By Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

It took a while—we're talking decades—but finally, some American religious leaders say they  are fed up.   A few days ago, a faith-based group including New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan issued a scathing indictment of secularism in the USA entitled "The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience."

The document, which includes input from protestants, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, basically says that Christian values are under siege in America and people of faith need to act aggressively to stem the tide.   The Declaration goes so far as to encourage civil disobedience and uses Dr. Martin Luther  King, Jr. as a model for that.

So why now? Why are some Christians leaders coming out of the sacristy at this point in time?

The Declaration gives a strong hint that abortion is the lead issue.   There is no question that the Obama administration and the media in general are ardently pro-choice... no surprise there.   But the fact that so many Democratic Congresspeople are supporting public funding for abortions as part of  health care reform has rocked the pro-life world.   The issue is simple: Should a country that values sincere conscience require taxpayers who believe abortion is murder to pay for the life ending procedure?   Obviously, millions of Americans say no.

The intensity of the debate is made crystal clear in the showdown between the Bishop of Rhode Island, Thomas Tobin, and Congressman Patrick Kennedy, the son of the late Ted Kennedy.  The bishop has ordered the congressman not to receive communion because of his support for abortion rights.  Kennedy, like many pro-choice Catholics, falls back on personal belief versus public policy.   He says that just because he takes a pro-choice position doesn't mean he personally approves of abortion.

The bishop is having none of it.

On my television program, Bishop Tobin said flat-out that Kennedy has a moral obligation as a Catholic to fight against abortion.   And if he doesn't, his soul is in danger of damnation. Words don't come stronger than that.  

So it is apparent that some religious leaders are engaging in high stakes rhetoric, including condemning homosexual marriage.   After abortion, gay nuptials dominate the Manhattan Declaration, and once again, the language is stark.  The tract states that the drive for same-sex and multiple partner marriage is diminishing "true" marriage. "Marriage is made possible by the sexual complementarity of man and woman... no one has a civil right to have a non-marital relationship treated as marriage."

The Christian manifesto concludes with a call to arms and, some believe, a direct arrow aimed at the Obama administration: "Unjust laws degrade human beings.  They lack any power to bind in conscience.  [Dr. Martin Luther] King's willingness to go to jail, rather than comply with legal injustice, was exemplary and inspiring."

So, with the stroke of a pen, the Christian writers have turned the tables on those who say gay marriage and unfettered abortion are civil rights and therefore should be constitutionally protected. Obviously, there is severe disagreement on that.

With polls showing that more than 80% of Americans believe in God, the question now becomes, will they rally behind the Manhattan Declaration?  So far, the secular media has given it little attention and that might well continue.  But even if the manifesto gets a full airing, are people of faith as upset as some of their leadership with secularism of America?

At this point, I simply don't know.