Conservative Anglican blogger Cranmer has highlighted a new initiative – the Manhattan Declaration, of which he remarks, possibly somewhat tongue-in-cheek…

Perhaps, just perhaps, this declaration might one day be ranked with the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, or at least raise Manhattan to the equivalent historic significance to that of Boston.

We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence.

We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriage or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.

We recognize the duty to comply with laws whether we happen to like them or not, unless the laws are gravely unjust or require those subject to them to do something unjust or otherwise immoral.

And there’s the rub, what makes this declaration by 125 Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox leaders, which Cranmer describes as quite possibly the most formidable ecumenical gathering in US history, consisting, as it does, of eminences, graces, archbishops, bishops, reverends (most and right), professors, doctors, pastors, presidents, CEOs, deans, directors, founders, editors, not to mention a 'TV Host' and the 'National Facilitator of Spiritual Unity so depressing.

Step back, if you will for a moment, spiritually-liberal reader. Although it sometimes feels like a lifetime, it is not nearly a decade since 9/11, yet how the psyche of society seems to have changed. Religion – organised, orthodox religion – rose phoenix-like from the ashes of the Twin Towers, and not just militant Islam. The totalitarians of all faiths were given a fillip by that ultimate act of impotence and rage.

Writing in the Jerusalem Post Neo-Conservative Daniel Pipes recently referred to the rise of what he termed “Islamism 1.5”, which he defined as an unholy alliance of hard-line preachers acting within the law abetted by terrorists, who they would be of course careful to distance themselves from.

We recognize the duty to comply with laws whether we happen to like them or not, unless the laws are gravely unjust or require those subject to them to do something unjust or otherwise immoral.

The Declaration provides a green light to the abortion-clinic shooter.

It eggs on the homophobic killer; the gunman who recently murdered two at Knoxville Unitarian Universalist church and said he acted because he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement… he would then target those that had voted them into office.