Methodists Against Bush Library Force Vote

[Yellowdogtexan]

This will be fun to watch. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/us/30smu.html?_r=1&oref=sloginMethodists opposed to a George W. Bush Presidential Library, museum and policy institute at Southern Methodist University here are mounting a last-ditch effort to block a nearly completed deal by throwing the decision to a regional church conference in July.

Opponents of the project, including current and retired bishops and faculty members hostile to President Bush over the Iraq war and social issues, say church rules require that an agreement be submitted to the 290 elected delegates of the church’s South Central Jurisdiction.

The Rev. Andrew Weaver, a research psychologist in New York who said an online petition drive against the project had drawn 11,200 signatures, said about 35 percent of the delegates were “progressives” opposed to the plan. “We need to inform and recruit 16 percent of the moderate delegates to block the project,” Mr. Weaver said. This is a long shot but these religious leaders do not want a separate foundation pushing neocon history on the SMU students. The nature of the policy institute stirs much of the debate. In outlining the project to prospective universities in 2005, two officers of the foundation, Marvin P. Bush, a brother of the president, and Donald J. Evans, said the institute would be answerable to the foundation, not the university. And they said: “Part of its mission will be to further the domestic and international goals of the Bush administration,” including “compassionate conservatism” and “defeating terrorism.”

[issac the dragon]

Why not go to Oral Roberts U? Do they just like to annoy people?

[Zanoog]

The nature of the policy institute stirs much of the debate. In outlining the project to prospective universities in 2005, two officers of the foundation, Marvin P. Bush, a brother of the president, and Donald J. Evans, said the institute would be answerable to the foundation, not the university. And they said: “Part of its mission will be to further the domestic and international goals of the Bush administration,” including “compassionate conservatism” and “defeating terrorism.”

I'm 100% certain that they really believe this crap.

But the "goals of the Bush administration" ????? I thought that was all considered classified and protected information? :snicker

[BartonX]

Something strange is in the woodpile here. An atheist is more likely to believe in God than a Methodist! :lmao They aren't religious they are just a social club for oddballs, and spineless individuals. Methodists :LL

[D2]

agreed Doc

[Saguaro]

So which religion is acceptable :roll

[Zanoog]

So many to choose, so little time. :lol

and if we wait just a little while, someone will come in here and talk about the "One True Religion". :waiting

[Trueblue]

Sorry to not be a literalist. :roll

[Ringo]

agreed Doc

Me too, after a lot of study, the way they back the perverted, they backed Clinton-Reno when they RUINED Gonzales life, as Clinton favors COMMUNISM!!

I find it so much more simple to be Non Denominational as I find most Protestant, Catholic, & Jewish church's far to Political and I don't need that! I worked for a Jew one time when AI was young as he owned a small carpet store. He would go to synagogue on Sunday, and Monday morning he was turning the Blue with anger and cheating his customers on the value and amount of carpeting they needed!!

No these last 15 years or so my theme song is now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2u_rEcWW8M

[Yellowdogtexan]

Here is an interesting press release. It appears that the bushies and SMU are trying to do an end arround the Methodists. http://newsblaze.com/story/20080130234732nnnn.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.htmlThe delegates represent 1.83 million United Methodists living in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Louisiana. If a majority vote against leasing university property for a partisan Bush institute, it cannot be built at SMU. The Foundation hopes to rely on the bishops' interpretation in order to break ground for the institute before the delegates meet this summer.

However, Reverend David Severe, Director of Mission and Administration for the South Central Jurisdiction, wrote to an SMU professor on October 6, 2007, that "All actions taken by the Mission Council interim the Jurisdictional Conference must be ratified by the next Jurisdictional Conference session." (1)

He cited church law from the 2004 Jurisdictional Journal: "The Council shall be subject to the following and specific limitations of authority: All actions taken by The Council shall be valid and in full effect within the South Central Jurisdiction until the next regular session of the (Jurisdictional) Conference.... The chairperson of the Council shall submit to each regular quadrennial meeting of the Conference a written report of all actions taken by the Council during the quadrennium."

"To not protect their right to vote on the use of land by the George W. Bush Foundation is a violation of the democratic and open processes of our church," said Bishop Hicks. "I am worried that the disenfranchisement of Jurisdictional Conference delegates will undermine our ministry together as a church."

"I can understand why the George W. Bush Foundation does not want the Jurisdictional Conference to vote on this issue," said Andrew Weaver, a United Methodist pastor and graduate of SMU. "In recent months, colleagues and I have spoken to dozens of delegates who are increasingly questioning the wisdom of placing a partisan think tank on the grounds of a United Methodist institution. The George W. Bush Foundation wants to prevent the vote because it fears the outcome. It appears that the Bush Foundation has no respect for the laws and procedures of the president's own denomination."

"The placement of a partisan institute to promote the policies of George W. Bush at Southern Methodist University would be a tragedy," said retired Bishop C. Joseph Sprague of London, Ohio. "The policies of the Bush administration are in direct conflict with the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church on issues of war and peace, civil liberties and human rights, care for the environment, and health care. Our United Methodist identity and its moral authority would be seriously compromised were it to be identified with the policies of George W. Bush in this way."

Schubert M. Ogden, University Distinguished Professor of Theology Emeritus at Southern Methodist University, observes: "While the wisdom of establishing a library and a museum is debatable, establishing a partisan think-tank will unquestionably damage the integrity and the reputation of SMU. The partisan mission of the proposed institute is profoundly incompatible with SMU's own mission as a university and could be made a part of it only by damaging it and soiling its good-standing in the academic community. In any case, The United Methodist Church has the right to an open, honest debate on the issue, and the elected delegates to the South Central Jurisdiction should in no way be deprived of their legal right to vote."

George Henson, who teaches Spanish at SMU, stated, "It does not surprise me that the Bush Foundation is attempting to circumvent United Methodist law in order to place the Bush library and institute at SMU. A highly partisan think tank like the one planned for SMU, which exists completely outside the purview of normal academic controls and practices, is bad enough. The fact that United Methodist bishops are being asked to collaborate with Bush's representatives to circumvent the approval process is disgraceful. I am worried about the message this sends to our students."

[Zanoog]

Me too, after a lot of study, the way they back the perverted, they backed Clinton-Reno when they RUINED Gonzales life, as Clinton favors COMMUNISM!!

I find it so much more simple to be Non Denominational as I find most Protestant, Catholic, & Jewish church's far to Political and I don't need that! I worked for a Jew one time when AI was young as he owned a small carpet store. He would go to synagogue on Sunday, and Monday morning he was turning the Blue with anger and cheating his customers on the value and amount of carpeting they needed!!

No these last 15 years or so my theme song is now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2u_rEcWW8M

Am I confused? I thought Synagogue was a Saturday event? Mass is on Sunday.

[Yellowdogtexan]

Am I confused? I thought Synagogue was a Saturday event? Mass is on Sunday.I saw that but decided that it was not worth my while to point out this error. There are not sufficient hours in the day to point out all of the stupid things like this.