http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=198
8/13/2004
Religious leaders criticize Bush abuse of churches
A group of prominent Evangelicals and moderate to conservative
religious leaders have sent an open letter to President Bush
condemning the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign’s improper collaboration with
church leaders and use of congregational directories.
The signatories, all of whom teach ethics, ask President Bush to
repudiate his campaign’s violations of fundamental principles of
democracy and the sanctity of their houses of worship.
The letter was written in response to an August 9th article in the New
York Times on the campaign’s solicitation of churches for endorsements
and membership directories.
The Evangelical letter calls on religious leaders to resist any direct
cooperation with political parties, warning:
"Whenever the Church follows such a path, it engages in a scandalous
secularizing of the sacred. Whenever political parties use the church,
they invoke absolutes in the passing parade of politics."
The Rev. Dr. James Dunn said, "Blurring the lines between churches and
political parties undermines the integrity of our democracy and of our
religious institutions."
Signatories include:
Jimmy R. Allen, Former President, Southern Baptist Convention
(Georgia)
The Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, Eastern University (Pennsylvania)
The Rev. Dr. James M. Dunn, Wake Forest Divinity School (North
Carolina)
Dr. Richard V. Pierard, Gordon College (Massachusetts)
The Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Flowers, Texas Christian University (Texas)
The Rev. Dr. Walter B. Shurden, Mercer University (Georgia)
The Rev. Dr. George Hunter, Asbury Theological Seminary (Kentucky)
Dr. James T. Laney, Faith and the City (Georgia)
The Rev. Dr. Paul Raushenbush, Princeton University (New Jersey)
Rollin O. Russell, Lancaster Theological Seminary (Pennsylvania)
The Full letter reads:
August 12, 2004
President George W. Bush - Bush/Cheney 2004 Campaign Arlington, VA
Re: Playing Politics with Church
Dear President Bush,
When certain church leaders acceded to the request of the Bush/Cheney
campaign to hand over the names and addresses of their congregants
they crossed a line.
It is proper for church leaders to address social issues, but it is
improper, and even illegal, for them to get their churches to endorse
candidates or align their churches with a specific political party.
Christians, individually, should prayerfully seek God’s direction when
voting, but when any church leaders contend that they speak for God
and have the right to tell congregants how to vote, such leaders have
assumed prerogatives to which they have no right.
Whenever the Church follows such a path, it engages in a scandalous
secularizing of the sacred.
Whenever political parties use the church, they invoke absolutes in
the passing parade of politics.
Whenever the church has engaged in partisan politics, it has
compromised its moral authority.
In the light of these developments, we call on church leaders to stand
vigilant against entanglement in partisan politics.
Likewise we urge both candidates to respect the integrity of all
houses of worship.
In that spirit, we call upon you to repudiate the actions of your
re-election campaign, which violated a fundamental principle of our
democracy.
+--+
|George W. Bush is a deserter: http://www.glcq.com/bush_at_arpc1.htm
|Fascist War Criminal to stand trial: http://www.PeopleJudgeBush.org
+--+
.
|
