While two wars are being waged, with unemployment in double digits, the financial system of the world in suspense, these religious leaders declare that abortion, stem-cell use and same sex marriage override any other Gospel value. (You won’t find Jesus saying anything about abortion or stem cells in the Gospel, but the Savior said a great deal about the homeless, the sick, and the hungry.) It’s cheating to speak pious platitudes about Christianity and ignore Jesus’ words.

–Professor Anthony Stevens-Arroyo in his “On Faith” column at the Washington Post, attacking the authors and signers of the Manhattan Declaration for taking a stand against abortion and embryonic stem cell research rather than having other ethical priorities, and in the process implicitly undermining the basis for opposing nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; taking action on climate change; advocating government-financed health care (or much of anything else); supporting public education; exploring space; opposing capital punishment; condemning pedophilia; or formulating Christian ethical judgments or political opinions on anything not explicitly mentioned by Jesus