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On November 20, 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 on November 20, held in the Lisagor Room at the National Press Club.

Among the signers of the Manhattan Declaration at the press conference:

Joel Belz, Founder, World Magazine

Chuck Colson, Founder, The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview

Jim Daly, President and CEO, Focus on the Family

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President, Susan B. Anthony List

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor, CEO and Archpriest, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary

Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

Timothy George, Professor, Beeson Divinity School at Samford University

Harry Jackson Jr., Bishop, Hope Christian Church

Fr. Francis Martin, Professor of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Heart Major Seminary

Fr. Martyn Minns, Missionary Bishop, Convocation of Anglicans of North America

Rev. Neftali "Charles" Olmeda, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council

Fred Potter, Executive Director and CEO, Christian Legal Society

Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, Diocese of Philadelphia

Alan Sears, President, CEO, and General Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund

Ron Sider, Professor, Palmer Theological Seminary and Director of the seminary’s Sider Center on Ministry & Public Policy

Fr. Robert Sirico, Founder, Acton Institute

George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center and Founding President of the James Madison Foundation

Donald William Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, Diocese of Washington, D.C.

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.”

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