Signing Onto a Pack of Lies

The Manhattan Declaration brings what it calls Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Christians together, as the Church, to stand against various modern social evils.

The language that saturates the document includes non-Christians and anti-christian religious institutions, such as the Roman Catholic system, as if they are Christian and as if they are Christ's Church.

But a true Christian trusts Christ's Gospel, and true churches are congregations of true Christians.

To embrace the sociological, ecumenical and quasi-political usage of the words "Christian" and "church" is to confuse their true meaning, and to give support and comfort to their preaching of a false gospel that cannot save.

For the Roman Catholic system is not a true church, and its false gospel does not save. Yet the Manhattan Declaration falsely declares the Roman Catholic system part of Christ's Church and its adherents true Christians.

Thus, at its core, the Declaration embraces and promotes a lie - for it calls non-Christians Christians.

True Christians ought not to sign onto such lies, because God demands that we deal always in truth.

Indeed, dozens of leaders of the Roman Catholic system are included as "Christians," but because they preach a false gospel, God's Word declares them to be accursed as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Even in Christ's day, religious folk hated to be told they were not right with God. Just because a person has an outward show of good works doesn't make him a Christian.

It is good to stand against injustice and oppression, but the Lord's Table reminds us that at Calvary, Christ wrought our salvation in spite of lies, mob rule, and murder.