[Theodore R.]

What would Francis Asbury say today?

[Leonard210]

"I believe we're called to be Christians first, Americans second," Baker said.

The problem with this statement is that the seminary seems to be saying, "We're Christians first, Americans never." If that student body is truly as multi-national as they say, then the seminary has a responsibility to tell the truth about the United States and remind these students that a "Christian seminary" would not be tolerated in many of their countires.

[Office Manager]

This is a distortion of the Christian faith in theory & practice. Asbury is very misguided in its response to this -- or at least that particular administrator is.

Preposterous that removing the flags somehow makes them more holy in the sight of God and the world. Discretion & wisdom is needed in dealing with these matters. This school / administrator used very poor judgement, and I'm afraid will pay a huge price.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

>>"A handful of people, from this country and others, felt that this was an offensive gesture and ... that being a Christian and a patriot do not go together," Ballmes wrote."

Just a handful, huh? Let's take a vote! I wonder what the people who died for these scabs to have their religous freedom would say?

Or better yet, the Iraqi Christains? - the ones who are still alive!

[maxwell]

But I believe the Iraqi people subject to Saddam Hussein right now are being persecuted, and they are my brothers and sisters in Christ before I'm an American. When you have students who are of Iraqi descent in the student body, I think you have to be a little more sensitive as an institution as to how you portray your message."

Does this guy know that the name of this war effort is Operation Iraqi Freedom???

[george wythe]

The Freeper Reagan79 alerted the media about this outrage:

U.S. flags removed at Asbury Theological Seminary

I am a student at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore KY. I wanted to let everybody know that U.S. flags placed on the cafeteria table were ordered to be removed because of political correctness. The manager of the school cafeteria was a Gulf War Veteran and he decided to put American flags on the table to support American troops in the Middle East.

The Seminary ordered those flags to be removed and it has caused quite a controversey. Folks this is very sad when the American flag is attacked like this. Please help!!! At least call the Seminary and voice your displeasure. You can get contact info at AsburySeminary.edu

[cookcounty]

Asbury-----A Proud Pro-Slavery Seminary.

[Thorondir]

Here is a clue, guys: Satan's century of anti-Christian liberalism ended with its crowning achievement--Bill Clinton. It's time to throw the evil, wacky, liberal, pro-abortion, new-age, I'm OK/You're OK, lunatice fringe out of the churches.

Let go of Satan's hand, church leaders, Jesus went thataway.

(Same modernist problem--different church.)

[Dscott_FR]

Here's President Dunnam's statement on the war...
PRESIDENT DUNNAM'S CHAPEL ADDRESS, MARCH 20, 2003


We all come to worship today with heavy hearts. The war rages. Men and women are losing their lives. The toughest part has just begun and the end is not in sight.


Through the ages, like many other issues, Christians have differed in their response to war - and the debate goes on. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction combined with religious and ideological conflict in the world make the issue of war more ominous than ever before in history.


Sometimes I wish I were a pacifist - and sometimes I wish I had a brilliant philosophical mind to accept and even spin a just war theory for times like these. But neither is the case - and maybe that's good - for both pacifism and just-war theories are ideology. Jesus is not interested in ideologies, especially as they keep His people from trusting completely in Him.


God understands and accepts our feeble, stumbling limitations in seeking His will. What He desires is our trust and dependence in His love and on His power.


We will continue to call the community to prayer - particularly to prayer and fasting the noon meal each Thursday. As you know, there have already been specific times of dialogue - as students express interest, we will hold additional ones. Hopefully all interested people in the community might participate.


My plea to the community is twofold. First, pray. We're hopeless in this situation - but God is sovereign. He has used occasions like this in the past to demonstrate His love and power. Let's stay on our knees. If we have not already done so, we're going to put on the tables in the dining commons a small candle - we hope that at the beginning of each meal people seated around a particular table will light the candle and pray together for an end to war, and the return of troops, and the end of oppression.


Two, exercise love, patience and acceptance of one another as you dialogue about the issue. Christians can differ in the Spirit of Jesus. We've all experienced that. I had great differences with people in my congregation during the civil rights movement of the early '60s in Mississippi. Some of you know the story that one of the men in that congregation - who years ago could not understand my position on that issue - has established a Chair of Prayer and Spiritual Formation here at the seminary, thirty-five years later. He was a Christian and I was a Christian - though we differed on a crucial issue.


Christians can differ in the Spirit of Jesus. No matter how strongly we feel about the present issue - either way - we don't have to be angry, accusative, bitter, and blaming. We are a Kingdom community. How we deal with issues like this says something about our Christian faith - but please don't allow yourself to believe that a person's position on this war is a measure of his or her patriotism. We are an international community, we're a part of a lot of different nations and most of us - perhaps all of us - love and want to serve our nation. But we need to remember that God is sovereign over all nations and we pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done in all circumstances.

[muawiyah]

The Administration here not only has it's facts wrong (there is no war of conquest taking place), but it also has it's theology wrong.

These guys are total heretics. They should be bannished. God does not favor them anyway!