Christians Sign The Manhattan Declaration

A number of Christian leaders, coming from Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox traditions, have issued The Manhattan Declaration, a statement affirming convictions regarding the sanctity of life, the traditional institution of marriage and the value of religious liberty. First signed by 125 clergy and leaders of various ministries, there are now over 19,000 signers (as of this writing).

Taken from the website for the declaration, the following statement summarizes 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:

1. The sanctity of human life.
2. The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife.
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."

If you would like to read the complete declaration click here. To sign it, click here.

Abortion & Woman of Color

Taken from Heartbeat International, here are some disturbing facts about abortion in America and how it disportionately affects women of color:

"Presently, America’s pregnancy help centers are set up in predominantly white, suburban, and small-town communities. This reflects the demographics of our current movement. But long ago, Planned Parenthood explicitly identified its profit centers: "young women, low-income women, and women of color" (Planned Parenthood Plan of Action, 1997). Studies show that 62.5% of Planned Parenthood facilities are located in cities where Blacks represent a higher percentage of the population compared to the overall population of the state. (www.LifeIssues.org/connector/display.asp?page=05oct.htm)

Black women, who represent 12% of the female population, suffer 36% of all abortions. Latina women represent 13% of the female population but suffer another 20% of all abortions. Together, they suffer 56% of all abortions yet they represent only 25% of our nation’s population.

Rev. Clenard Childress, Northeast Region President of the Life Education And Resource Network (L.E.A.R.N.), explains the numbers: "The abortion industry kills as many Black people every four days as the Klan killed in 150 years. Since 1973, legal abortion has killed more Blacks than AIDS, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and violent crime combined."

You can read the complete Lifelines article here. Thanks to John Piper for the link to the article.

A Teacher Who Cares

In this modern age of technology, many of us have grown accustomed to sending a birthday greeting to our friends and family by posting a short note on their Facebook Wall. It's quick and simple and let's others know that you're thinking of them on their special day.

But what if we were to send an actual card with a handwritten note to all those friends? What if it was over 2,500 people that we did this for every year?

I was encouraged by this story of Dan Stroup, a teacher at a small Christian school in Indianapolis, who sends a birthday card every year to each student he's ever had. As a role model for so many kids that are looking for love and admiration, Stroup's example demonstrates a simple, yet profound, way to show God's love to those students he's had over the years.

You can read the complete story here.