By Dr. Niel Nielson, President, Covenant College

Editor’s Note: Dr. Nielson was one of the original signers of the Manhattan Declaration and submitted the following statement at the request of The Aquila Report.

I was pleased to sign the Manhattan Declaration for four principal reasons:

1. The convictions and commitments articulated in the Declaration (regarding the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty) are clearly grounded in the Scriptures, fully consistent with the Westminster Standards, and increasingly necessary for God’s people to live out, no matter what the cost.

2. Our witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ is strengthened, not weakened, when Christians accurately and graciously lay out the implications of our biblical faith.

3. I carry a joyful burden to witness to, and be a faithful steward of, these truths for the sake of the rising generations whom we serve at Covenant College, so that they might be equipped for the challenges they will face in the decades ahead.

4. I am willing to make common cause in these matters with others with whom I continue to have deep theological differences, for the sake of the well-being of God’s church and the continuing work and ministry of Covenant College.