Reasonable Christian: A Response to Chuck Colson's "Doctrinal Boot Camp"

In this article Charlie Ray draws attention to the reason that Reformed Christians like himself reject the Manhattan Declaration has nothing to do with an aversion to doctrine. Rather it is a concern for doctrine.

I almost choked on my coffee when I read that line. Colson thinks that an "aversion" to doctrine caused folks like me not to sign the Manhattan Declaration? I thought to myself, "Chuck, you have GOT to be kidding me????" It is NOT an aversion to doctrine that caused many Reformed folks not to agree with the Manhattan Declaration. In fact it was a CONCERN FOR DOCTRINE that caused us not to sign on the dotted line. Why? Because the Manhattan Declaration, like the other ecumenical documents endorsed by Colson, says that Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthdox believe the same Gospel that Protestants believe. That could not be further from the truth. The fact is the anathemas of the 16th century canons of the Council of Trent and those canons still condemn Protestants. To assume that Roman Catholics and other churches which teach faith plus good works as the basis for justification and salvation are "Christian" is to set naive people up to be deceived.

One Presbyterian Church in America pastor recently told me that all that is necessary for salvation is that a church adheres to the three ecumenical creeds. (See, How Far Has the PCA Fallen?) I guess that means that you don't need to believe that Scripture is the final authority? Church tradition is an additional revelation alongside Scripture and you had better believe what the modern day apostles of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthdoxy tell you else you're violating God's Word revealed to them?

What exactly does the Manhattan Declaration say which is objectionable to born again and Reformed Christians? Let me show you....

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