A Summary
Christians, when they have lived up
to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and
vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital
institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.
We are Orthodox, Catholic, and
evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm
fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call
upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join
us in defending them. These truths are (1) the sanctity of human
life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband
and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the
well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable.
Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in
our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their
defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter
what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon
or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any
political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and
risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Human Life
The lives of the unborn, the
disabled, and the elderly are ever more threatened. While public
opinion has moved in a pro-life direction, powerful and determined
forces are working to expand abortion, embryo-destructive research,
assisted suicide, and euthanasia. Although the protection of the
weak and vulnerable is the first obligation of government, the power
of government is today often enlisted in the cause of promoting what
Pope John Paul II called “the culture of death.” We pledge to work
unceasingly for the equal protection of every innocent human being
at every stage of development and in every condition. We will refuse
to permit ourselves or our institutions to be implicated in the
taking of human life and we will support in every possible way those
who, in conscience, take the same stand.
Marriage
The institution of marriage,
already wounded by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is at risk
of being redefined and thus subverted. Marriage is the original and
most important institution for sustaining the health, education, and
welfare of all. Where marriage erodes, social pathologies rise. The
impulse to redefine marriage is a symptom, rather than the cause, of
the erosion of the marriage culture. It reflects a loss of
understanding of the meaning of marriage as embodied in our civil
law as well as our religious traditions. Yet it is critical that the
impulse be resisted, for yielding to it would mean abandoning the
possibility of restoring a sound understanding of marriage and, with
it, the hope of rebuilding a healthy marriage culture. It would lock
into place the false and
destructive belief that marriage is all about romance and other
adult satisfactions, and not, in any intrinsic way, about the unique
character and value of acts and relationships whose meaning is
shaped by their aptness for the generation, promotion and protection
of life. Marriage is not a “social construction,” but is rather an
objective reality—the covenantal union of husband and wife—that it
is the duty of the law to recognize, honor, and protect.
Religious Liberty
Freedom of religion and the rights
of conscience are gravely jeopardized. The threat to these
fundamental principles of justice is evident in efforts to weaken or
eliminate conscience protections for healthcare institutions and
professionals, and in antidiscrimination statutes that are used as
weapons to force religious institutions, charities, businesses, and
service providers either to accept (and even facilitate) activities
and relationships they judge to be immoral, or go out of business.
Attacks on religious liberty are dire threats not only to
individuals, but also to the institutions of civil society including
families, charities, and religious communities. The health and
well-being of such institutions provide an indispensable buffer
against the overweening power of government and is essential to the
flourishing of every other institution—including government
itself—on which society depends.
Unjust Laws
As Christians, we believe in law
and we respect the authority of earthly rulers. We count it as a
special privilege to live in a democratic society where the moral
claims of the law on us are even stronger in virtue of the rights of
all citizens to participate in the political process. Yet even in a
democratic regime, laws can be unjust. And from the beginning, our
faith has taught that civil disobedience is required in the face of
gravely unjust laws or laws that purport to require us to do what is
unjust or otherwise immoral. Such laws lack the power to bind in
conscience because they can claim no authority beyond that of sheer
human will.
Therefore,
let it be known that we will not comply with any edict that compels
us or the institutions we lead to participate in or facilitate
abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide,
euthanasia, or any other act that violates the principle of the
profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every member of the human
family.
Further,
let it be known that we will not bend to any rule forcing 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, marriage, and the family.
Further,
let it be known that we will not be intimidated into silence or
acquiescence or the violation of our consciences by any power on
earth, be it cultural or political, regardless of the consequences
to ourselves.
We will fully and ungrudgingly
render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no
circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.
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