A decision by Apple Inc. to remove an iPhone app called the Manhattan Declaration was the subject of intense debate in December.
The Manhattan Declaration is an authoritative statement initially signed by 148 signatories, all of them prominent Orthodox Christian, Catholic and Protestant religious leaders, affirming the sanctity of life, religious liberty and marriage (Bill Donohue was one of them). Released on November 20, 2009, it has since garnered upwards of a half-million signatories. Recently, Apple approved the Manhattan Declaration app, rating it 4+ (free from objectionable material). But then a petition drive by Change.org members resulted in Apple’s decision to remove the app; the complainants charged that it was “anti-gay” and “anti-choice.”
There is nothing anti-gay about affirming the traditional understanding of marriage. Moreover, while anyone is free to disagree with these positions, to slap the label of bigotry on this statement is as absurd as it is offensive. Indeed, it is an insult to millions of Americans who share its sentiments.
