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.

[LisaAnne]

None of the churches are the way they used to be. I quit going, I can't stomach it anymore. It's just me and God now, I figure I don't need the rest of it.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Impeachment proceedings are perfectly consistent with respect for civil authorities. Impeachment is provided for and described by the Constitution of our country.

[bmwcyle]

PS Mark is a member of my church, Pender Methodist, Fairfax, VA. We always are fighting the central church.

[aruanan]

Methodists, indeed any church, should be free to engage in political activities...but not with a tax exemption. This church needs to be audited for compliance with the "no politics" rules for their tax exemption.

No church should be prevented from speaking on any matter, political or otherwise. Nor should its tax-exempt status depend on this. It never did before until relatively recently when, for political purposes, churches were throttled by making their ab initio tax exemption depend on keeping quiet about political matters. Let a bit more history on the subject, because in this area your net value is zero.

[Cordova Belle]

WHOA!!!
I could name dozens.
I work in a church.
The place I work is FULL of them!

[Fifth Business]

I think they've got Jesus confused with Jimmy Carter. Jimmy's the one who appreciates despots.

[The Old Hoosier]

Doesn't matter. If he wins another term, Bush will turn Catholic in 2009. Come back then and tell me if I'm wrong.

[kayak]

There is a reason why people are leaving the UMC and other mainline churches in droves.

Yep! I'm one of them .... and just this sort of garbage is one of the reasons why.

[crz]

I think I am going to attend the LDS church. Even though, no church is perfect.

[aruanan]

It's just me and God now, I figure I don't need the rest of it.

So I guess the admonition to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the manner of some is no longer operative? The only place a person can be a solo Christian is in solitary confinement or on a desert island. Voluntarily putting yourself into that position is to cut yourself off from the rest of the body of believers.

[Belial]

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."

There's a sheister on every block who knows where Jesus would stand on any issue today. This is probably not too far off.

[Krodg]

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

When issuing a challenge it is normal to make the rules clear...what is your definition of a 'true man of God'?

[Mr. Mulliner]

I find it very ironic that George W. Bush is a Methodist and Jimmy Carter and the last occupant of the White House are (or, in Carter's case, were) Southern Baptists.

[johnb838]

What's the point of a Methodist Bishop anyway? They aren't an apostolic church, so I don't get it. I care less about what a methodist bishop says than I do what Frank Griswold, the episcopalian presiding bishop says.

[kayak]

Tell Mark he did a great job of refuting the junk these liberals spewed.

However, as long as the UMC allows such people to become Bishops, this will only get worse.

As for the Board of Church and Society, it was actively promoting the liberal agenda 30 years ago when hubby and I had a little tangle with them. They seem to have gotten only worse since then.

[Cordova Belle]

Any church of the following:
--Christian Missionary Alliance (usually foundmore on the West Coast. One of the most notable members: Dr. Ravi Zacharias
www.rzim.org
--the Evangelical Free Churches, Chuck Swindoll the most notable pastor--see www.insight.org
---Southern Baptist churches, which, despite the name, are located in all 50 states. Many go by the name of "So-and-So Community church," such as Pastor Rick Warren's South Cost Community Church in Southern California.
--Any of The Vineyard Churches

Those are the first which come to mind. There are a number of others, but this gives you a running start.

[Arpege92]

These so called religious leaders are not attacking Bush out of the kindness of their hearts....who's paying them and how much are they getting?

[MEG33]

Interesting point.

[Ken H]

The United Methodist Church must have an affinity for murderous, dictators.

The UMC was a leading voice in sending Elian Gonzalez back to Saddam Castro's Cuba.