The RADEN Report                         November 16, 2000

Rome And Daughters Ecumenical News

"A Christian Declaration on Marriage"

 
(National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference 11/14/00)
"WASHINGTON (November 14, 2000) -- An unprecedented gathering of religious leaders will voice their concerns about marriage and divorce in American society in a first of its kind ‘A Christian Declaration on Marriage.’ Bishop Kevin Mannoia, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, convened the task force that drafted the document. The task force also includes the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention, and the National Council of Churches. Bishop Mannoia began the initial discussions by posing this question: ‘Is the rising divorce rate in America something about which we have common concern and can address together as Christians?’ " (emphasis added) (http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/2000/00-277.htm)
 
(Religion Today News 11/14/00)
"Mainline Protestants, evangelicals, and Catholics agree that marriage is in trouble and that churches can help fix the problem. Leaders who haven't been known for agreeing on much else are announcing today the signing of a "Christian Declaration on Marriage." It was drawn up by representatives from the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention, and National Council of Churches."
 
(Charisma News Service 11/15/00)
"National Christian leaders united yesterday to defend the sanctity of marriage. Catholics, Southern Baptists and other evangelicals put aside traditional differences to make ‘A Christian Declaration on Marriage’ that urges churches to better prepare couples for married life.

"The joint statement, engineered by National Association of Evangelicals President Kevin Mannoia, was released on the second day of the annual U.S. Roman Catholic bishops' conference."
 
(Baptist Press 11/15/00)
"The declaration is the first step in a process that calls for faith groups to work across divisions to strengthen marriage and is expected to result in a marriage summit for church leaders...."

The document with signatories may be viewed at http://www.nae.net/2000/marriage01.html.

Of course, no one wants to be critical of a statement on the sanctity of marriage. The statement is itself good, BUT there is always a danger to be considered when leaders of various religious groups issue any document that declares they can speak together as "Christians." This gives the impression that each person and each group represented is accepted by all as genuinely "Christian."

Among the signatories of this document are representatives of organizations which include participating sacramentalistic, liberal, and apostate groups. Rather than there being any biblical foundation for such joint public statements regarding a matter that is inherently spiritual in nature, the Scriptures ask, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed (Amos 3:3)?"

Encouraging Christians in Corinth not to join together with those who were promoting false doctrines, Paul warned, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God."

The issue here is not whether the individual signatories of "A Christian Declaration on Marriage" are genuine Christians or not... the issue is that while endorsing this document they are said to represent the organizations that they work for in producing a "Christian Declaration." Their signatures appear directly over the names of the organizations they represent.

Today there seems to be no end to the proliferation of official-sounding interdenominational documents. Documents jointly issued by evangelical leaders, representatives of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and other non-evangelical leaders are often used to lend credibility to the false idea that evangelicals and sacramentalists have a common faith. Thus, regardless of the good motives of participants, documents such as these often become vehicles for promoting a unity that biblically does not and can not exist.

It is certainly misleading for evangelical leaders to join together with unbelievers to issue a document entitled "A Christian Declaration on Marriage". For instance, the National Council of Churches includes some denominations that maintain the ordinations of homosexuals, and Roman Catholicism officially teaches that marriage is a sacrament, a religious work which confers grace to the individual through the mediation of a priest. Evangelicals have historically resisted even the appearance of lending credibility to such perversions of biblical truth.

Obviously, evangelical leaders should do all they can to support the sanctity of marriage and present a biblical apologetic, but in doing so they should be careful not to provide an opportunity for the acceptance of a "Christianity" that includes those who promote abhorrent doctrines.

From this grassroots Southern Baptist’s viewpoint... We Southern Baptists have said as a body what we believe the Bible teaches about the sanctity of marriage. While affirming God’s love for the sinner, we have clearly stated that we agree with the Bible regarding the sin of homosexuality. So, why do we need all these additional documents produced in conjunction with other groups? On occasion, such interdenominational documents, endorsed by SBC executives but not approved by Southern Baptists as a whole, have proven to be very divisive. (Heretical ECT documents endorsed by SBC leaders provide a pointed example as to the danger of such joint statements.)

Personally, I think our approved Baptist Faith and Message statement is Biblical and adequate. And I think that we ought to require that our agencies and leaders stay within its wise boundaries regarding cooperative involvement with other groups, or even the appearance of such cooperation.

The Baptist Faith and Message statement, Article XIV. Cooperation, states,

"Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament."

The end to be attained by "A Christian Declaration on Marriage" is itself justified, but it’s flaw is that it lends itself to a compromise of God’s Word. How? ...With signatories representing both evangelical and sacramentalist groups as "Christians," this otherwise good document indirectly but effectively promotes an unbiblical inclusiveness... As culturally impolite as the truth is, those who hold to a sacramental faith can not be considered true Christians, and we should be most careful NOT to affirm them in their false beliefs, not even indirectly, not in any way!

There is an indication of sensitivity to this issue of an unbiblical inclusiveness by the use of the word "Christian" in the document’s title. In the press release regarding Dr. Richard Land’s endorsement of this document, Dr. Land changes the title to "A Biblical Declaration on Marriage." (http://www.erlc.com/forfaithfamily.htm) Of course, this is much more accurate in the sense of the content of the declaration. Even so, while the declaration itself certainly conforms to Scripture, it does seem that the Bible still asks the question of those who publicly signed it, "What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" and "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

This is nothing new brethren... Just another little ecumenical vehicle, sugar-coated, cleverly disguised, and associated with the otherwise legitimate promotion of morality.

The RADEN Report is a news and commentary service purposed to inform and educate the body of Christ regarding the dangers of ecumenism. For our purposes, ecumenism is defined as cooperative ventures of an evangelistic nature with individuals and/or groups which promote errant doctrine. Much of the New Testament was written to oppose the false doctrines of men who claimed to be Christian teachers, yet were bringing in "destructive heresies." According to Jude we are to "earnestly contend for the Faith that was once for all delivered unto the saints." This we aim to do and to encourage others in this part of God's work. If we can be of assistance to you in this way, please let us know. Additional copies (hard-copy) of RADEN are available, as well as other resources. Why not pass RADEN on to a friend? If you would like to read the ECT document, click here.  We also have the ECT put together into booklets, if you would like for us to send you one or more, request it by email.   Please include your home address and how many you would like.

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