Posted on 08/13/2004 7:50:20 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Evangelical/Moderate Religious Leaders Criticize Bush Campaign for Misuse of Churches; Call on President to Repudiate Violations
8/13/2004 10:43:00 AM
To: National Desk
Contact: Jamie Shor, 202-628-7772 or jshor@venturecommunications.com
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- 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.
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/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
Let me guess, they are affiliated with the National Council of Churches, right?
Yeah, I'm sure we'll hear the same from them about Democrat candidates campaigning from the pulpits.
Not to mention black pastors campaigning for Democrats from their pulpits too.
But, that would be racist.
Exactly. This is absolutely disgusting. The Dems have used Jesse Jackson and Sharpton and the Black churches to get out the Black vote for years, Clinton did it, Gore did it and so does Kerry. Why is this only one sided?
Something is very wrong here. Everybody knows that Democrats have a much cozier relationship with the black churches. Evangelicals are overwhelmingly pro-Bush, the rank and file need to speak out on this.
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)
This is a real who's who of church power. I especially like Faith and the City.
Because, the media scoffs at the notion of the existence of the Religious Left.
Thank you, Bill Clinton.
This was made a non-issue by the behavior of the Democrats during the 2000 campaign. I'll never forget the pic of Gore sweating and flailing his arms while proclaiming "You are the wind beneath my wings" in a church just a day or two prior to the election. And what was said at that time by our illustrious media and prominent church members about using the church as a political pulpit? Exactly nothing! Mrs PD
Tony Campolo.
That's all I need to see to know this is bunk as far as I'm concerned.
That doesn't look like a list of "religious leaders". They are professors.
does anyone know...are these guys "really" evangelicals? tony campolo was the same guy that mentored bill (i had sex in the oval office) clinton and URGED us to forgive him.
i find it hard to believe some of these divinity schools aren't somewhat liberal.
Not to worry these are all liberal Democrat leaders.
Tony Campolo moderate? He was one of Clinton's defenders.
And the SBC ex-pres: just because someone is of the Southern Baptists doesn't mean they aren't liberal. Jimmy Carter was a Southern Baptist also.
To view the famous Clinton "Steel Magnolia" moment at Ron Brown's funeral video click here. Campolo was cracking him up...
Faith and the City! Wasn't Sarah Jessica Parker in that show?
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