The Frankfurt Declaration of Christian and Civil Liberties, a theological declaration from Germany, was published last month and has garnered over 4,800 signatures internationally.
The declaration includes an introduction, five articles, and a conclusion. The opening section says the declaration arose out of a need “to speak out against the abuse of power,” particularly during the “Covid crisis.”
The document establishes that “the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the personal Creator of all things” and is “the ultimate Lawgiver for all human conduct.” Human authorities have no right to “define morality and require unconditional obedience of their citizens when contrary to [God’s] law.”
The declaration affirms “science which seeks to discover, through the scientific method and debate, the truths that God has built into the natural world,” but rejects “the assertions of any so-called ‘scientific consensus’ which abandons the scientific method and ignores or suppresses the concerns of dissident voices.”
The statement affirms “that governments should recognize that each individual is responsible for their own bodily well-being and should protect the right to personal medical self-determination.” It states that “God has delegated authority to civil governments for the purpose of rewarding good and punishing evil, and to protect the God-given rights and freedoms granted to all people.” The statement also repudiates government actions “that impose coercive measures over the Church.”
The document rejects “totalitarianism and statism,” saying they are “built upon beliefs that have fundamentally redefined good and evil and the nature of human beings.”
During an Aug. 30 Alpha and Omega Ministries podcast episode, German Pastor Tobias Riemenschneider, one of the declaration’s framers, said the foundation of the declaration was the truth that God has “established an unchangeable morality which is rooted in his own character, and which applies to every man at all times, and he will judge according to that.”
Totalitarian governments promote the idea that the “state is the most powerful thing on earth” and “the state begins to think that it is God,” he said.
Initial signers of the declaration included Voddie Baucham, Joe Boot, James Coates, Jeff Durbin, James White, and Douglas Wilson.
Chris Hume is the managing editor of The Lancaster Patriot and host of The Lancaster Patriot Podcast. He can be reached at chris@thelancasterpatriot.com.
