Liberal Methodist Leaders Call Bush to Repentance

AgapePress ^ | April 17, 2003 | Jody Brown and Bill Fancher

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

Those Whose Stance Falls Outside Traditional Methodism Take President to Task

(AgapePress) - Several officials of the United Methodist Church (UMC) are calling one of their fellow Methodists to repentance. While that, in and of itself, may not be unusual, it is noteworthy that the call appeared in a full-page magazine ad -- and the person called to repentance is President George W. Bush.

The April 5 edition of Christian Century magazine contains a full-page ad titled "A Prophetic Epistle from United Methodists Calling Our Brother George W. Bush to Repent." The ad, signed by several United Methodist bishops and the head of the denomination's lobby office in Washington, D.C., denounces the president for contributing to "spiritual forces of wickedness" and calls for him to "repent from domestic and foreign policies that are incompatible with the teaching and example of Christ."

Among those signing the ad are UM Bishops Joseph Sprague and Melvin Talbert, and Board of Church and Society general secretary Jim Winkler. The officials accuse President Bush of "threaten[ing] the very earth and all its inhabitants with open discussion of the use of nuclear weapons," and promoting "redemptive violence" in his policy towards the "sovereign nation of Iraq."

In addition, it claims that the president's domestic policy is "incongruent with Jesus' teaching" and falls short of the compassion of which Jesus spoke, despite Bush's claim to be a "compassionate conservative."

The ad concludes with the statement: "May our call to repentance speak to your conscience."

Mark Tooley heads the United Methodist committee of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. He says that first of all, the signers of the ad "are hardly symbols of strong, mainstream" United Methodist beliefs. He points out that Bishop Sprague denies that Jesus Christ is eternally divine, Bishop Talbert has endorsed same-sex "marriage," and Winkler is a pacifist.

Mark Tooley

According to Tooley, the UMC affirms Christ's full deity, opposes same-sex unions, and is not pacifist. "Yet these church officials claim it is President Bush who is violating his own church's teachings," he says.

"These [church] officials are effectively telling the president he is not a good Christian because his policies do not match their own left-wing beliefs," Tooley continues in a printed release.

"Bush is supposedly a bad Christian and a bad Methodist because, like most Methodists, he does not agree with these church officials in their equation of compassion with a large federal welfare state and in their opposition to a strong military defense for America."

Tooley says it is "nonsense" for the UMC officials to "equate their brand of politics with Christianity, and assume that political disagreement is a sign of spiritual apostasy."

Anti-War Academics
Religious leaders are not the only anti-war faction in the news these days. It can also be found in the world of academia.

Anti-war demonstrators are composed primarily of college-age students, both in America and in Europe. Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation says that is because anti-American feelings permeate the world of academia -- and always will.

"The academics identify with academics abroad," Weyrich says, "and of course, the academic community [abroad] is very anti-American and believes that George Bush is a greater problem than Saddam Hussein or anybody else you can name."

Weyrich says that anti-American attitude is transferred to the students on a daily basis. "They believe that they need to expose the student community to the anti-American point of view; hence, the kind of people that they are really featuring in their various programs."

Weyrich says that is why students are on the front line of various types of anti-American demonstrations.

[scott7278]

I'm a Southern Baptist, and for the duration of the war we've been starting our services with The National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. Nothing fake or phony, not preaching America but Christ -- just good, old-fashioned love for God and what He's provided by His gracious hand.

May the Lord be with you in your search -- the PCA is conservative, so is the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), Christian Reformed, Free Methodists (not UMC), Evangelical Free, Assembly of God, and the Christian Churches.

I love the SBC, but I would rather someone be in some other good, conservative church that preaches Christ and Christ crucified and risen, then a liberal one that denies any or all of the basic tenants of Christianity.

[Prov3456]

I am one of those.

For several years about a decade ago, I prayed that God would lead me out of the UMC, to ANYWHERE else with sound biblical theology. God must have a sense of humor, because I ended up as the President of the United Methodist Women's group (one of only a few positions in which the person must be a member of the church).

To make a long story short, I remain a United Methodist because I KNOW that is where the Lord wants me. It is hard at times, but there are many of us who stay because we believe the Lord wants us here. If/when He directs me elsewhere, I will go. Until then, I am doing what I can from within.

[MEG33]

God bless you.

[scott7278]

You have to understand that Jimmy Carter is part of the liberal wing of the SBC that is slowly losing it's power. Conservatives overtook them in numbers not too long ago and are slowly reversing the decay that liberalism always brings.

Bush is from the South, and that means his brand of Methodism is more conservative (back to the Wesleyan roots).

[My2Cents]

He points out that Bishop Sprague denies that Jesus Christ is eternally divine, Bishop Talbert has endorsed same-sex "marriage," and Winkler is a pacifist.

Enough said. Religious folks like this make people feel comfortable and justified as they ride the road to hell.

[NathanR]

I find the simplest explanation is often the best. Most likely these churches opposed the war, since they believed it to be immoral. Any draft dodgers avoiders (minor edit) would be junior clergy members at best during this time...they would certainly not have the pull to influence the senior policy making decisions.

Exactly. It may have not been deliberate. However, once they were in, they would have likely stayed in and risen to the top of the heirarchy, since that was what they would have been interested in. Not "Saving Souls".

That and making the world a "better" place.

[davisfh]

I grew up as a Methodist when there was no "united" in the
name. Over the years, I've watched this church as it
associated itself with the World Council of Churches and
other Communist organizations. Small wonder that they would
be espousing such dogma and propaganda at this time. I still
find it hard to believe that the beliefs of mainstream
Methodists are represented here.

[HumanaeVitae]

That's just because religion is the opium of the masses.

People are smoking religion now? What will they think of next?

I think you meant "opiate".

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Repent this:

F-15E Strike Eagle, loaded

[My2Cents]

I don't think this is what was meant. LA has found little help and guidance from professional religionists, I think. I think that's what she's saying. Too many people were "called" into the ministry who know little about the reality of the presence of God in the person of Christ who now resides in His people. Every true Christian finds others of like-spirit to fellowship with. In fact, some of the deepest fellowship I've experienced has been outside the confines of the edifice known as the local church. True fellowship cannot take place staring at the back of someone's head for an hour listen to someone certified as "seminary-trained" gives a monologue. Church, in the traditional sense, has failed many true believers. And "gathering together" doesn't have to take place on Sunday in the often highly-contrived, heavily-controlled environment of "church."

[My2Cents]

Christian Missionary Alliance. Founded by A.B. Simpson, and perhaps its most famous preacher, A.W. Tozer.

[My2Cents]

In the interest of humility, maybe you should be called, "The Last Baptist Church of ...." LOL

[aruanan]

Preach it to someone else.

Remember those words.

[My2Cents]

Ahhh... A picture beauty.

[nmh]

These folks are fulfilling prophecy:

2Thes.2:3

[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The "falling away" is a reference to religious leaders and their "church". There aren't many clergy left that take the Word of God to heart and preach it. Most don't know what's in it and just preach what they'd prefer to believe as in this situation. What Bush did here is Biblically justified.

[nmh]

"I challenge anybody to find a true man of God in any church today."

It's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No doubt. Is that a mondo bomb-load or what?!

[Krodg]

I'm a member of a Southern Baptist church and we're very patriotic here too. We don't like war and don't want war, however we are not blind to the need for war. While we support our troops and acknowledge them at every service, we don't turn away from preaching the Word. We need the Lord's message to the world, now more than ever.

[Krodg]

I'll bring that up at the next business meeting.....don't think I'll be too well liked though....LOL