The Evangelical Manifesto released a week or so ago has generated several denunciations, including my own.
Briefly, while the document seemed innocuous enough on the surface, it's implications and logical end really cannot amount to anything other than a call for the surrender of commitment to Biblical values and a Christian retreat from the public square.
When I read the list of signers and wrote about it, I noted that there were at least a few names I was surprised to see on the list:
While I know that some of the people involved with this manifesto are liberals, I know that at least a couple of the signers are solidly loyal to the Bible, so I don't think it can be said that supporters (at least not all of them) just want to undermine Christian values in the public square.
A handful of the people listed as signers were people I knew weren't compromisers of Biblical truth and weren't the kind to shrink from engaging the culture, so I was a little puzzled to see them there.
Today OneNewsNow reports that one of those names I was surprised by, Dr. Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, actually didn't endorse the manifesto.
Dave Eppling, Caner's chief of staff, says Dr. Caner was consulted about the document but never gave an endorsement.
"How [the endorsement] it occurred, we really don't know," Eppling admits. "At best case, it was an oversight on the folks who drafted the Manifesto; at worst case they were trying to get his name to garner attention to the Manifesto -- and scripture warns us about attributing motive, so I cannot say one way or the other. But Dr. Caner is very, very disappointed that his name was attached to this."
Dr. Caner spoke at my church a couple of years ago. I was impressed by his Biblical scholarship and passion for the faith. As a former Muslim and convert to Christianity, he has an extraordinary insight on different worldviews, and the battle for truth over error in the public square.
Dr. Caner has issued a clear statement on the Seminary website stating his disagreement with many of the positions of the manifesto.
Here are a few excerpts:
Further, reading the document sounds like an extended apology, and I do not apologize for the stance we have taken for decades: evangelicals are unapologetically and unabashedly pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-prayer. We believe that Christianity has been pushed out of the public square, and I do not believe such a “manifesto” will accomplish the aim of bringing prayer back in schools or rescuing the unborn.
We are not “owned” by any political party, but we will stand with and for candidates that are for our values, and against those values that we see as unbiblical, such as homosexuality and abortion.
Popularity is not the goal of an evangelical; Converted souls in heaven are the ultimate goal. You do not change a culture by surrender.
Dr. Caner asks this of the authors of the manifesto:
I shall continue to stand in the public square, without apology. I ask that my name be STRICKEN from the charter list of the Evangelical Manifesto. This is NOT a movement with which I am comfortable.
I checked the signers page again today and found that they had removed his name.
I didn't catch Jerry Falwell's name on the signers list the first time I read it a couple of weeks ago, but the OneNewsNow article says he was originally listed as a signer, but his name is now gone, too.
There are still a couple of names on the signers page that surprise me somewhat, but who knows: maybe we'll see those names disappear, too.
2 comments:
We can compare social responsibility all day long, but here's the rub: There is NO mention in either the Manifesto or the Study Guide of what the Bible says about: where faith in Christ comes from (Ro 10:17; Eph 2:8-9); the cost of discipleship (2Co 5:15; Mt 16:24); the expectations of the fruit of the spirit in changing personal behavior as expressed as the process of sanctification (2 Pe 1:5-12); that all of the law is found in loving God and your neighbor (De 6:5; Lev 19:18; Mt 22:39-40); the definitions of loving God and neighbor (Jn 4:24; Mt 25:34-46; Mt 5:43-47; Lk 10:36-37; cf. Ja 1:22; Ro 2:13; Mt 7:12); the personal relationship that Christ desires (Mt 12:50; Jn 14:15, 21, 15:15; Ga 4:15); and the several expressions of spiritual disciplines that help Christians spend time with Christ in order to build a relationship with Him: confess faith in Christ: Ro 10:9-10; confess sins: 1Jn 1:8-10; repent of sins: Lk 15:7, Jn 9:31; Ps 66:18; Pr 15:29); one-time baptism: Mat 28:19-20; the Lord's Supper: 1Co 11:24-26; prayer: Php 4:6; reading the Bible: De 17:19; studying the Bible: Deu 6:6-7; 2Ti 2:15; thanksgiving and praise: Ps 100:4; worship: Jn 4:23-24; tithing: Lk 11:42; give alms: Lk 12:33-34; personal sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God: 2Co 5:15; serving others: 1Pe 4:10; fasting: Mat 6:16-18. // Every Christian in the world has a responsibility to personally incorporate in his or her own personal, interpersonal, and social life, practical application of the Word of God. Sadly, the "manifesto" certainly doesn't point out where to find the answer to their question.
Bob...
I enjoyed finding your article(s) as I was updating the several we've now posted at IndyChristian.com. [I'm guessing you'd find some additional lines of thought among them, if interested.]
We've now featured your post there at IndyChristian.com, and have tagged your articles for inclusion in the growing list of significant pieces on the topic.
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I also greatly enjoyed seeing a comment by 'Dr. Theo' and following his link to bio. Hope to be in touch with him soon as a result of YOUR handiwork. Thank you.
Neil Cox
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