Will the Mahattan Declaration ramp up the culture war? Are you willing to participate in civil disobedience?

No, there is no culture war! There are a tiny percentage of ultra right wing lunatics who call themselves christians who might support this, they always try to make it look like there is a larger movement than there really is, with little over 100,000 people supporting this that gives you an idea of how few people agree with this. 4 million people signed a petition for changing the way facebook works, I think this goes to show that people are interested in making friends these days not enemies.

We are in an age where learning about each others differences and learning about tolerance and acceptance rather than divisiveness. I believe in democracy, If you want change go vote! Everyone has the right to free speech however so sure let these people separate themselves out from the norm so we can see just who all the people are who constantly try to divide the US rather than bring people together.In a time where people with jobs are working 60 plus hours a week and the other 25% without adequate work are desperately trying to make ends meet I don't think many people have time for engaging in this kind of negativity.

The issues of homosexuality is a complete non-issue for anyone under 35 including most young Christians. Attacking people for something that we now know to have a major genetic component is like attacking people for their genetic predisposition to have brown skin. Most young people get this and are very confused why the old people in this country are so angry and so hateful.

They constantly teach intolerance. This is not the christianity of the bible this is the faux christianity of a small handful of uneducated old people who have a hard time keeping up with the latest science. This is not to say that there is apathy in the world today it is just that this is not something that calls for civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience happens when a country reaches a critical mass of tyrany. I don't think most people feel that our leaders are tyrants, in fact we have a system that kind of ensures that this doesn't happen. With a majority rule type of democracy we ensure that at least 51 percent of the people get what they voted for.

I would certainly be in the streets protesting if I felt my rights as a citizen were severely being oppressed. But a civil war over some a few people who have a hard time interpreting a 2000 year old book's applicaton to our modern society, why waste the energy, you're no tgoing to convert anyone through devisiveness and intollerance. This is 2009 not the Dark Ages, these people are a tiny fraction of society which help to keep us remembering where our roots are and why we should never go back to a time where the church decided who was a witch or who was a heretic or a hethan or a sinner.

Even though I am atheist I am reassured to know that at least now most Christians understand that little part of the bible about don't judge your neighbor and that God will do the judging in the end, the few that believe they have the power of judgement which is reserved for God are the true heretics. They truly believe they are God-men.

This right wing drivel appears to be a group of fundamentalist Christians attempting to unite to fight abortion rights, fight gay and lesbian marriage, and fight the separation of church and state. I will gladly engage in civil disobedience, if necessary, to fight against any furthering of their goals. Curiously enough, I was born in Manhattan.

You probably would be hard pressed to find a location where there is a smaller percentage of these right wingnuts. Mahattan regularly votes for liberal candidates in national elections.

I am a fan of civil disobedience but to sign this would not be civil at all. First to encourage any type of war is irresponsible. The refusal to obey the laws this declaration call into question has led to the deaths of people right here in the United States.(huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/31/george-til... Reference) I sincerely think you are overestimating the power of one document.As I am writing the answer there have been 107327 signatures to the online document and although everyone of those signature represents a person with a valid opinion and viewpoint on the topic, the line this movement/document walks is not one of civil disobedience it is one of disrespect and irresponsibility.

Although the 3 parts of this declaration are all a bit scary when properly decoded the 3rd one is the most fearsome as it will be interpreted as meaning the right to conscience means the right to enforce such conscience on the laws and people of this nation. That is not civilly disobedient it is starting a religious war.As we know those do not end.. they just keep killing, part of what this declaration is trying to protect. So if this declaration gets some wind in its sails it will "ramp up a culture war" but we (at least I) am not ready for this or any for of disobedience civil or not that encourages people continue the behavior of rejecting laws by violence and hate rather than by the ways designed in the constitution.

Elect different leaders if you want to change the law. Respectfully, Mr. Starnes you should know that.

To answer your 2 questions as directly and concisely as I can: 1) no 2) I think so, but not for that. I don't think that the so called URL1 declaration is worth anything, so it won't ramp up any culture war. It only has three statements, one of which seems to contradict the other two because the "right of conscience and religious liberty" seems to pertain only to christian-based religion and has nothing to do with MY conscience (as a believer in God).

As for whether I would be willing to participate in civil disobedience I answered with world histories in mind such as: The mahalo.com/american-revolution American colonies' civil disobedience which resulted in a new country. mahalo.com/mahatma-gandhi Gandhi's civil disobedience which resulted in a free country. The combined civil disobedience of the various republics which helped with the fall of the USSR.

If I felt it was right and true to my freedom and future, I hope I would have to strength to stand up and be heard. But not for this "declaration".

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.