Bush's church urges pull-out of US troops from Iraq

[struggle4progress]

24/09/06

US President George W. Bush’s own church has called for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and is urging direct action to end the war.

Writes Mark Schoeff Jr:

United Methodist Church leaders helped launch a week of protest and civil disobedience against the war in Iraq by signing a declaration of peace in the capital, urging President Bush to pull US troops out of the country.

The Declaration of Peace, signed on 21 September 2006, is described as a call for nonviolent action to end the war in Iraq. The Washington DC event was one of 350 staged nationwide to promote the peace initiative.

More than 500 groups, almost half of them faith organizations, are involved in the declaration of peace effort, which recently retired Bishop Susan Morrison said includes "acts of moral witness to seek a new course for our country."

By signing the peace document in front of the White House, the United Methodists and other protesters also hope to influence congressional races in November 2006 by forcing candidates to outline where they stand on the war ...

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060924bush.shtml

[muntrv]

1. Bush is a Christian of convenience. He only follows the Bible

when it is pro-life or anti-gay.

[Dervill Crow]

6. I doubt he actually believes in those issues, either.

The religious right will choose their candidates based on those issues. If the Republican party ever actually DID anything but talk about being anti-abortion they would lose a huge number of people who vote solely on the hope that a pro-life candidate would actually work to stop abortions if elected.

[LuckyLib]

2. Church-going is a photo-op for W and the Mrs. I want to hear

the DC church they actually attend have the pastor rip the war on Iraq while the Bushies are seated in the front row. Won't happen, but thrilling to imagine.

[struggle4progress]

4. " ... it's perfectly relevant and fair to ask why a man with such firm ..

.. convictions about the power of religious congregations doesn't belong to a congregation himself.

So why doesn't he? Among the reasons I've been given is that the security precautions would be too onerous. This, it should be noted, is the exact same excuse Ronald Reagan proffered for not attending church at all during his time in Washington. And I'd almost buy it, if not for the fact that for several years in the late 1990s, I attended Foundry Methodist Church when the Clintons were members there and found that it took all of an extra five seconds to pass through the metal detectors and enter the church. Parishioners were not outnumbered by tourists (and, in any case, we were happy that they were in church, no matter what the reason) and the Clintons played an active role in the life of the church, with Chelsea particularly involved in the choir and youth group while she was still in town.

Okay, Bush's defenders say, but even if he did go to church, it's tough for a president to be really involved with a congregation. He is, after all, running the free world. But, then again, he has spent almost 500 days on vacation over the past four years. You'd think some of that time could have been devoted to planning the next church social or sitting in on mission board meetings. Jimmy Carter found time to teach Sunday School at a local Baptist church while he was president ..."


The Wafer Watch Continues
Kerry goes to church, and reporters see controversy. Bush doesn't, and no one says anything.
by Amy Sullivan, Contributing Editor
5.12.04
http://gadflyer.com/articles/?ArticleID=103

[Fridays Child]

3. It needs to come to this. The "Christian Right" needs to be...

...called out on their anything-but-Christian embrace of death and suffering for political ends.

[jwirr]

5. I think the point here is that now if *ss wants to go after liberal

churches tax exempt status he can go after his own photo op church. Great move on the part of the church.