Works for me. Lets kill 'em all!
No, Prof. Stassen, it wasn't Bush's speech nor his faith that convinced us - ever heard of 9/11? Liberal weiner.
Posted on 10/10/2004 9:34:59 AM PDT by UnklGene
Professors oppose Bush `theology' -
By Marshall Allen , Staff Writer
PASADENA -- A group of Fuller Theological Seminary professors, saying they are responding to a "grave moral crisis' in America, are signing a statement opposing President Bush's alleged convergence of God, church and nation and what they call his "theology of war.' Glen Stassen, Fuller's Louis B. Smedes professor of Christian ethics, said Bush's religious rhetoric confuses the cause of Christianity with that of a nation at war.
For instance, in Bush's 2002 State of the Union address the president labeled Iran, Iraq and North Korea the "axis of evil,' Stassen said.
"Calling the three nations the 'axis of evil' and refusing to acknowledge any errors that he has made, that sets up a dichotomy between righteous United States and unrighteous 'axis of evil,' ' Stassen said. "... It leads to a crusade in which Christians think the Christian thing to do is support war-making against an allegedly unrighteous enemy.'
The statement of beliefs, called "Confessing Christ in a World of Violence,' criticizes Bush's use of scripture in a speech on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Bush described the hope offered by America by saying, "... the light shines in the darkness. And the darkness will not overcome it.'
These words, used in the Bible, apply only to Jesus Christ and no political leader has the right to "twist them into the service of war,' the confession says.
The statement began circulating among the faculty Tuesday, Stassen said. Its assertions include the claim that Jesus Christ knows no national boundaries, that Christians should have a strong presumption against war and that Christians should exercise humility, which would temper political disagreements.
About 20 professors have signed it, though it has not made the full rounds at Fuller, Stassen said. Stassen expects that almost all of the seminary's 80 full-time professors will sign it. Fuller is the largest evangelical seminary in the country.
The current confession is not the first time Fuller professors have publicly objected to Bush. About 40 faculty members signed a September 2002 letter opposing Bush's statements about a unilateral pre-emptive war in Iraq. Bush is now campaigning on pre-emptive war and using Christian language in the process, Stassen said.
The Fuller educators are part of a national movement of theologians and ethicists who are signing the document. They are being organized by Stassen, George Hunsinger of Princeton Theological Seminary, Richard B. Hays of Duke Divinity School, Richard Pierard of Gordon College and Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine.
The same five leaders endorsed a recent ad campaign in the national media that proclaims, "God is Not a Republican. Or a Democrat.'
Dan Palm, political science chair at Azusa Pacific University, an evangelical Christian school, said the statement is not something he would sign. Palm said his primary critique of the statement is that it's a caricature of the Religious Right that seems designed to get politically liberal Christians out to vote.
Palm especially objected to a paragraph that suggested pastors are not preaching about teachings of Jesus such as "Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.'
"I think that's really a low, cheap shot,' Palm said. "I think there's room for honest disagreement among Christians for when the right time is for using military force.'
Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, a conservative political organization based in Monrovia, said the movement opposing Bush's religious rhetoric sounds like it has a left-wing agenda.
"It sounds like these Fuller professors are trying to use religion to their own political end,' he said.
Spence said that Bush's use of religious imagery is no different than any other president's.
Ronald Reagan's "City on a Hill' speech was clearly a biblically based vision for the future, he said.
Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton also frequently used religious imagery, he said.
Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, said he won't sign the statement because he doesn't want to appear partisan. Mouw said he has critiques of both presidential candidates.
Mouw doesn't oppose Bush's claims that God favors freedom, but said "it's always dangerous for a nation to see itself as God's appointed agent in the world.'
Mouw, who opposed the war in Iraq, said he doesn't know Bush's intentions, but said his language resonates with evangelical Christians, some of whom consider him to be speaking for God.
There's a danger in the Christian community of people being uncritical in their endorsement of American interests, he said.
According to a recent study on religion and politics from the University of Akron, 68 percent of Americans want a president to have strong religious beliefs and 63 percent are comfortable when candidates discuss their faith.
Marshall Allen can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4461, or by e-mail at marshall.allen@sgvn.com . For the the text of the theology letter click here
No thanks.
A_R
"Calling the three nations the 'axis of evil' and refusing to acknowledge any errors that he has made, that sets up a dichotomy between righteous United States and unrighteous 'axis of evil,' ' Stassen said. . ."
Is this guy confused or what? He sees no difference?
Regardless of the merits of the war, anyone who cannot make a moral distinction between the US on the one hand, and Saddam's Iraq, the Mullahs' Iran and Kim's North Korea on the other has no claim to be a moral teacher.
Fuller is a good evangelical school, and these profs are entitled to their opinion, though it appears they are constructing a "straw man" to argue with.
Bush's use of "Christian Language" IS NOT logically the same as Bush saying that "God has commanded us to wage preemptive war on terrorists."
this is too bad. it sounds like fuller has slid over the edge into liberal land.
You can be against the Book of Revelations all you want, but it does't care.
Works for me. Lets kill 'em all!
No, Prof. Stassen, it wasn't Bush's speech nor his faith that convinced us - ever heard of 9/11? Liberal weiner.
And this is news, how?
Not anymore. The maintream conservative evangelicals shun Fuller (Southwestern Theoogical, Wheaton College, Moody Bible Institute are da ones) since it has renounced inerrency of the Scriptures.
It is considered an "evangelical Left" seminary - not apostate like Union Theological Seminary or Harvard Divinity School, but far from ideal Christian seminaries. I won't be surprised if they turn out to be "truly Christian, socially conservative but anti-Iraq war and anti-Bush and Democrat-supporting" people.
Let's see...one cup of HYPOCRISY, two cups of Bull Excrement....
FTS, what a great way to demonstrate that two of your professors have sunk back into the primoridal muck.
At the risk of sounding like John Kerry ("Do you KNOW who I am?"), let me say that I have a doctorate in theology from a very liberal theological school, and most of the professors with whom I am acquainted are currently experiencing the same time of angst as the MSM anchors and reporters.
That is: Just as the anchors and reporters lament (or RAGE over: Brokaw's "Jihad" remark!) the fact that unsophisticated bloggers and talk radio folks are energized and flourishing, so these luminaries of the divine sciences lament (or rage over - with a righteous anger, of course) the fact that a mere layman like George Bush can have such clear cut ideas about right and wrong or good and evil - and (THIS IS A KEY PROBLEM FOR THESE FOLKS) that Bush manages to balance conviction and compassion (e.g. his stand on stem cell research), when more "sophisticated" theological minds have reduced everything to a tentative "well, on one hand . . . but on the other." Witness: John Kerry, the devout Roman Catholic former altar boy - as he went out of his way to inform us, so much for not wearing your religion on your sleeve - opposing abortion and believing life begins at conception but wanting to provide federally funded abortions and wondering when "personhood" commences. Surely an ethical stance ambiguous enough to earn the admiration of the Fuller Theological Faculty!
It is interesting to remember that LAST TIME AROUND, the Democratic nominee, "President by the popular vote" Al Gore was revealed to have dropped out - or flunked out? - of Vanderbilt's Master of Divinity program. No small feat at a liberal seminary where there are no right or wrong answers.
Amazing, too, that a proudly Protestant seminary like Fuller should take to issuing Pompous Pontifical Prouncements imbued with all the aura of a Papal-like Infallibility they would surely reject if the real Pope were to offer an opinion with anything approaching George-Bush-like certitude!
Therefore, may I lead us all in a prayer of intercession on this Lord's Day:
"From the pompous ponderings of irrelevant theologians, Good Lord, deliever us!"
PS Notice how George Bush's long-ago verbal slip, using the word "Crusade" has NEVER been let go of by the left - but the Islamo-fascists' constant use of JIHAD is apparently respectfully given a pass as part of their "freedom of religious expression"?
It's all so predictable and tedious!
But there is a dichotomy. The leftist mind just can't stand to have dichotomies pointed out when those dichotomies reflect well on America. So we should put our fingers in our ears and chant "la la la la la there is no difference between the US and North Korea . . .la la la . . . they are just expressing their culture la la la."
On another note, I know the article characterizes Fuller as evangelical. While I suspect there are genuine evangelicals who object to the war, I have a hard time beliving that genuine evangelicals would use language like this manifesto. There is a legitimate Christian argument to be made against the war. There is no genuine Christian argument for parroting marxist propaganda.
Well said.
Fuller Seminary has been liberal for a long time. Tell me when Dallas Seminary, #1, goes that way.
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