Methodist group calls Iraq war 'unjust, immoral'

[sabra]

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/01/25/churches.iraq.reut/

Methodist group calls Iraq war 'unjust, immoral'
Religious divide over war: Many churches say White House won't listen

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- Some U.S. religious leaders are stepping up pressure on Washington to end the nearly 3-year-old Iraq war. But the influence of those who oppose the conflict has been weak so far and the faith community, like U.S. public opinion, is divided.

A statement of conscience calling the war "an unjust and immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq" has been signed by 99 bishops and more than 5,000 members of the United Methodist Church, the second-largest Protestant denomination in the land.

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are both Methodists, but leaders of the 11-million-member church say they have had no response from the White House.

The largest single U.S. Protestant body, however, the 18-million-strong Southern Baptist Convention, says Bush has "shown courage and leadership in his valiant opposition to terrorism" and deserves the "deepest gratitude and respect."

[VegasWolf]

1. The longer this oil war goes on the less Bush will be able to screech 9/11

:puke:

[zbdent]

2. Uh, oh, look who just made the "terrorist watch" list!

Welcome to Nightwatch (watching the B5 DVDs of late) . . .

[bluestateguy]

3. Most Christian churches opposed the war

Only the Southern Baptists outright supported it, and I think the Mormons were officially neutral. I am not aware of any other Christian church that supported the war.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. I think only the unaffiliated, fundamentalist churches --

but they, unfortunately, are a powerful voice.

[Lisa]

4. Bush is ostensibly a Methodist, isn't he?

Didn't he convert (his family was Episcopal?) when he married Laura?

[Critters2]

6. More than ostensibly

When he was elected, the UMC had a banner on its website boasting of two United Methodists in the White House. Something to do with the way the wind blows. And there's never any consequnce for * and Dick claiming they're Methodist and not acting like it.

Ya don't get 8 million members by being propehtic.

[Lisa]

7. I'm just imagining him, sitting in the pew and smirking ...

... as the pastor speaks out against the death penalty and the Iraq War ... oh, so maybe that's why Bush doesn't seem to go to church as regularly as my Methodist (and United Church of Canada) friends.

[Critters2]

9. Maybe your United Church friends

are more Congregational than Methodist :)

Critters...a pastor in "the other United Church"

[Lisa]

10. In Canada, the United Church is the biggest Protestant denomination

They're a combination of the Methodists, Congregationalists, most of the Presbyterians, and a couple of other groups.

http://www.united-church.ca/ucc/history/


How political are they? Well -- they lobbied the Canadian government during the Vietnam era, to let US war resisters stay in the country. They also organized many of the events on the world day of protest against the Iraq invasion, in 2003. Greenpeace held its first meetings in the basement of a United Church in Vancouver. Of the churchgoers I know who are in the local New Democratic Party chapter (kind of like leftist Democrats), most are United Church, while the rest are Unitarians.

[Az_lefty]

5. This is why I don't attend S. Baptist churches anymore. n/t

[cantstandbush]

11. If Clinton were still in office doing the same thing the S. Baptist would

be calling for his impeachment.