A Nurse, as well as a Doctor’s Wife, Looks at Christian Conscience
Recently, Dee (a nurse) and her husband (a doctor) attended a national conference put on by the venerable Christian Medical Dental Association. What surprised them was an address given by Dr. David Stevens, the CEO, on the effort within the Obama administration to limit the “freedom of conscience” rule enacted by the Bush administration. Stevens, close to tears (he is not normally an emotional man), described how activist members of the administration, with the support of the activist judges, are exploring ways to force doctors to perform abortions and euthanasia in states where they are legal. They intend to use threats of imprisonment and hefty fines for noncompliance.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0326/p01s03-ussc.html
The CMDA is throwing itself into the battle to prevent such actions but they are concerned about their ability to prevent the overturn of this important protection. They are currently behind an effort called “Freedom2Care” which will fight for the rights of dissenting healthcare workers who may be forced to perform procedures or prescribe medication or give advice that goes against their religious beliefs or moral conscience.
Please go to this link to You Tube to see their new video.
http://www.youtube.com/user/CMDAVideos#p/u/0/hSVvJaeq4gw
This link takes you to their special focus within CMDA
Simultaneously, other Christian groups are also concerned about increasingly liberal views on issues such as life and marriage. For example, Catholic Charities is under attack for their refusal to place adoptable or foster children with gay couples. Due to laws intended to force such placements, this organization is leaving the adoption business and refusing to compromise the Catholic view on such matters.
In response to the discussed issues, a group of Christians which encompass both those of Protestant and Catholic faiths, has gathered together and formulated The Manhattan Declaration. This well written document is being signed by Protestants such as Albert Mohler, James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Ron Sider, Timothy George, James Draper, David Neff, Danny Aiken, Dinesh DSouza (he attends a nondenominational church) as well as well known Catholic leaders such as His Grace, The Right Reverend Bishop Basil Essey and Most Rev. Timothy Dolan. Dee and her husband signed The Manhattan Declaration a week ago ago. This list goes on and on with many notables within the evangelical tradition as well as the Catholic faith.
The preamble and declaration are included in the body of this post. Please go to the following link to read this thoughtful document, along with its signers, in its entirety.
http://demossnews.com/manhattandeclaration/press_kit/manhattan_declaration_signers
Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience
Drafted on October 20, 2009
Released on 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 Roman 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: Papal edicts in the 16th and 17th centuries decried the practice of slavery and first excommunicated anyone involved in the slave trade; evangelical Christians in England, led by John Wesley and William Wilberforce, put an end to the slave trade in that country. Christians under Wilberforce's leadership also formed hundreds of societies for helping the poor, the imprisoned, and child laborers chained to machines.
In Europe, Christians challenged 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, Christian women stood at the vanguard of the suffrage movement. The great 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.
This 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 – from providing clean water in developing nations to providing homes for tens of thousands of children orphaned by war, disease and gender discrimination.
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
We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered, beginning in New York on September 28, 2009, to make the following declaration, which we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities. 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 this declaration in light of the truth that is grounded in Holy Scripture, in natural human reason (which is itself, in our view, the gift of a beneficent God), and in the very nature of the human person. We call upon all people of goodwill, believers and non-believers alike, 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.
While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we 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; 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 believers 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 each other, 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.
What a wonderful document to present to our secular society! It shows solidarity on issues such as life and conscience. It in no way discusses doctrinal or religious differences. There are signs of a tremendous battle rising in the area of moral and ethical issues. As people of faith are buffeted from all sides, it is vital that we stand together on issues that we share in common. Catholics and Protestants have been very successful in changing the court of public opinion in the area of abortion. Abortions are on the decline in the United States and more people than ever claim to be pro-life.
Dee’s husband is prepared to make a personal stand on the issue of euthanasia which could become law in many states. He, along with Dee, and others are prepared to go to jail if necessary. However, if we can develop friendships which reach across ecclesiastical divides, such a show of unity may prevent such actions from being necessary. We are gratified that hardline reformed Baptists, such as Al Mohler, are willing to join hands with Roman Catholics on this issue. Mohler apparently understands that this issue will need many people from various faith backgrounds to influence a broad segment of society.
Yet, there are the purists. No way will they dirty their hands in dialogue with the Roman Catholic “heresy”!!! Check out the following excerpt from this link:
http://sbcvoices.com/signing-the-manhattan-declaration/
“The fact that the statement seems to indicate that all the groups involved are part of one faith seems to me to be an “unequal yoke” problem. I believe that Catholicism is a false iteration of Christianity. I believe there are saved Catholics, but it is in spite of their church. So, I would not publicly join in an agreement that gives the idea that we share a common faith, no matter how noble the goal."
Recently, in the sbctoday blog, there was a comment stream denigrating the use of Dinesh D’Souza in debates against atheists. Why? Because Dinesh had the misfortune of being raised Roman Catholic. Despite the fact that he married an evangelical and now attends a nondenominational church, his Catholic background is considered “anathema” (using a little Catholic lingo here for effect). Then, these lovely gentlemen, go on to condemn Chuck Colson for being married to a Catholic. Dee could not contain herself!!! Here is the comment she posted in that stream.
“November 9th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Let me get this straight. The SBC is experiencing a massive decline in membership. You are losing your children to the New Atheism in colleges. Baptisms have massively declined. Folks like Dawkins, etc are experiencing rock star recognition. And who do you attack? D’Souza and Colson. Egads! You remind me of the knight in Monty Python’s Holy Grail. As his arms and legs were sequentially chopped off, he continued to fight declaring, “Tis just a flesh wound.”
Besides showing a profound ignorance of D’Souza’s background, you are shooting at our friends. But don’t worry. Pretty soon, it will just be the few of your type left. Heaven on earth, I’m sure”.
http://sbctoday.com/2009/10/22/what-gets-you-worked-up/#comments
So, here is Dee and Deb's bottom line. We need each other. The war is against advancing secularism. Some of us may end up in jail if the freedom of conscience exemptions are lifted. If we limit the troops to those who have been immersed baptized in a confessing certain type of Southern Baptist Church (or whatever restrictions one so chooses), the troops and effects will be limited. We don’t need to agree on ecclesiastical matters when we are fighting a major war. Imagine what might happen if we work alongside our Catholic friends. We can share our differences and maybe even become loving friends. And, maybe we might hear each other instead of throwing around snotty charges of cultism and heresy. Hmmm… Didn’t Paul do that at Mars Hill?