Have you read the Manhattan Declaration, Gentle Readers? There is a lot of hubbub about it on Evnagelical blogs. If you haven't read it, you can access it here. It's not very long, and I encourage you to read it.
The Declaration is being hailed by the likes of Charles Colson. There are many signatories on there that I respect. As Ligon Duncan has said, in signing with Catholic and Anglican priests, the signatories see themselves standing as co-beligerants against a rising attack on the dignity of human life. But, as R. C. Sproul has said, the document seems to miss the main point of the transformative power of the gospel, and casts a very wide net in its definition of Christianity.
There has been some thought-provoking discussion of the whole topic at Pyromaniacs. I am not sure what I believe. But good discussion is happening, I think. May God use it, and all things, for His glory.
2 comments:
I read the document and Albert Mohler's initial explanation about signing it and thought, "Yeah! That's right." Then I read R. C. Sproul's response (which, by the way, Mohler respectfully linked to), and I thought, "Yeah! That's right!" So I guess I'm not very good at thinking independently. :)
However, I do see advantages politically with allying with Catholic and Orthodox worshippers to make a statement to our culture, just as I happily ally politically with non-believers in support of sensible economic policies. I was well persuaded by Sproul and my own convictions, however, that there is no room for compromise on the Gospel itself, which the M. Declaration spoke of.
I read an Orthodox-leaning blog that tends to be anti-Protestant/anti-reformed from time to time to keep me sharp, and although he has not blogged on this topic, it occurred to me that he would bristle angrily at Sproul's comments, even as I found them reasonable and tempered. The fact is that while we are eager to gloss over the differences between our Catholic/Orthodox friends and find unity, they are often the first to vehemently disagree and resist such unity. So many of us just don't really examine the doctrines, but draw conclusions from our friendships ("She is so nice and loves Jesus.").
One wonders, however, beyond the debate sharpening us within the Evangelical community, what good the Declaration really does anyway. Do average people even care?
Excellent thoughts, Amy, and much like my own. Thanks for posting.
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