Pastors Issue Directive in Response to Reelection Tactic

[Rose Siding]

Ten teachers of Christian ethics at leading seminaries and universities have written a letter to President Bush criticizing his campaign's outreach to churches, particularly its effort to gather church membership directories.

The Aug. 12 letter asked Bush to "repudiate the actions of your re-election campaign, which violated a fundamental principle of our democracy." It also urged both presidential candidates to "respect the integrity of all houses of worship."

The letter's signers included evangelical Christians who teach at generally conservative institutions, such as the Rev. George G. Hunter III of Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky and Richard V. Pierard of Gordon College in Massachusetts. Other signers included the Revs. Paul Raushenbush of Princeton University, Walter B. Shurden of Mercer University in Georgia, James M. Dunn of Wake Forest Divinity School in North Carolina and Ronald B. Flowers of Texas Christian University.

"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," the letter said. "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."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9533-2004Aug17.html?nav=rss_politics

[havocmom]

1. Good! The SOB is putting their tax exempt status at risk and cares not.

To say nothing about being just plain rude and overbearing.

[iconoclastic cat]

2. That sounds like somebody thought about 10 years from now,

and what would happen if, say, that tax-exempt status wasn't what it used to be.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. It's an outrage that he would seek to erode the wall between

church and state that was erected in the beginning of this country. I'm glad clergy are speaking out about it. All religious people need to make their objections known.

[Bake]

4. I took 2 semesters of Church History under Buddy Shurden!

Way to go, Prof. Shurden!!! Good for you!!

Two semesters of Church History under Walter B. "Buddy" Shurden at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, back in the late 70s. He was an excellent professor then, and I'm thrilled to see he's still rockin'!!

Bake

[frankly_fedup2]

5. Well, obviously, someone forgot to tell Jerry Falwell.

Every Sunday morning on his Old Time Gospel Hour for the last three weeks, this minister has stood at his pulpit, and instead of preaching, has spoken about this particular issue and how they cannot touch him followed by applause from his congregation.

He states he does not support any political party; however, true Christians know which political party is for killing innocent babies and then they know which party is truly the "Christian" party. That only "true" Christians go to church every Sunday.

I have only watched this the last three Sundays and it is amazing to watch him stand up there and spin his tale. I have yet to see the man preach during the church services.

He stated that a preacher out of New York had his tax exempt status taking away for one day because of politics. He said he is not scared of the abortionists, homosexuals, People for the American Way, or anybody because God is with him and the Republicans (not verbatim but close).

I cannot wait to see what he says this Sunday. I thought about recording his show, but I figure if the FBI can go house-to-house to try to scare previous protesters from coming to New York for the convention, the IRS is watching him. That is, until Bush hears about it and calls off the hounds.

[fdr_hst_fan]

6. I wouldn't waste five minutes on that fool-

he's a liar and a fraud, like his Repuke buddies!