Free Republic

THE World Council of Churches today appealed for an urgent ceasefire in Lebanon and sharply criticised the international community for failing to halt the violence between Israel and Hezbollah. In a strongly worded public appeal, WCC general secretary Reverend Samuel Kobia accused major western powers of turning their backs on previous calls for an end to the violence or for restraint. "A war of ominous dimension and of far-reaching consequences is causing unimaginable and untold suffering to the people in Lebanon," Kobia said. "Yet these developments seemed to have no effect on the leaders of countries like Israel, the United...

A national religious group representing 36 Protestant and Orthodox denominations said Tuesday that U.S. foreign policy is "dangerous" and urged President Bush to turn over authority in Iraq to the United Nations. The National Council of Churches (search), which has been highly critical of the war, acknowledged that Christians disagree on the issue, but said that giving control to the U.N. was the only way to create "lasting peace."