When Leaders of the U.S. Council of Churches and of George W. Bush's own United Methodist Church were not allowed to address the President in person in the lead up to the war, they had to spend good money to address the following advice to him in a full page New York Times ad:
[ Here's the PDF version. ]
George W. Bush had no use for the advice of all of the church leaders who signed the statement above or those cited below.
When Bob Woodward, the Washington Post writer, asked Bush if he
ever sought the advice of his father, President George H.W. Bush, the younger Bush replied, "There's a higher father I look to." It now appears that his own father, who had led America into the first war with Saddam, didn't think it was a good idea for his son to do it again. But God the Father, if you believe George W., was telling him the very opposite of what he was telling most every one else outside of G. W. B.'s inner circle.
January 4, 2002
Bush = (Christian) "Layman of the year" ?
An ultra-Conservative United Methodist "renewal group" has named President Bush denomination's "Layman of the Year".
Even though some bishops and other officials in the church have
criticized the war on terrorism, the head of "Good News Magazine", James Heidinger, says Bush, "represents the mainstream of United Methodism and indeed historic Christianity in a way that many denominational leaders do not." "Good News" is part of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a movement financed by wealth Conservative interests to urge Conservatives Christians to fight against Liberal policies and leaders in mainline denominations.
The National Council of Churches, which represents the country's Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and 32 other denominations, has, against all tradition, been brushed aside by this President, while evangelicals have enjoyed unparalleled access.
"Bush has shown an ideological commitment to the literalist Christian tradition at the expense of the broader view of the larger religious community,"
National Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Bob Edgar told Salon.com, which is just a nice way of saying that the girl next door has been dumped for Tammy Faye Baker.
"He is the first president not to meet with the leadership of mainline Christian traditions since George Washington.
We've been able to talk with the prime minister of Britain and the chancellor of Germany, but not our own president."
The Reverend Fritz Ritsch also questioned this historic snub:
"I trust God speaks through me," George Bush reportedly told a gathering in Lancaster, PA.
"The president apparently believes that he can talk about theology from the bully pulpit without talking to theologians," Ritsch wrote in the Washington Post. "Which begs the question: When did the president become theologian in chief?"
Published on Thursday, February 20, 2003 by the lndependent/UK
Archbishops Question Blair's Claim
to 'Moral Legitimacy' of Invasion of Iraq
by Andrew Clennell
The leaders of Britain's two main Christian churches united against Tony Blair this morning, expressing doubts about the moral legitimacy of invading Iraq. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cormac Murphy O'Connor, released a statement at midnight that also warned of the "unpredictable humanitarian and political consequences of war". The attack on the "moral legitimacy of war" came after Saturday's speech by the Prime Minister in the lead-up to Britain's biggest protest, in which he made a "moral case" for removing Saddam Hussein.
But the clerics also called on President Saddam to comply with UN demands. "War is always a deeply disturbing prospect; one that can never be contemplated without a sense of failure and regret that other means have not prevailed, and deep disquiet about all that may come in its train," the statement said. "We are very conscious of the huge burden of responsibility carried by those who must make the ultimate decision . . . The events of recent days show that doubts still persist about the moral legitimacy, as well as the unpredictable humanitarian and political consequences, of a war with Iraq."
But, in a welcome message (to the Prime Minister), the men said they recognized that the "moral alternative to military action cannot be inaction, passivity, appeasement or indifference". They said it was "vital" that all sides engaged through the UN in a process which "could and should render the trauma and tragedy of war unnecessary". They also "strongly" urged Iraq to demonstrate its "unequivocal compliance with UN resolutions on weapons of mass destruction". "The season of Lent is now approaching, a time when all Christian traditions encourage us to examine ourselves honestly, to acknowledge our shortcomings and to seek reconciliation with God," they said. Dr Williams, a long-time declared opponent of war, who was appointed last year, is leader of 70 million Anglicans across the world, while Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor is leader of four million Catholics. Their statement comes after more than five million people marched in protest against the war around the world over the weekend, including more than a million in London.
Additional Statements by Various Christian Groups:
The United Methodist Church
A statement from the president of the Council of Bishops
A letter to G.W. Bush from
www.cmep.org/letters/2002Sep12_BushReIraq.htm
The Episcopal Church
A letter from the House of Bishops to Congress
The Society of Friends
A joint statement from several Quaker leaders
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson's statement on Iraq situation
The Mennonite Central Committee
A call to action in favor of non-violent resolution to the crisis (April 2002)
The Presbyterian Church, USA
News release on General Assembly Council's call to action
The United Church of Christ
Statement of United Church of Christ leaders opposing a war against Iraq
The Unitarian Universalist Association
A pastoral letter from association president Rev. William G. Sinkford,
There may be few Roman Catholics in the Bush family, but there are many millions of them in the country he leads, and the statements below reflect the long-standing teaching of that church that Roman Catholics are only allowed to engage in a war when it can be justified in their conscience as "a JUST war":
USATODAY.com - Pope fears religious hatred in Iraq war
Posted 3/29/2003 12:46 PM
Vatican City (AP) — Pope John Paul II urged the faithful Saturday not to allow the Iraq conflict stir up hatred between Christians and Muslims, saying that would transform the war into a "religious catastrophe"
. . .
"In all of this, however, one must be careful not to yield to the temptation to define groups of people by the actions of an extremist minority," he said.
"Authentic religion does not advocate terrorism or violence, but seeks to promote in every way the unity and peace of the whole human family."
In the months before the Iraq war began, John Paul lobbied in favor of a negotiated solution. He has said there is no legal or moral justification for the military action, and has worried about how it could affect relations between Christians and Muslims.
