[Willie Green]

Related thread:

Methodist Pastor Not Fazed by Peace Group's Possible Link with Communists

[aruanan]

Liberal Methodist Leaders Call Bush to Repentance

As though liberal Methodist leaders have any clue at all as to what constitutes repentance.

[Lost Highway]

Romans 13

Submission to the Authorities

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

[aruanan]

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.

I know someone who knows Sprague who says he is, let me paraphrase this, a real dick.

[kb2614]

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

[goodnesswins]

Hmmmm....looks like it's really time to become a CATHOLIC in S. Dakota.....

[dirtboy]

ping. you'll love this one...

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. ... 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."

Mark Tooley heads the United Methodist committee of the Institute on Religion and Democracy...points out that Bishop Sprague denies that Jesus Christ is eternally divine, Bishop Talbert has endorsed same-sex "marriage," and Winkler is a pacifist.

[Dutchgirl]

Unfortunately, the heirarchy of the Methodist Church has lost all claim to any moral authority normally afforded those who follow Christ. There is a web-site dedicated to reforming the church http://www.goodnewsmag.org/ which outlines the internal battle...including how the United Methodist Women used funds for mission to lobby Bill Clinton to VETO the ban on partial birth abortion.

[babylonian]

Repent to who? God or the Methodist leaders?

[ArcLight]

Leaving aside the arguments about the war, this message reminds me of a pet peeve of mine about liberal Christians. These guys are extraordinarily full of themselves, or so it seems to me.

Check out the heading of their ad: "A Prophetic Epistle from United Methodists Calling Our Brother George W. Bush to Repent." Those first words are what set me off. It'd be one thing for them to run an ad expressing their profound disagreement with the president; nor do I have any objection to their basing their disagreement on religious principle.

But to call their message "a prophetic epistle?" Sheesh. Who do these guys think they are? Isaiah? St. Paul? Give me a break. You can disagree with the other fellow, without tarting up your expression of disagreement with the borrowed authority of holy scripture.

I attend a very conservative Baptist church. I can't imagine any of the clergy there daring to describe themselves as "prophetic" or describing their writings as "epistles." It's just too uppity, by a long shot. But these guys, they don't miss a beat. One more reason I tend to ignore 'em.

[eleni121]

Disgusting bunch!

But it's not only the United Methodists...there are cells of left wing self styled Christians in most major denominations.

[jagrmeister]

Why don't we strike a bargain. Why don't these NAMBLA-member Liberal clergymen stop raping children and then we'll think about listening to their political outbursts.

[bmwcyle]

I am a Methodist and the central church can go F itself.

[bmwcyle]

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

[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.

[crz]

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

[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.

[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.

[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?