From Christian Research Network: Jim Daly (Focus on the Family) Reveals the Foundation of His Faith – and it Ain’t What You Might Think
In an email praising The Manhattan Declaration (an issue that currently has Christians on both sides, but NONE that I know would agree with this), Jim Daly, President and CEO of Focus on the Family wrote:
It is important, first off, to note that the Manhattan Declaration is not a partisan or political statement…Instead, it addresses and elevates four specific areas of universal consensus. Some have referred to these as “threshold issues,” meaning they represent the foundation of our faith and the pivot point from which everything else flows. This is the bedrock. If we can’t agree on these areas of doctrine, everything else will be of reduced value. (emphasis added)
These four areas are:
1. The sanctity of human life.
2. The sanctity of marriage.
3. The protection of religious liberty.
4. The rejection of unjust laws.
Daly refers to these as “baseline principles” of the Christian faith. Now, there are intramural debates over which is the foundation of our faith, Christ or Scripture, God or His Word, etc., but Daly opts for neither and instead claims 1-4 above.
I’ve offered my blog, biblicalthought.com, as a place to discuss the Manhattan Declaration. There you will also find more discussion of Daly’s email in the thread: Discussing the Manhattan Declaration
I truly hope one of the evangelical Manhattan Declaration signatories step up and correct (or rebuke) Mr. Daly, warning him of the radical implications of his claims as head of one of the largest, most influential, worldwide evangelical organizations. I don’t think even the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox signatories would agree with such a wild claim.
I find it coming from a drastically confused understanding of the Christian faith when it is said that 1-4 above represent the foundation of our faith. The same confusion of the faith that selects ecumenism as the answer to secularism also breeds odd claims such as “They are the pivot point from which everything else flows; the Bedrock” One cannot help but wonder where “Christian leaders” get strange ideas like this that are so foreign to God’s Word, but it is obvious that a faith grounded in these things cannot withstand being shaken by the floods. Scripture, the Word of God, is the only foundation of our faith, not four randomly disconnected political issues . (Discussing the Manhattan Declaration, Stephen Macasil)
The Manhattan Declaration and its supporters have removed their houses off of the true Foundation on which Biblical Christianity is built and are building on a faulty foundation constructed upon (4) issues: human life, marriage, religious liberty, and the rejection of what they believe to be unjust laws.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:46-49)
True Biblical Christianity is built upon Christ. Jesus and the Word are our foundation, as are the teachings “of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone” -
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2: 19-21)
To believe anything else is not Christianity.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Col 2:8- 10)
Again I’ll say, this Document is political.
"If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness."
That’s disgusting.
The baseline of Christianity isn’t supposed to be ANTI anything. You’re right … this is nothing but politics.
I can find Muslims and non bible believing Christians who agree with reason #1-4. How will Mr Daly classify them if they agree with those 4 reasons?
From what i’ve read some people are upset that Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses were excluded. They agree with all 4! ahaha…
As far as non-believers, they’ve already been invited to sign the document.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too Yemi.
Here is something strange. This is a quote from Jim Daly on the Manhattan Declaration. It is from Christianity Today: “Focus on the Family President Jim Daly saw the document as a religious as much as political document. “What this declaration is saying,” Daly said, “is if you want a fulfilling, rewarding, joyful, peaceful life, then embrace Jesus Christ as your Savior.”
So I can’t help but wonder if his other quote about it may have been misunderstood? The two certainly do not jibe with each other.
I can’t say that I read what he is saying in this quote in the Declaration either, but it certainly contradicts the take on his other statement in the article above.
Here is the link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/novemberweb-only/147-21.0.html?start=2
It is from a newsletter he sent out to subscribers. Its not been misunderstood…
Mr. Daly is indeed preaching a different gospel. I’ll keep my faith on a foundation which can’t be shaken even when politics fail.
Stephen Macasil has now provided a link where the entire email circular from Jim Daly can be viewed:
http://links.mail-family.org/servlet/MailView?ms=Mjc5MjQwMwS2&r=NjY0ODgyMzAxMQS2&j=ODAwOTUwNDkS1&mt=1&rt=0
It’s clear that the earlier section which was quoted was not taken out of context. If anything, it almost gets worse from there. Daly continues,
“We have been committed to these baseline principles since Dr. Dobson founded Focus on the Family in 1977. Our conviction on these matters runs deep; motivating our movement has always been the heartfelt belief that these principles are not ours, but the Lord’s, and that they promise to help and heal a broken world…it is a prescription for cultural change.”
Funny, I always thought that this broken world was in need of the gospel…
It sure is another gospel Adam…
Amen, me too.
All of this other stuff will eventually fail.
Jesus and the gospel are the only answer to real change.
I just finished posting an article written by Kato Mivule (Uganda’s President Named in Washington DC Cult, “The Family”) if you get a chance look it over–especially the three basic beliefs of dominionism.
This is what you see in Daly’s statements, dominionist/kingdom now theology. A belief that the church can (and must!) “fix” immorality through law and government. They believe this can be done without Jesus or/and the Gospel.
And they call it “the foundation of our faith and the pivot point from which everything else flows”
[...] HT [...]
Adam,
I hope I can adequately put into words what I am thinking here.
I most certainly agree with you that the Gospel, repenting of sin and believing in and receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord and living from that relationship, is the ultimate need of the people of this world for time and eternity both.
However, there is an aspect of things here that I disagree with you on. I have seen “up close and personal” in our own family the tragic results when folks that haven’t accepted that Gospel totally ignore God’s ways for living life, particularly when it comes to sexual issues and marriage. Premarital sex, living with someone you are not married to, and marriage with adultery and subsequent divorce have all had a heavy cost in our family. This is true not only for the adults involved, it is also tragically true for the children that are emotionally very wounded when this happens. And there is a ripple effect that carries on and on into future generations. And it is not only extremely painful and causes many problems for the adults and children directly involved, it causes great pain for the extended families of these folks as well. And in the end, society as a whole pays a large price when families break down. Now these may not be the same specific issues addressed in the Manhattan Declaration, but I think they serve as a good example of the painand destruction caused when people don’t live according to God’s way. And the reasoning for not speaking out against the issues dealt with in the Manhattan Declaration and the reasons for not speaking out against these things by Christian groups would be the same.
Therefore, my question has to be: Why is it wrong as Christians to point out the terrible consequences of actions that go against God’s laws? To just let people go blindly ahead and do these things without folks speaking up and saying, “Wait, you don’t know it. But you are about to jump off a cliff here and there will be terrible consequences,” seems very irresponsible and unloving to me. Would we let someone jump off a literal cliff and not say anything with the reasoning that what the person really needs is the Gospel and to tell them anything else if futile? I don’t think so.
So, while I certainly agree that the Gospel is the ultimate need of all people, I can also agree that there is definitely a healing aspect that would take place in people, families, and society as a whole if God’s laws were followed.
If people choose to listen to the Gospel message or choose to believe that there are dire consequences involved if they live contrary to God’s laws, is of course a choice every individual has to make for themselves. However, in a society like ours today when the secular media and secular institutions out there are telling people, particularly our young people, that they are free to live as they please, does not someone need to stand up and say, “That is a lie. There are terrible consequences to pay if you do?” And who else is going to do it if not the Christians that understand this fact?
What you are proposing is that all people–saved and lost alike, follow God’s laws. That’s dominionist theology Cherylu.
First, we (those who are in Christ) are under grace, not the law.
Jesus came to fulfill the law:
Does this mean we should willingly sin?
God’s law is written upon the hearts of all believers;
In other words, the desire to live by God’s statutes comes after we are born again and are abiding in Christ.
To expect those outside of Christ (the lost) to live by God’s precepts is illogical and impossible for are blind.
This is why only Jesus and the Gospel will bring about moral change within a person, society etc.
We can say it–but will they listen when they are still abiding in the kingdom of darkness?
What they really need is to hear the gospel preached and/or presented to them. That’s our job and duty as followers of Christ, as long as we are on this earth.
May we see that only true change comes by the power of God and not by the works of the flesh or the wisdom of men (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Change only comes through the cross of Jesus Christ (John 3:3-7) and by His blood shed for our sins (Matthew 26:28).
Cherylu,
I echo what PJ said. I don’t think I could have said it any better.
Thanks, PJ.
PJ,
It seems to me that if your argument is taken to it’s logical conclusion, you should never tell a child or grandchild that there is any right or wrong and the choices they make, if wrong, can have devastating consequences. All we should do is tell them the Gospel and wait for them to come to the Lord so they will automatically want to do what is right. Until then, we should just not expect them to do anything right! But we are told to train them up in the way they should go.
The fact is, some people that are not Christians DO make the choice to not live in a damaging lifestyle if they realize it has dire consequences for themselves and for those around them. I think that the only way your argument would prove to be true would be if a non Christian never could or would make any other choice than the wrong one. And we know that is not the case. There are many non Christians out there that are living quite moral life styles.
The Bible tells us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Is it loving to see him set out on a course that we know will bring pain and destruction to himself and others and not to warn him of the consequences? Of course we should give him the Gospel, no arguments there. But is that the only thing love requires us to do?
I don’t think this is dominion theology either. To tell people that their actions have consequences and to let them make their own choices is not dominionism, is it? God’s laws regarding marriage, etc. were made for our benefit and to ignore them is done at our own risk if we are Christians or non Christians.
The last paragraph of the MD is
We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is Gods.
This has prompted me to read again this in the scripture and to examine it. I noticed that Jesus rebuked them and called them hypocrites for even asking the question because it was a trick question and he knew it was.
It comes up again in Luke 23:
….the whole assembly .. began to accuse .. we have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be the Christ,a king…
It it interesting to note Jesus reaction to this. He answers the question are you the king of the jews with Yes but to every other question/accusation he remains silent.
This is very different to the MD which states:
We pledge to each other and to our fellow believers, that no power of earth, be it cultural or political will intimidate us into silence or acqueiscence.
In my view the world won’t be changed by a group of people signing a declaration or at least it won’t be changed in the way that Jesus would have it changed.