Church Group Says War with Iraq Can Be Averted [National Council of Churches Alert]

Reuters via Lycos.com ^ | 1/02/2003 | Huda Majeed Saleh

[GeneD]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - A group of American Christian leaders and experts visiting Iraq said Thursday there was still a chance of averting war but expressed concern about food shortages among Iraqis.

"In the United States, we see often pictures of the leadership of Iraq and the government of Iraq in very negative terms. We rarely see the picture that we saw of children and women and those that will be most severely impacted if (a) war began," Bob Edgar, secretary-general of the National Council of Churches (U.S.A), told a news conference in Baghdad.

"The food rations, for example, do not provide an adequate diet and we discovered that the failure of nutrition is a terrible and painful aspect of life here in Iraq," said Edgar, traveling with 12 other American religious leaders and experts.

Iraq has been under U.N. sanctions since its short-lived occupation of Kuwait in 1990 and 1991. Since December 1996, the United Nations has allowed Baghdad to sell oil to buy food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies for its people.

The group said in a statement it traveled to Iraq as "humanitarian inspectors" and visited hospitals and schools to get first-hand information on the effects of 12 years of U.N. sanctions. The group also met Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz, who is a Christian, during its five-day visit.

"I can tell you that my eyes have been opened by what I have seen here in Iraq in the short time I have been here," said Robin Hoecker of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

He said he was amazed by the "life and happiness" of some people but saddened "by the tragedy and death and human suffering."

NEW YEAR CHANCE OF PEACE

The United States has accused Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction and has threatened war if Baghdad fails to comply with a tough new U.N. inspections program. Iraq denies the accusation.

Washington has been building up forces in the Gulf region for possible war, but President Bush said on New Year's Eve he still hoped the standoff with Baghdad could be resolved peacefully.

Jim Winkler, general secretary of the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, said, "Our message to President Bush is really very simple and that is that this war can be averted and that we appreciate his words of commitment to resolving this situation peacefully."

"War is not inevitable ... even at this moment," added Edgar, a former Democratic U.S. representative from Pennsylvania, whose council says it is the leading force for ecumenical cooperation among U.S. Christians, involving 50 million Protestant and Orthodox members.

"Let the inspections work and while the inspections are going on we would hope that negotiation would also be going on between the two governments," he said. "The U.S. and the Iraqi governments have worked together in the past and they could work together in the future."

A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in November gave Iraq a last chance to come clean over its weapons programs or face "serious consequences."

[BlueLancer]

I used to be a Methodist ... until I became old enough to see them for the feminist, eco-loving, homosexual supporting bunch of hypocrits that they are. That was when I was 12 years old, and I left and haven't looked back since, except to spit on a Methodist Church's shadow if it falls across the ground that I have to walk on.

I now place Methodist Church only slightly higher than the Jihadists. They're slightly higher because they, at least, profess to be Christian. However, the Jihadists are more honest because they say outright that they are not.

[Don Corleone]

Render unto Caesar guys! Almost any war can be "Avoided" if one side or the other gives in. Given the choice of "Freedom or Death" would these guys hesitate?

[expatpat]

Not just the Methodists, also the Catholics, the Episcoplians, the Lutherans, and all the other namby-pamby churches taken over by the homosexuals.

[ZGuy]

Here is something from the Methodist church I grew up in.
I thought you might like to read it.

Kingsburg United Methodist Church Administrative Council

Proposed recommendation
(RESOLUTION PASSED 200 TO 0)

6/7/98

Whereas, the people of Kingsburg United Methodist Church represent a 115 year tradition in Kingsburg of witness and ministry in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior,

And whereas, we have always affirmed the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture and have proclaimed the divinity of Jesus Christ and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's atoning death,

And whereas, we have insurmountable differences with the leadership of the California-Nevada Annual Conference on issues of faith and revelation,

And whereas, we are tired of fighting against those who hold tolerance and Inclusion to be higher values than Scriptural truth,

And whereas, the leadership of the Annual Conference has broken trust with Scripture, the Book of Discipline, and our heritage in John Wesley by supporting clergy who perform same-sex ceremonies, promoting sexual permissiveness, and excluding biblical United Methodists from leadership,

And whereas, the Conference Ministry staff refuses to work together on a plan of separation from the Annual Conference for evangelical pastors and laypeople,

And whereas, Scripture teaches us to stand apart from unholiness and evil (Rom. 16:17-18; Eph. 5:6-16; 2 Tim 3:1-5; 2 Tim 4:1-5; 1 Pet 1:14-16),

Therefore, be it resolved that we, the members of the Kingsburg United Methodist Church, by this advisory vote are of the opinion that we can no longer in Christian conscience remain members of the United Methodist Church,

And be it resolved that we believe that the membership of Kingsburg United Methodist Church, exclusive of the Board of Trustees, should be transferred to the Kingsburg Community Church effective July 1, 1998,

And be it further resolved that the remaining Board of Trustees and Conference leadership be urged to negotiate a just process to transfer property from the Kingsburg United Methodist Church to the Kingsburg Community Church In order to allow the church family continued use of this property to plant the Good News of Jesus Christ, grow mature disciples, and harvest the fruit of the Spirit for the needs of the world.

[NC Conservative]

The group also met Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz, who is a Christian

bWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[toddst]

I used to be a Methodist ... until I became old enough to see them for the feminist, eco-loving, homosexual supporting bunch of hypocrits that they are.

And you are confident that a small group of liberals at the national level can dependably speak for all Methodists nationwide? Lets see, what white or black man can we pick who "speaks" for the entire race? Or maybe a Catholic for all of them? I don't think so.

I said this on another thread where Methodism came up: Come to Kentucky and you'll find the vast majority are conservatives. I know many who specify none of their money is to be sent to support the national organization.

[BooBoo1000]

This bunch of Idiots NCC cannot figure out how to raise enough money to pay themselves.
Their membership includes the Presbyterian Church of America who has managed to squander $ 190,000,000 Trust money collected from widows, and other people, also they have managed to run of 1/2 of our membership from 3million to 150, thousand. The NCC could not run a beer consession at a Sunday School Picnic..

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"Let us allow monsters to grow stronger and commit even greater evils, thus sayeth the Lord. Let the rapists and thieves gain greater firepower so that police can no longer keep them in check, the Lord sayeth. It makes me.... HOPPING MAD that my fellow Christians do not turn all four cheeks when the wicked smack them about. We must assume the position and prostrate ourselves humbly before genocidal maniacs. It is God's will. And, let us ship them food. There is hunger out there. Say 'Amen' brother?"

[gaspar]

The National Council of Churches (a tool of the Marxist-dominated World Council of Churches) has for more than twenty years fought every aspect of Republican foreign policy. The peaceniks battled Reagan tooth and nail, and it mattered not that his policies were right, and their wrong.

The media always goes to the NCC (dominated by the Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Methodists), but rarely interviews the conservative-based National Association of Evangelicals or the Institute on Religion and Democracy to get their take on foreign policy.

[Bill Davis FR]

bump for the communist national council of churches...

[thinktwice]

Leaving Saddam in power is the worst possible scenario for the poor people of Iraq.

Why is it that Christians oppose war while supporting dictators?

[omega4412]

I suppose they're going to be singing Kumbaya instead of Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 

Even politically liberal writer Ronald J. Sider has noted this radical liberal agenda of the WCC. Speaking of their stance on ecology, Sider said, "the WCC drafters went overboard in their emphasis and failed to state what the Bible clearly teaches, that humanity has a special status in creation as bearer of the divine image.... It is both unbiblical and ridiculous to deny the special status of persons." Sider also criticized the WCC's concern about the fall of Communism in Europe and its "one-sided attacks on market economies," joined by "near silence on the evils of the Eastern block."⁵

An example of this one-sidedness in our own country was the refusal by the governing board of the National Council of Churches to participate in any official celebration of the 500th anniversary of the coming of Columbus to America. Declaring that Columbus "invaded" America, the NCC said he was responsible for inflicting "slavery, genocide, theft, and exploitation" upon the Indians.⁶ When asked by an Episcopal bishop to add a list of "positive" things about America, the NCC committee voted that idea down.

This radical attack in the political area is not letting up. In its latest meeting the Central Committee of the WCC proposed that the Council condemn the actions of the US in placing sanctions against Cuba as "economic aggression against the people of Cuba," and also expressed its "concern" about US missile attacks on Iraq.⁷

This is just a small sample of the types of actions the NCC and WCC have taken over the years. From supporting leftist terrorist groups to denouncing the liberties that permit their own existence, these church leaders have been promoting a political agenda directly in conflict with God's Ten Commandments and with established Christian ethics. The recent collapse of Communism in much of the world has not cooled their ardor.

"THE END OF THE ROAD: APOSTASY OF THE NCC AND WCC"