Who we are - Why we stand
ABOUT
Missing in the world today is a significant virtue: the courage to do what is right. A little more than 200 years ago in Danbury, Connecticut, a group of pastors and leaders stood to resist the encroaching threat of tyranny and advocated for religious liberty. With a nod toward these early Americans, we stand committed to truth and virtue in a world that validates absurdity as normal and ridicules what 10 years ago was taken for granted.
This is who we are:
Faith
We are Christian. We adhere to the tenets of faith outlined in the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. We are trinitarian. We believe the Scripture is authoritative, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient for life and godliness—wholly true and trustworthy without any mixture of error. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to come to God the Father, and that through faith and repentance one is made new in Christ.
Life
Further, we believe that the greatest atrocity facing our generation today is the practice of abortion—child sacrifice on the altar of self. More than 60 million pre-born humans—each wonderfully made in the image of God—have been murdered on our watch. Abortion must be ended. We will not rest until it is eradicated entirely. We applaud and support every good effort, including pregnancy help centers, sonogram programs, and laws that restrict the practice and reduce the availability of abortions on demand. We are grateful to God and to the current slate of Supreme Court Justices for the successful overturning of Roe v. Wade. However, the battle is far from won. In many ways, it is only beginning. Without apology, we stand and speak for those who cannot stand and speak for themselves and advocate for equal protection under the law for every human being (Prov. 31:8).
We also know that standing for life continues beyond birth. We advocate for Christian adoption and fostering. We support and equip churches to minister well to the most vulnerable among us. We stand unequivocally against all attacks upon our children—including those seen through unbiblical ideologies such as Critical Race Theory, LGBTQ+ emphases, sex and slave trafficking, and rampant efforts to “trans” our youngest generation. We believe that God is the author of life and that he alone determines gender. Scripture makes clear that those who seek to harm our children would be better off with a millstone tied around their neck as they are plunged into the ocean (Mt. 18:6). Likewise, we give no protest to swift and serious penalties for every person found guilty in a due-process court of harming and preying upon innocent children.
Liberty
Finally, we believe that freedom of conscience is an inalienable right. Our conscience is not for sale. We stand for religious liberty—for the freedom of autonomous churches to practice their religion according to Scripture and their faith without interference. We stand for soul liberty. We are pro-democracy, and we defend our Republic and her Constitution. We support the good men and women of law enforcement and those who defend the nation in our armed forces. We are Capitalists. We affirm principles of small, limited government and American businesses based in entrepreneurship, ingenuity, creativity, and perseverance. We recognize that America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, on duty, and on morality. We believe that the solution to our concerns is not embracing totalitarianism, which strips away the rights of individuals and grants them to the state but is instead through doing the hard work of education, conversation, and a gospel witness—changing hearts and minds one at a time. Thomas Jefferson understood that principle. So do we.
We advocate for convictional statesmanship. Often, we hear laments that “it feels as if the adults have left the room.” Filling that vacuum of respectable leadership has been an influx of juvenile, unserious, unprepared people, full of passion but shallow in understanding and class. We are committed to raising up men and women of courage, conviction, resolve, and dignified strength.
We stand for law and order and fiscal responsibility. We stand with Israel—our nation’s greatest ally. We stand for truth.
Occasionally, we are asked if we are a think tank. We like to think and to think well about the challenges facing us currently, publishing resources with the goal of helping others to think well also and embrace opportunities for rigorous debate and discussion. However, thinking is not enough. We are committed to doing the things that make a real difference.
On Dec. 30, 1801, a preacher named John Leland delivered a letter from the leaders in Danbury to Thomas Jefferson. With the letter, he also brought a gigantic block of cheese. Yes, you read that correctly. Carved into the side of this cheese was the statement, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” To that, we say “amen.”
So, that is a bit about who we are, and indeed, we have plenty to do. Here is who we are not:
Simply put, we are not leftists. We are not progressives. We are not globalists. And we are not ashamed.
If this resonates with you, please join us on the battlefield of truth and virtue for the sake of our children, our churches, and our country.
Statement of Faith
Through these principles, The Danbury Institute is committed to influencing, informing, and inspiring within the framework of these foundational truths, as we seek to influence culture and public policy in a manner that honors God and upholds our cherished freedoms.
1. Scriptural Authority: We believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God, guiding our actions and beliefs (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:7-9; Psalm 119:160; John 17:17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
2. The Nature of God: We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a holy trinity (Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; John 14:16-17).
3. Creation and Humanity: We believe God created all things. He created humankind in His image, and endowed us with dignity and purpose (Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:27; Genesis 5:1-2; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9).
4. Institutions of Society: We believe God is the author of the institutions of marriage, family, government, and the church, and He oversees His creation with providential care (Hebrews 13:4; Romans 13:1; Acts 2:41-42).
5. The Person and Work of Christ: We believe in the deity and humanity of Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, sacrificial death for our sins, bodily resurrection, ascension, and His imminent return (John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:11).
6. The Role of the Holy Spirit: We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who convicts of sin and enables Christians to live godly lives (John 16:8; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Galatians 5:22-23).
7. Salvation: We believe all people are sinners and need salvation, which is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ, prompted by the Holy Spirit’s conviction (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
8. Sanctity of Life: We believe in the inherent dignity of all human life, from conception to natural death, as each individual person is made in God’s image (Psalm 139:13-16; Genesis 1:27).
9. Marriage and Sexuality: We believe marriage is a unique union between one man and one woman for life, and sexual intimacy is to be expressed only within this marital relationship (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4- 6; Ephesians 5:31; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5; Galatians 5:19-21).
10. Religious Liberty: We believe in the freedom of one’s conscience and the God-given right to religious liberty, where individuals can pursue truth and live out their faith within the bounds of ordered society, and the free practice of genuine religion without government infringement (Proverbs 14:13; Acts 5:29; Galatians 5:1; Micah 6:8).
11. Civic and Political Engagement: We believe that as Christians, we are called to engage responsibly in civic and political life, respecting authorities while advocating for truth according to biblical convictions (Proverbs 29:2; Jeremiah 29:7; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Micah 6:8).
12. The Return of Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, ushering in final judgment and the eternal state (Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:11-15).