Ad Dominum

A group of conservative, fundamentalist Christians met in September in New York to draft a document about “Christian conscience.” The result is called the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience.”

(The full text of the document and a list of its 145 signatories- including 9 Catholic Bishops- may be found here.)

Many words were devoted to the causes dearest to the drafters’ hearts: abortion, gay marriage, and conscience clauses.

The document says:

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 antilife act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent.

The emphasis of the declaration is that these religious leaders will be “civilly disobedient” if required to participate in abortion or gay marriage.

One of the writers of the document is Chuck Colson, an evangelical prison minister who served time in prison for his role in the Watergate scandal. Regarding the content of the document, Colson said:

We argue that there is a hierarchy of issues. A lot of the younger evangelicals say they’re all alike. We’re hoping to educate them that these are the three most important issues. [Source]

“A hierarchy of issues,” where at the top stand abortion and gay marriage alone?

I am confident that Jesus would have disagreed. After all, who did he spend his time chilling with? Prostitutes. Whores. Tax collectors. For whom did he reserve his strongest words and condemnation? Those who caused harm to others. Those who neglected and abused other people. Religious hypocrites.

As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ.

A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.

Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order (1979), Chapter 2, #13

It seems to me that, based on my reading of the Gospels, and based on my Rule of life, that maybe abortion and gay marriage should not be at the top of any “hierarchy of sins,” but rather instead of a hierarchy, we should work for justice for the downtrodden, to “create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.” Of course this includes abortion, but does it also not include capital punishment, war, street violence, hunger, poverty, unemployment, underemployment, corporate exploitation, child trafficking, slavery, epidemics, lack of access to health care, and so many other issues that people worldwide face everyday? These are life issues. These are “family” issues.

Speaking of the Rule, tomorrow I will begin a new chapter in my living of it, as I will be permanently professed in the Secular Franciscan Order. It does seem like a bit of a “victory,” so how appropriate that the Profession will take place during a Mass of Christ the King.

I hope that the drafters of this “document” are sincere in their motivation (even if I believe them to be sincerely wrong). Tomorrow, I begin another step in my path to God, and they will continue on their path, as well. I found mine. I pray that you, too, will find yours.

[Source and source and source.]

Pax et  bonum.