From The Church Times-
THINK about the larger picture, the Archbishop of Canterbury urged Christians in his Easter sermon: the Church’s continuing contribution to tackling human problems no one else was prepared to take on was “one of the great untold stories of our time”.
Dr Williams’s measured defence of Christianity against “wooden-headed bureaucratic silliness” contrasted with the Westminster 2010 Declara tion, released at the weekend, which took its structure and tone from a conservative US document.
Issued at the start of the General Election campaign, the Westminster Declaration speaks of a refusal to “submit” to a perceived attack on human life, marriage, and freedom of conscience: “We will not be intimidated by any cultural or political power into silence or acquiescence,” say signatories from a number of conservative Christian organisations, the first of whom is Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canter bury.
The document echoes almost word for word the Manhattan Dec laration signed, in November 2009, by conservative church leaders in the US, who wanted to signal to the Obama administration that they were a force to be reckoned with over issues such as abortion, stem-cell re search, and gay marriage (News, 27 November).
In contrast, Dr Williams, speaking in the context of wrangles over the display of religious symbols, warned of “overheated language”, and reminded Christians in the UK of the physical persecution suf fered by Christian minorities in countries such as Nigeria, Iraq, southern Su dan, the Holy Land, and Zimbabwe.
More here-
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=92576
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