Manhattan Declaration: We Should Focus On Voters With Shallow Commitments

“Here’s what we must not do: sacrifice our principles. Better to lose a
thousand elections than win in sycophantic appeals to the lowest common
denominator. Christians, at least, can rely on the long view of God’s
redemptive story. We have already read the final page of human history;
we know how the story ends. How utterly meaningless is the next election
cycle viewed from this perspective?

“Until that final chapter comes to pass, the responsibility is ours to
be active in the present. And since we aren’t about to gain a slew of
celebrity endorsements, we have to make ourselves and our ideas as
attractive to the ‘persuadables’ as possible. Forget beating the
entrenched opposition. When we debate in the public square and in social
media, our goal should be to win those silent observers whose
commitments are shallow and subject to change.

“This week, the Supreme Court will issue decisions in two cases
involving the meaning and purpose of marriage. Whatever the results, our
work to rebuild a culture of marriage and family will continue.
Restoration will require that we better brand ourselves and make our
case more attractive.” – Manhattan Declaration head Eric Teetsel, writing for the Witherspoon Institute.