Church and Society Board calls for end of U.S. presence in Iraq

The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society has issued the following statement:

A Call to End the U.S. Military Presence in Iraq

As followers of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we pray for peace, stability and freedom in Iraq. We believe the Iraqi peoples can and should ultimately determine how it will be achieved. It is time for the United States to appeal for international cooperation, not in waging war but in working with Iraqis of good will to set their nation on the course toward peace and prosperity.

As people of faith we raise our voices in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq. We urge the United States government to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of its troops. The U.S. invasion has set in motion a sequence of events which may plunge Iraq into civil war. 

Every war is a tragedy that wounds the heart of God. This particular war is especially tragic in that a bi-partisan U.S. commission appointed by President Bush and chaired by former Governor Tom Keane and former Representative Lee Hamilton has established that:

·         No weapons of mass destruction were stored in Iraq;

·         There was no attempt on the part of the government of Saddam Hussein to purchase uranium from the nation of Niger;

·         There were no ties between Saddam Hussein and the events of September 11, 2001;

·         There were no ties between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda.

Thousands of lives have been lost and hundreds of billions of dollars wasted in a war the United States initiated and never should have fought. The United States is now morally obligated to provide the vast economic resources needed to aid in the post-war reconstruction of Iraq. The ongoing cost of the war continues to drain public resources that are desperately needed in Iraq as well as in the United States. We grieve for all those whose lives have been lost or destroyed in this needless and avoidable tragedy. Military families have suffered undue hardship from prolonged troop rotations in Iraq and loss of loved ones. It is time to bring them home. 

Our opposition to the war in no way diminishes democratic ideals, traditions or the very freedoms the men and women of the military defend. Opposition to war is not unpatriotic. We honor those who serve the common good and owe them a commitment to pursue the peaceable path that they may not be put in harm’s way again.

We call upon the U.S. Congress to adopt legislation such as the “Homeward Bound Act” (H. J. Res. 55), the first bipartisan effort to bring home U.S. troops. We encourage them to make a full investigation and hold accountable those responsible for the misleading ‘intelligence’ and disastrous decisions that fueled this war.

We call upon the U.S. government to fully cooperate with the United Nations and its envoy and special representative in Iraq to bring about a peaceful, long-term resolution to the conflict and to rebuild Iraq. 

Finally, we call upon all people of faith to pray for a just, equitable peace for the beleaguered people of Iraq and all those whose lives have been damaged by the consequences of this war.

Comments

[John]

I was wondering where you had disappeared to. Welcome back.

[tom carter]

You are a disgrace to the Methodist Church. We are about peace but you are a fool. We are in a battle for the existence of the Church today and you are more concerned with giving solace to those that would rape and kill your children. Was there inaccurate intelligence? That is like saying we will kill the weather man because he was not absolutely correct about the weather forecast. You feel that the people were mislead by this administration and I feel that you mislead people by saying that you are a man of God. Who is right and who is wrong. Why not save souls and preach the gospel rather than spread hate and dissent.

[the_methotaku]

The GBCS statement is in line with our Social Principals on war. The Iraq war is not a defensive war, and it isn't even a preemitive strike. It should never have happened.

I'll expand this on my own blog.

[the_methotaku]

The GBCS statement is in line with our Social Principals on war. The Iraq war is not a defensive war, and it isn't even a preemitive strike. It should never have happened.

I'll expand this on my own blog.

[Douglas Asbury]

Tom,
I know Dean can speak for himself, but I feel called to comment on your post here.

Dean' entire statement on this particular blog is a quote from the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society; yet your comment does nothing but attack Dean himself. You call him "a disgrace to the Methodist Church" (it's been "The United Methodist Church" since 1968, by the way); a "fool" (you give no supporting evidence of this being true); a misleader of people because he "say[s]" he is a "man of God" (actually, the Board of Ordained Ministry of his Annual conference, his Bishop, and Foundry UMC, among others, all make that claim about him, yet you don't criticize them, nor do you give countervailing evidence that your judgment is truer than theirs); and you intimate that he fails to "preach the gospel" but, instead, spreads "hate and dissent" (yet I would guess you've never heard him preach, and I can't imagine you've read many of his very gracious blogs or responses to angry posts such as yours, though it's clear you disagree with some of his positions on various issues).

It seems to me that, from the tone of your post, you are the one who, in condemning one who is innocent of every charge you level at him - and this is not just me pronouncing him innocent, but the whole raft of people I cited above - are doing the very thing you accuse him of doing. Perhaps you need to ask God in your next prayer time if there isn't something of which you need to repent, such as considering yourself better than others or failing to love your enemies. (I could think of a few other things, but those will suffice for now.)

Shalom to you, Tom.

[Wayne]

Tom,
I fail to see the logic of your attack on Dean. He simply posted the statement from the General Board of Church and Society, which, as the methotaku has stated, is in line with the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.

Wayne

[Lorna]

when you have stopped pulling each other to bits - have a look at the statement would you. Is it good or not?

Personally I find it worrying that the economics of this war enter the statement. what do you guys think ..

[Wayne]

Lorna,
The reality is that the economics of this war are part of the tragedy. The money that the US has spent on the war and on the rebuilding of Iraq has to come from somewhere, and unfortunately it has come at either the expense of progams to help our own people or at the expense of a tremendous debt that will be forced upon my grandchildren (if I'm so lucky).

Wayne

[John in Jackson]

When it comes down to it we must decide where we as Americans, Christians, people of "the West", people who believe in a God of Love, are going to confront the radical Islamists, here {in the streets of NYC again, Chicago, LA, Nashville, Colorado Springs} with American civilians(young, old, men, women, children, firm or infirm), or there-with trained, professional, volunteer soldiers. I vote for there.
They have already come here to kill us, ask the people of the World Trade Center. Unfortunately, they didn't do a very good job of fighting back. The Islamists will come again if we allow it. To them we are infidels-(from dictionary .com-An unbeliever with respect to a particular religion, especially Christianity or Islam.) and our souls are less than worthless. Our souls are to be tortured and despised. They will, when they get the chance, kill as many of us as they possibly can. They will rape and be-head our men, women, and children in front of our eyes. We are to be punished for our lack of faith in their "god of Vengence". Not a God of Love!
Do you get it yet? They want to destroy your GOD, RELIGION AND WAY OF LIFE!!!!!!! In their religion they believe dieing in the act of killing infidels is a blessing for getting into heaven!!!!!!!! They want to kill YOU, YOUR CHILDREN,and torture your grandchildren, Wayne, (or CONVERT THEM TO ISLAM!), because you are an American and you believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

[ANDREW WEAVER]

THIS GUY NEEDS TO CHANGE HIS POST TO ONE HAND SLAPPING. IF THIS FELLOW BELIEVES HALF THE NON-SENSE HE SAYS HERE HE CAN BELIEVE ABSOLUTELY ANYTING. HE EVEN CALLS UPON THE WISDOM OF IRD ON MATTERS SERIOUS. GOD HAVE MERCY.

REV. ANDREW WEAVER

Friday, May 14, 2004

United Methodist bishops resolve on Iraq
Not much depth evident

The United Methodist Council of Bishops passed a resolution (that speaks only for the council) which states in part that it deplores,

... the cycle of violence in which the United States is engaged has created a context for the denigration of human dignity ...
News flash 1: all war denigrates human dignity. News flash 2: This is not a "cycle of violence." It is warfare, which is quite another thing.

The implication seems to be that if only the United States would stop killing terrorists, they would stop killing us. This war, so the council implies, is really just a tit-for-tat exercise with no rationale. Peace will bloom automatically if we simply step outside the so-called "cycle of violence."

This is literally kindergarten-level thinking. "Just stop it!" is how parents and teachers deal with little kids because their disputes are inconsequential, done for inconsequential reasons. It really doesn't matter whether Billy or Bobby had the ball first, so demanding that they stop slapping one another over it is reasonable.

But is that where the thinking level of UMC's Council of Bishops is stuck, at kindergarten? Do they really mean to imply - and imply they certainly do - that we are fighting this war over inconsequential reasons, and therefore we should just stop it?

I note as well that the bishops' statement also credits only the United States as engaging in the cycle of violence; only the United States has created a "context for the denigration of human dignity." The statement makes no mention of al Qaeda terrorists or Baathist insurgents. The men who use women and children as human shields in Fallujah (Baathists) or saw off the heads of bound captives (al Qaeda) get a pass when it comes to the denigration of human dignity. Only America, it seems, shedding its blood to bring democracy, freedom and human rights - including women's rights - to Iraq, only America is guilty.

Need further evidence? Here is what the resolution actually resolved in favor of:
Therefore, The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church:

1. Laments the continued warfare by the United States and coalition forces.
Again, note that there is no lament about continued warfare by al Qaeda or Baathist dead-enders. I would have thought that with Jordan recently announcing it had broken a terrorist plot that would have killed tens of thousands of Jordanian civilians, the Council of Bishops might have been minimally aware that their so-called cycle of violence has more than an American foot on the pedal. But no. Only America's warmaking is lamented. Islamofascists get to kill and rape and behead and destroy, unlamented.

Continuing:
2. Prays for military personnel and their families who have sacrificed as a result of this war and for a swift end to the destruction and violence raging in Iraq.
No problem here. This is a good thing for which I thank the council.
3. Asks the United States government to request that the United Nations become involved in the transition process to a new Iraqi government.

4. Requests the United Nations to establish a legitimate transitional government of Iraq to maintain the peace and safeguard sustainable development efforts.
The UN part I have already posted about. But let's decode the rest; it won't take long:

"legitimate transitional government" = "any transitional government untainted by American influence."

"maintain the peace" = "don't fight back against al Qaeda and Baathists"

"safeguard sustainable development efforts" = "impose central economic planning along a socialist model." (So much for a truly free Iraq if that comes about. There is no political freedom if there is no economic freedom.)

Continuing:
5. Calls for the rebuilding of Iraq and other nations in the Middle East through a multinational development plan that honors the participation of the peoples of the region and gives them hope for the future.
What "other nations in the Middle East" need rebuilding? Why are "other nations" included here? Oh, right - Palestine, which is not a nation at all but would have been years ago if Yasir Arafat hadn't turned it down.

"multinational development plan" = UN administration again.

"honors the participation of the peoples of the region" - Forget that "honors" is an inexact word that has no utility in formulating policy. I assume the council means that contracts should be let to companies based in the Middle East, and Middle Eastern workers should be hired. I don't have a problem with that provided that they actually can do the work, on time and to standard. But the track record of such companies is not impressive. Furthermore, the owners of such companies are either the national governments or non-government men with family connections to government leaders. In neither case will the workers benefit. Both government and business in the Arab lands operate as despotisms for the enrichment and benefit of their rulers or owners. Just consider the bin Laden family in Saudi Arabia. The workers get squat and are often imported from southern Asia countries anyway. In Saudi Arabia the workers, especially women, are in fact often put into chattel slavery. If the Council of Bishops did not know this, then it should have done more homework before resolving anything. If it did know this, why did it ignore it?

Native-owned corporations also have a track record of financing the bad guys. Why we would want to do that I can't imagine.
6. Invites United Methodists throughout the world to pray for a new era of peace and to advocate for public policies that promote justice, life, and reconciliation among adversaries.
Sounds good, but before there can be peace justice must be established. That means that terrorism must be vanquished as the precondition to everything else. For the time being, there is no other way to do that except through military means.

As a United Methodist, I do promote "public policies that promote justice, life, and reconciliation among adversaries" for the people of Iraq. And every one of those policies begins with defeating terrorism. Unless that is done, no amount of advocacy and sweet-sounding words will do any good.

Update: I should point out that my own bishop, William Morris, has a son who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. Bishop Morris is one of the sound members of the council. There are others.

Also, see this piece by Alan Wisdom at the Institute on Religion and Democracy that slices and dices both the National Council of Churches letter and the Council of Bishops' resolution.

by Donald Sensing, 5/14/2004 03:30:35 PM. Permalink Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

[Daniel]

So GBCS wants us to just pull out and leave the Iraqis there to sort out the mess? That sounds rather irresponsible (and perhaps isolationist?) - especially considering we helped make the mess.