http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=198

8/13/2004

Religious leaders criticize Bush abuse of churches

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.

+--+ |George W. Bush is a deserter: http://www.glcq.com/bush_at_arpc1.htm |Fascist War Criminal to stand trial: http://www.PeopleJudgeBush.org +--+

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