Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) is a bilateral ecumenical initiative dedicated to discussing theological and cultural topics. We are Christian believers who hold diverse views on many issues. At the same time, we speak with one voice on matters of grave significance for contemporary society. We know that “righteousness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34). We think, therefore, that our public life should be ordered by the great moral truths found in the Scriptures, in the traditions of our civilization and of our nation, as well as in reasonable thought.
To foster the proper ordering of life in the public square, Evangelicals and Catholics Together has issued statements on the crucial moral issues of our day. We continue to profess the truths found in these statements, truths which are more important than ever given the political and cultural confusion which exists in North America.
In our statement “That They May Have Life,” we call upon political leaders—and especially those who claim to be Christian—to overturn the abortion regime and to stand in defense of human life at every stage of development. We wrote at the time—and we reaffirm today: “As Christians, we are informed, inspired, and sustained by our faith in a commitment to a culture of life, which includes the protection and care of the unborn, the severely disabled, the dependent elderly, and the dying.” This is simply to acknowledge our responsibility to uphold the sanctity of human life, including life at its most vulnerable.
In our statement “In Defense of Religious Freedom,” we insist that the “free exercise” of religion enshrined in the Constitution of the United States cannot be abridged. We called on public officials then—and we reaffirm today: In every area of life, whether it is a matter of health care, employment, or any other aspect of our common life, public officials—especially those who claim to be Christian—must work vigilantly to ensure that freedom of conscience and belief are protected in speech and in the workplace.
In our statement “The Two Shall Become One Flesh,” we call upon public officials—and especially those who claim to be Christian—to resist the political and social coercion that seeks to erase the difference between men and women. We supported then, as we do today, the institution of marriage as a lifelong conjugal and covenantal union of one man and one woman for the flourishing of children and family life.
We entreat our nation’s public officials to respect the moral law both in their private lives and in their public offices. We entreat them to recognize that religiously informed moral convictions have every right to be heard in the public square. We entreat them to protect life in all its forms, including the elderly and the unborn. We entreat them to defend religious liberty, at a time when religious practice and belief are increasingly under attack. We entreat them to uphold the truth about marriage and human sexuality. And we entreat them to hold ever in mind the words of Jesus Christ who asked, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his soul?”
endorsed by members of evangelicals and catholics together:
Bruce Riley Ashford
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Hans Boersma
Nashotah House Theological Seminary
Dale Coulter
Pentecostal Theological Seminary
Eduardo J. Echeverria
Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit
Joel C. Elowsky
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri
Douglas Farrow
McGill University
Angela Franks
St. John’s Seminary, Boston
Timothy George
Beeson Divinity School
Thomas G. Guarino
Seton Hall University
James F. Keating
Providence College
Peter J. Leithart
Theopolis Institute
Matthew Levering
Mundelein Seminary
James Massa
Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn
Gerald R. McDermott
Charlottesville, Virginia
Peter Mommsen
Plough Quarterly
Jessica M. Murdoch
Villanova University
Charles Raith II
Mercy Health Care
R. R. Reno
First Things
Laura A. Smit
Calvin University
John Stonestreet
Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Kevin J. Vanhoozer
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
George Weigel
Ethics and Public Policy Center
Robert Louis Wilken
Washington, D.C.
John Woodbridge
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Evangelicals and Catholics Together is an ecumenical group founded in 1994 by Richard John Neuhaus and Chuck Colson.
Photo by Cezary p via Creative Commons. Image cropped.
First Things depends on its subscribers and supporters. Join the conversation and make a contribution today.
Click here to make a donation.
Click here to subscribe to First Things.
