researchers to prove that homosexuals are born that way.  None has proven the case.
7. Isn't banning same-sex marriage like banning interracial marriage?  Not at all!  Being black or white, Hispanic or Asian, is not like being homosexual.  
8. Haven't we seen all kinds of family diversity in various civilizations throughout history?  No.  Anthropologists tell us that every human society is established by males and females joining in permanent unions to build a life together and to bear and raise children.  The differences we see in family from culture to culture are primarily variations on this model: how long the male and female stay together, how many spouses either can have, and how the work is divided.  But there has never been a culture or society that made homosexual marriage normative.
9. How does a same-sex marriage threaten any one else's marriage?  Homosexual activists want a new national policy saying that having a mom and dad is no better than having two moms or two dads.  That policy would turn some very important issues upside down.  Marriage would become merely an emotional relationship that is flexible enough to include any grouping of loving adults.  If it's fair for two men or two women to marry, then why  not three or five or seventeen?
10. Doesn't the increase in divorce prove that traditional marriage isn't doing so well?  Is the answer to erase marriage laws?  We have laws against murder, but people still commit murder.  Do we erase murder laws?  Of course not!  When laws aren't working, legislators try to fix them.  We should work to strengthen marriage.  Same-sex marriage, like "no-fault" divorce, is a social experiment that cannot strengthen marriage, family, or society.
11. Isn't the Christian called to show compassion and understanding?  Can we deny happiness to a homosexual or lesbian? If someone is heading off a cliff, the compassionate response is to try to stop him, not allow him to fall off and then treat his injuries.  It is the height of compassion for people of Christ to oppose this societal disaster -- with its litany of pain and suffering.
12. What can the Christian do?  Respectfully urge your legislator to move quickly to pass a constitutional amendment protecting marriage in Iowa.  Support the Federal Marriage Amendment by writing your Congressman.  Write a letter to the editor.  Talk to your family and friends.  Share information.  Do a Bible study.  Pray.  For more information, visit:  Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, The Alliance for Marriage, or the American Family Association.   (Appreciation for much of the information gleaned for this section is given to Dr. James Dobson and his book "Marriage Under Fire: Why We Must Win This Battle".)

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them (Mark 10:13).  Why did they do it?  Why did the disciples attempt to keep little children from Jesus?  They must have believed they had a good reason -- the children would be an inconvenience.  Rape, incest, fetal abnormality, the mother's life -- many today believe these are the reasons for most abortions.  Not so!  The sad truth is that 93% of abortions are performed because the child is perceived as an inconvenience.

Studies show the top three reasons for abortion are: 1) "A baby at this time would interfere with work, school, or other responsibilities."  2) "I cannot afford a baby."  3) "I do not want to be a single parent," or "I'm having problems" with husband or partner.  (Source: The Alan Guttmacher Institute 2/2000)

Jesus loved His disciples and would forgive them.  But still, He was indignant at their choice.  His choice was to Let the little children come to Me.

Jesus also loves His people today and will forgive those whose hearts have been broken by a choice they know they should not have made.  But still, He cannot be pleased when 3,200 pre-born children everyday are kept from ever learning about Him.  Why?  Jesus loves children.  His choice is still the same.  Let the little children come to Me (Mark 10:14a).  And He took them in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16).  Speak up for the little ones!  Support the ministry of Lutherans For Life (LFL) with your prayers, financial support, and use of their Bible studies and other resources.

Please pray that we be in awe of the miracle of each human life that God "knits together" in a mother's womb.  Pray that parents be moved to bring their children to Jesus so that they might learn of Him, grow in Him, and carry forth His Good News to others.  

(Released November 20, 2009) --

Preamble: Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God's Word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering.

While fully acknowledging the imperfections and shortcomings of Christian institutions and communities in all ages, we claim the heritage of those Christians who defended innocent life by rescuing discarded babies from trash heaps in Romans cities and publicly denouncing the Empire's sanctioning of infanticide.  We remember with reverence those believers who sacrificed their lives by remaining in Roman cities to tend the sick and dying during the plagues, and who died bravely in the coliseums rather than deny their Lord.

After the barbarian tribes overran Europe, Christian monasteries preserved not only the Bible but also the literature and art of Western culture.  It was Christians who combated the evil of slavery . . . and child labor.

In Europe, Christians challenges the divine claims of kings and successfully fought to establish the rule of law and balance of governmental powers, which made modern democracy possible.  And in America . . . civil rights crusades of the 1950s and 60s were led by Christians claiming the Scriptures and asserting the glory of the image of God in every human being regardless of race, religion, age or class.

The same devotion to human dignity has led Christians in the last decade to work to end the dehumanizing scourge of human trafficking and sexual slavery, bring compassionate care to AIDS sufferers in Africa, and assist in a myriad of other human rights causes.

. . . Like those who have gone before us in the faith, Christians today are called to proclaim the Gospel of costly grace, to protect the intrinsic dignity of the human person and to stand for the common good.  In being true to its own calling, the call to discipleship, the church through service to others can make a profound contribution to the public good.

Declaration: As Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, we act together in obedience to the one true God, the triune God of holiness and love, who has laid total claim on our lives and by that claim calls us with believers in all ages and all nations to seek and defend the good of all who bear His image.  We set forth The Manhattan Declaration in light of the truth that is grounded in Holy Scripture . . .  We call upon all people of goodwill . . . to consider carefully and reflect critically on the issues we here address as we, with St. Paul, commend this appeal to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

. . . [W]e are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; [and] that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.

Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of conscience and religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we are compelled by our Christian faith to speak and act in their defense.  In this declaration we affirm: 1) the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every human being as a creature fashioned in the very image of God, possessing inherent rights of equal dignity and life; 2) marriage as a conjugal union of man and woman, ordained by God from the creation, and historically understood by belivers and non-believers alike, to be the most basic institution in society and; 3) religious liberty, which is grounded in the character of God, the example of Christ, and the inherent freedom and dignity of human beings created in the divine image.

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 one another, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence.  It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season.  May God help us not to fail in that duty.

The declaration ends with the following statement:

Because we honor justice and the common good, 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 marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.  We will fully and ungrudingly render to Caesar what is Caesar's.  But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God's.

(Note: The entire Manhattan Declaration  may be viewed at www.manhattandeclaration.org . Please consider adding your name to the list of signatures.)