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Second Sunday of Advent
5 December 2009
Praised be Jesus Christ! Now and forever!
Dear Friends in Christ,
As the culture in which we live becomes increasingly alienated from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the need for the Church to stand as a sign of contradiction will only grow, and being such a sign of contradiction inevitably entails conflict. This is one dimension of what many people call the “culture war” which is now our constant companion. On the front line of the culture war are disagreements over a wide array of issues, including marriage, sex, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, the intrinsic dignity of the human person, religious freedom, and the freedom of individuals and groups not to be coerced by government power to participate in what they believe to be evil. In the service of defending the traditional Christian answer to these and other questions, a group of scholars and pastors has recently published a text called “The Manhattan Declaration,” the introduction to which explains its purpose:
“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: the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and 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.”
I encourage every parishioner to read this remarkable document and consider adding your signature to the growing number of Christian Americans who are speaking out about these questions so essential to the public order and common good of our nation. You can find the complete text and much more information at www.manhattandeclaration.org.
Father Newman