that protecting human life, protecting marriage, and protecting freedom of conscience are foundational for creating and maintaining strong families, caring communities and a just society.
Christians of all denominations who subscribe to the historic Christian faith to sign the Westminster 2010 Declaration of Christian Conscience.
upon all parliamentary candidates to pledge that they will ‘respect, uphold and protect the right of Christians to hold and express Christian beliefs and act according to Christian conscience.
If you agree… sign up here!
In related news… in the spirit of Christian unity, prominent UK leader Steve Chalke under the banner of Faithworks has refused to sign up stating that social action is more important than Christian conscience (I paraphrase). So Faithworks have their own declaration which Steve Chalke will deliver personally, because he’s a greaser. Personally I think Chalke in this situation has been unhelpful, and generally a bit of an idiot. For a more helpful and measured response, please see Westminster 2010 Response.
Hmm, bit weird… Quoting selectively to form a response that could be made…
I “will not be signing the” Faithworks “Declaration, as it suggests that government should be chosen according to their responses to only” one issue – the value of charitable and social work done by church and Christian charities “– rather than the impact of the spectrum of their policies locally, nationally and internationally.” I “reject[] the implicit suggestion that a government who” supports Christian charitable work “is the government Christians should vote for without first examining their stance and policies regarding education, health care, welfare, poverty reduction, international development and the commitment of the local MP to the community he / she serves.”
I do think they have a good point though – that as Christians we can tend to pick a handful of “Christian” hot potatoes and vote on the basis of those only – as if matters of economics, poverty, welfare, international relations, justice, etc. were of no interest to Jesus.
hmm 180,000 children killed in the womb a year is definitely injustice that Jesus cares about.
If you vote for someone who agrees with this bloodshed, or even holds political positions that may see it increase, they do it working on your behalf.
Unfortunately there are not so many candidates who take the issue of life seriously.
some happy related quotes:
Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.
Numbers 35:33 ‘So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
Psalm 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
its good to pray for the government.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcqejqU96ZE
God calls each of us to different passions and therefore we must all engage with different issues.
It’s all about being the body of Christ. Can’t have a knee trying to do something a bum cheek should be doing.
Aaron – I quite agree, but that’s not what the Westminster 2010 declaration is about. It’s not about candidates opposing abortion, but it’s about candidates respecting the rights of Christians to express opposition to abortion (amongst other things).