Conservative Christian groups unveiled a media campaign to oppose abortion rights and same-sex marriage with a full page ad in Sunday’s New York Times.
The “Declaration of Dependence” pledges reliance on God and the Bible and is modeled on the Declaration of Independence. It cites among the “unalienable rights,” the right to “exercise our Christian beliefs as put forth in God’s Holy Bible.”
“We . . . reserve to right to refuse any mandate by the government that forces us to fund or support abortion,” it says.
We also oppose same-sex marriage, polygamy, bestiality and all other forms of sexual perversion prohibited by Holy Scripture.
Declaration of Dependence
“We are asking for 1 million signatures,” said Karen Conrad, director of marketing for Andrew Wommack Ministries of Colorado Springs, which paid for the advertisement.
Among the original signers of the declaration are a number of well-known ministers such as David Barton, founder of WallBuilders of Aledo, Texas, Kenneth Copeland of Newark, Texas, Dr. Bob Nichols of Calvary Cathedral of Fort Worth and and Creflo Dollar of College Park, Georgia.
According to the website DependenceonGod.com, supporters have $500,000 committed for a newspaper and social media campaign.
Religious liberty has emerged as a call for conservatives to challenge laws or regulations that they feel are against their beliefs. Some Christians who offer services for weddings, such as bakers, have refused to do business with same-sex couples after the Supreme Court decision last year allowing gay marriage.
Asked if the push for religious liberty was aimed at a court case, Conrad said, “It’s probably more (aimed) at the elections than anything.”
Maria Recio: 202-383-6103, @maria_e_recio