The Monthly Update
June,
2002 Update
Bits and Pieces from across the
United Methodist
Church
When the Bible
speaks about church unity, it speaks of unity not at the expense of truth but
on the basis of it.
– The Navigators’ Daily Walk, October 30, 1994
* * * * *
Of Interest.
+ Thomas Roughface, head of
Oklahoma Indian
conference, dies
The Rev. Thomas Roughface, superintendent of the
Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, died May 9 at
Oklahoma University Medical Center following complications from injuries sustained in an
April 28 automobile accident. Roughface, 66, a member
of the Ponca tribe in White Eagle, Okla., worked for 43 years in the ministry of the
conference and served five parishes. Active at the denominational level, he
worked on several churchwide boards and agencies and
was a seven-time delegate to General and jurisdictional conferences. His wife,
Patricia, a Chickasaw, died last Thanksgiving, and Roughface
and his family had just ended the tribal period of mourning. The family marked the
end of the period by sponsoring a feast and give-away in honor of her life. Roughface is survived by six children and a host of
grandchildren.
- United Methodist News Service (UMMNS); Linda
Green; Nashville, Tenn.; 10-34-71BP{219}; May 9, 2002.
+ Congress spares clergy housing allowance
WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Congress appears
to have saved a key federal income tax exemption for clergy members: the
housing allowance. The Clergy Housing Allowance Clarification Act of 2002 has
been sent to President Bush, who is expected to sign it soon. The House of Representatives
passed the bill on April 16, and the Senate approved it on
May 2. The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits supported
efforts to keep the allowance
- UMNS; Joretta Purdue; Washington; 10-71B{216};
May
9, 2002
Homosexuality. Rev. Mark
Edward Williams, a pastor at Seattle's Woodland Park UMC who disclosed his homosexuality
at the Pacific Northwest Conference's 2001 annual meeting, will continue in his
appointment while under disciplinary review. The UM Judicial Council, deciding
it erred last fall in mandating such
suspensions, said authority in the matter rests with bishops alone. The Book of
Discipline requires that pastors be suspended when their conduct affects the
life of the congregation, the pastor's own life, or the lives of others.
Pacific Northwest Bishop Elias Galvan told the Associated Press, "I don't
see at the present time that any of those situations have happened."
[Note: In effect, if a bishop supports the homosexual lifestyle against the
Bible and the Book of Discipline, nothing can be done to fire him nor pastors
who are engaging in that practice. This is a serious problem for our
denomination. In addition, this reflects a serious failure on the part of one
of our “episcopal leaders.”]
-
United Methodist Reporter, as
reprinted in the Oregon-Idaho UMConnector and quoted in Newscope, May 17, 2002
The Good Stuff.
+ Gambling
industry seeks to exploit Sept. 11, clergyman says
[Note: Even though this news release is dated, we believe that it is of
sufficient importance to publicize now.] WASHINGTON (UMNS) -- A spokesman for
an anti-gambling coalition is challenging the U.S. Senate to reject efforts by
the gaming industry to obtain special tax breaks being developed in the wake of
the Sept. 11
tragedies. The gambling industry is trying to exploit the events of Sept. 11
for its own gain, said the Rev. Tom Grey, a United Methodist clergyman and
director of the National Coalition Against Gambling
Expansion. In a Nov. 12 statement, Grey said America
historically has called on the best instincts of its people during times of
crisis. "America
has asked its citizens to sacrifice and to build, not to gamble with their
children's future," he said. Gambling interests are asking Congress for a
tax break of billions of dollars as part of the economic
stimulus proposals. At the same time, the industry is promising states more gambling
revenue to shore up government budgets if it is allowed to expand.
Gambling proponents are using
similar arguments of economic need to push legislation in…states [such as]
Rhode
Island, Minnesota,
New Hampshire, Indiana,
Ohio and Kansas,
according to Grey. States that defeated
expansion legislation or held the line with mixed results in recent years will
be subject to renewed pressure, he said. In the past, gambling opponents could
debate the merits of such proposals, Grey said, but today, political leaders
are looking more favorably on taxes from gambling operations as a source of
revenue. At the same time, Grey said, gambling interests are seeking a tax
break at the federal level as part of the proposed economic incentive measures.
"How can that be? What does America
gain from using taxpayers' hard-earned money to subsidize a predatory industry
that exploits the old, the poor and the addicted - and couldn't exist without
their money?" he asked. Grey cited a recent study by Earl Grinols, a professor at the University
of Illinois, showing governments
lose money when they support gambling. The study documents that for every $1
the government collects in gambling taxes, it loses $2 through decreased
business taxes, increased crime and corruption, and higher social costs arising
from addicted gamblers and gambling-related abuse, divorce and welfare, Grey said.
He called upon citizens to urge
members of Congress, particularly their senators, to reject the proposed
gambling subsidy. "What's the difference between subsidizing gambling and
subsidizing big tobacco?" Grey asked. "Both industries are destructive
and prey on those who become addicted to their products."
- UMNS; by Joretta Purdue; Washington; 10-21-71B{538}; Nov. 15, 2001
+ One Minute Prayer Time
In W.W.II, there was an advisor to Churchill who
organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a
prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people, and peace. There is now a group of
people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate, every evening at
9:00 PM Eastern Time, 8:00 PM Central Time, stop whatever you are doing and
spend one minute praying for the safety
of the United States, its citizens, and for peace in the world. If you know anyone else who would
like to participate, please pass this along. Together, we CAN make a
difference!! Thank You and God Bless America. – Received by
E-mail.
+ Lee Hee Ho, first
lady of the Republic of Korea
and a 1958 graduate of Scarritt College for Christian Workers, was honored May 7 by the
school's successor for her work in bringing peace and justice to her country.
The Scarritt-Bennett Center, a UM retreat and educational facility in
Nashville, gave Lee the Outstanding Leadership in Peace and
Justice Award. "Your leadership of women's organizations and associations
in Korea brought hope and empowerment to many," said the
Rev. Carolyn Oehler, executive director of
Scarritt-Bennett Center. "Scarritt is my
second home," said Lee. "It is here that . . . with my friends . . .
we talked and dreamed about the future." [Note: She was originally
sponsored into the United States and supported by the late Dr. & Mrs. J. R. Crowe
and people in their local Methodist Church while he was a colonel in the Air Force stationed in Korea. Dr. Crowe was a member of the Advisory Board of
Concerned Methodists.]
- UMNS; by
Martha Pilcher; Nashville, Tenn.; 10-35-71BP{217}; Feb. 25,
2002.; as quoted in Newscope,
May
17, 2002.
(UM) Bishops. UM Bishops’ Meeting
+ Bishops speak out on clergy sexual abuse
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (UMNS) - United Methodist bishops, meeting April
28-May 3, declared that clerics who "abuse children or who are sexual
predators" will not be "shielded or protected" by church
authorities…The 150-member Council of Bishops vowed at its semi-annual meeting
to "prevent and eradicate sexual abuse and misconduct" from all
levels of
church life. In fact, the United Methodist Church has worked for more than 20 years to strengthen the
laws in its Book of Discipline regarding ethical and moral conduct of clergy,
said Bishop Sharon Rader, council secretary and leader of the church's
Wisconsin Area. [Note: One wonders if heterosexual immorality and homosexual
activity are included in this resolution.]
The United Methodist Church has 9.7 million members worldwide. United Methodists
represent the third largest Christian body in the United States with 8.4 million members, behind the Roman Catholics
and Southern Baptists. The United Methodist Church has about 36,000 local congregations and 40,000 clergy
in the United
States.
- UMNS; by M.
Garlinda Burton; Nashville, Tenn.; 10-21-71BP{201}.;
May 3,
2002.
+ Bishops support proposed reforms to
help poor children
The bishops have pledged their support for a
comprehensive proposal to the U.S. Congress to increase funding for low-cost
child care and Head Start, extend health-care coverage to 9 million uninsured
children and provide a greater safety net for low-income families. Members
agreed to spend June 12 in Washington
in cooperation with the national lobby group, the
Children's Defense Fund The council comprises nearly 150 active and retired
bishops from the United States, Africa, Europe and the Philippines. During their semi-annual meeting, bishops heard
progress reports on their churchwide initiative to
advocate for children living in poverty and their families. As part of that
review, Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman outlined the
provisions of the legislation now before Congress. The comprehensive proposal,
addressing everything from environmental safety to after-school programs for
at-risk youth, was introduced a year ago by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.).
Its provisions include:
2
· Ensuring health-care
coverage and access to care for the nation's estimated 9.2 million children currently
uninsured.
· Providing block grants
to states to help negotiate and collect child support on behalf of
single-parent heads of
households.
· Giving tax relief to
low- to moderate-income families with children.
· Increasing the minimum wage and access to unemployment benefits for working
families.
· Repairing existing schools, building new schools in low-income areas,
and providing support and training for teachers.
In her May 1 address to the bishops, Edelman declared, "More than 12
million U.S. children live in poverty. And millions more are
hungry, homeless or at risk for housing. This is unacceptable in the richest
nation in the world. These are not acts of God; they are moral and political
choices," she added. "We have the money (to support children). We
don't have a money problem, we have a values problem." Edelman further
urged the church to challenge political rhetoric and wrong
assumptions about the issues affecting children living in poverty – and their
families. [Note: Edelman and the CDF are viewed as being on the extreme left
politically. Her ideology is problematic.]
- UMNS;
by M. Garlinda Burton; Nashville,
Tenn.; 10-21-71BP{205}.; May
6, 2002.
+ First woman takes office as Council of Bishops
president
For the first time in the history of the
United Methodist Church, the top two officers of the Council of Bishops will
be
women. Bishop Sharon A. Brown Christopher of the Illinois Area became the
first woman to assume the office of president on May 3, and Bishop Sharon Rader
of the Wisconsin Area continues as secretary, an office she has held since
1996. [Note: Rader was one of the “Denver 15” who participated in a news release supportive of
homosexuality at the 1996 General Conference in Denver.] Bishop Ruediger R. Minor
of the Eurasia Area was elected president-elect. He
will become president at the council's 2003 spring meeting and will serve until
the bishops meet at the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh.
- UMNS; by J. Richard Peck and as reported by M. Garlinda Burton;
Nashville, Tenn.; 10-21-71BP{206}.;
May 6,
2002.
+ Bishops seek audience with Bush, call for Mideast peace
UM Bishops want to meet with U.S. President George Bush to express their
concerns about the testing and use of nuclear weapons following the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks on America. Claiming "ethical restraint has been
compromised" in the name of the "war on terrorism," the
150-member international Council of Bishops reiterated the church's stand
against nuclear weapons and recommitted itself to witnessing for peace during
this time of conflict. The bishops adopted the statement, "In the
Aftermath of 9-11," [which] said they will seek an audience with Bush, a
United Methodist, to remind him of the church's stands on war, weapons and the
ways of peace. The church's highest legislative assembly, the General
Conference, has spelled out those positions in the Social Principles, which:
· Denounce war as "incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ,"
while acknowledging that "force of arms"
may be needed to counter "unchecked
aggression, tyranny and genocide."
· Call for condemnation of "the production, possession or use of
nuclear weapons."
In other action, the bishops heard from a delegation of colleagues who recently
returned from a fact-finding trip to the Middle East and Pakistan. Members of the team met with Palestinian and Israeli
religious and political leaders, as
well as grass-roots citizens, to learn how the crisis in that region had affected
people's lives and communities.
[Note: It should be
remembered that the bishops do not have a good record when dealing with
international relations and matters of defense. The “fact-finding trips” have
been of questionable effectiveness. See the appendix “Nicaragua - A Case Study” of the book The Church in Bondage on the Concerned Methodists website: http://cmpage.org. As far as our country having
nuclear weapons, it would be suicide for us not to have them in the dangerous
world in which we live. The recommendations made are impractical and would not
be tolerated by these same bishops if similar proposals were offered within the
polity of the church]....The bishops called for an immediate cease-fire in
Israel and the Palestinian territories and criticized both sides for using
violence against civilians...and reaffirmed the "right of the peoples of
Palestine and Israel to live within nations which have safe and secure
borders."
- UMNS; by M.
Garlinda Burton; Nashville, Tenn.; 10-21-71BP{208}.;
May 7,
2002.
+ Bishops hold first dialogue on homosexuality,
discuss racism
The denomination's 30-year-old ban on ordaining gay
men and lesbians remains, but United Methodist leaders admit there is a large
and vocal minority of faithful, biblically grounded Christians who disagree
with the official stand. To that end, the United Methodist bishops meeting
April 28-May 3 participated in the first of four churchwide
conversations designed
3
to "create open, grace-filled space" for
people to discuss, disagree about and acknowledge the "deep wounds"
experienced
by the church around this issue. For nearly 20 years,
church law as recorded in the Book of Discipline has included a ban on the
ordination of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" and has espoused
"fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness." And while acknowledging
the "sacred worth" of homosexuals, church law condemns homosexual
practices as "incompatible with Christian teaching."
At their spring meeting, members of
the Council of Bishops sat around tables to discuss their feelings and
theological understandings about the issue that many have feared would split
the 9.7-million-member denomination. Their comments came in response to papers
presented by two respected scholars, the Rev. Billy Abraham of Perkins School
of Theology in Dallas and the Rev. Donald Messer of Iliff
School of Theology in Denver. Quoting Galatians 3:28-29, Messer declared that
inclusiveness of all people was a "precondition of being the one catholic,
apostolic" church of Jesus Christ. He also asked the bishops to consider whether, like
the church's "dramatic" change in how we now view divorce, there is
some "new revelation or understanding from God" about sexual
identify. Abraham countered that the gospel of Christ "is not about inclusivism or exclusivism. It's
not even about sex." Rather, he said that the church – and its bishops -
is called to ensure "that God's Word for us in Christ is fulfilled and
practiced." He stressed that the "final ultimate word of God" clearly
affirms sexual unions among married, heterosexual partners only.
In their follow-up conversations,
the bishops weighed in. Chicago Area Bishop C. Joseph Sprague took issue with
the notion that homosexuality is, by definition, flawed. He asserted that if
God creates gay men and lesbians, "God brings them to wholeness where they
are." Retired Bishop Richard Looney of Lake Junaluska, N.C., defended the church's current stand. "I would
hope that our current position would be viewed as a loving one. We don't have
signs outside our churches that say, 'No homosexuals allowed,'" he said.
"We do have a position on the practice of homosexuality, and it is
consistent with the Scriptures."
The three other churchwide
dialogues will involve members of the General Council on Ministries, youth and
young adults, and people of color in leadership in the denomination. Planners
hope to encourage similar conversations at the regional and local church
levels.
The bishops also spent a day
examining racism and its effect on their work and life. They discussed the
challenges of appointing pastors across lines of race, and asserted the need
for more training and preparation for congregations and clergy in order to make
successful cross-racial appointments. Led by the Rev. Chester Jones, top staff
executive of the churchwide Commission on Religion
and Race, the workshop challenged the bishops to explore their own roles in
either promoting or eradicating racism from the process of appointing and
promoting clergy. Bishop William Dew of the Phoenix Area was among those who
stressed the importance of education and training for local churches in
receiving and working with a pastor of a race or culture different than that of
the congregation. "You can never prepare the church enough," he said.
He also urged his colleagues to identify churches and pastors that are ready for
cross-racial appointment and to offer them "visible support" before, during
and after the assignment is made. For a church about to receive a new pastor
from another racial group, the role of the current pastor in that slot
"plays a key role in whether or not the transition is a smooth one,"
said Bishop Joel Martinez of the denomination's San Antonio (Texas) Area.
"They lay the groundwork for the church, so we've got to work with all
pastors and the cabinet to see that cross-racial appointments succeed." Still,
the bishops' tenacity and commitment to de segregating churches determine the
success of pastors appointed across racial lines, declared Bishop G. Lindsey
Davis of the Atlanta Area. "The main stumbling block to cross-racial
appointments belong at our feet," he said.
"If we lack the moral courage to do what we need to do, then racism will
continue to be a problem." [Note: The continuing discussions are designed
to wear down opposition to this practice and get it accepted.]
In other business during their spring meeting, the bishops:
· Adopted a message to the church for Labor Day (in the United States, Sept.
2), emphasizing the right of all workers to receive a "living wage" and
calling on governments around the world to allow workers to organize unions to
protect their rights.
· Asked its executive committee to plan a trip for the Council of Bishops to Vieques, Puerto
Rico, during the group's
Nov. 3-8 meeting in San
Juan, "as an
expression of the council's corporate witness." (Bishop Juan Vera of the
affiliated autonomous Methodist Church of Puerto Rico has been among the church
leaders opposing the U.S. Navy's use of the island for bombing exercises).
[Note: Again, one wonders why there is so much “outrage” over the use of Vieques for a training are yet nothing is said about the
atrocities committed in Castro’s prisons in Cuba.]
· Named Mississippi
Bishop Kenneth Carder to deliver the Episcopal Address at the 2004 General
Conference in
Pittsburgh.
- UMNS; by M. Garlinda Burton; Nashville, Tenn.; 10-21-28-32-71BP{211}.;
May
7, 2002.
4
(UM) General Board of Church and
Society. Hunger
Summit speakers
urge church to mobilize
WASHINGTON (UMNS) - If the mostly United Methodist participants at the Hunger
Summit were not fired up before evangelist Tony Campolo
spoke on bread and justice, they may well have been afterward. "Evangelism
is not recruiting people for heaven; it's for changing the world into what it
ought to be," declared Campolo, an
American Baptist Church clergyman. Jesus' only description of judgment day is
given in the context of how people treat the poor and hungry, he noted.
"One of the things we have to recognize," he said, "is that it's
hard to preach good news to the poor without preaching bad news to the
rich." The May 9-10 event was produced by the United Methodist Board of
Church and Society, the Society of St. Andrew hunger relief organization and
Wesley Theological Seminary. [Note: This is a problem with an open-ended series
of solutions. The first question that comes to mind is, “Why doesn’t our church
step into the breach and actually do a better job of feeding the hungry instead
of spending church dollars on lobbying?”]
- UMNS; by Joretta Purdue; Washington ;
10-21-71BP{222}; May 14, 2002; as quoted in the UMNS Weekly Digest for
May 13-17, available on website: http://umns.umc.org/dailynews.html
UM Women. United Methodist Women send child care message to Congress
WASHINGTON (UMNS) - The
officers of United Methodist Women visited the Capitol on May 15 to fulfill a
mission for children. They delivered messages from more than 6,750 church women
who had written concerns about child care on oversize postcards during a recent
assembly in Philadelphia. In their messages, the women expressed their care
for children and the need for providing day care that working parents can
afford. Most of the cards were delivered to Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), who has agreed to have some read into the
Congressional Record. The delegation also left cards at the offices of key
senators. [Note: We have reports from RENEW representatives who had attended
this meeting that this letter-writing campaign had been orchestrated by the
event organizers. Again, one question that comes to mind is, “Why doesn’t our
church step into the breach and actually do a better job of caring for these
children?”]
-UMNS, by Joretta Purdue; Washington;
10-23-71BP{227}; May 16, 2002. As quoted in the UMNS Weekly Digest for
May 13-17, available on website: http://umns.umc.org/dailynews.html
* * * * *
The
alternative to discipline is disaster. – The Navigators’ Daily Walk, November 2, 1992
Global Outlook
"Direct my thought, words and work,
wash away my sins in the immaculate Blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by
Thy Holy Spirit. Daily frame me more and more into the
likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ."
- Prayer from President George Washington
* * * * *
Korea. Korean
pastors lobby, study in United
States
WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Eighteen Methodist pastors from Korea visited the nation's capital May 15-18 to learn and
lobby as part of a study tour that also included stops in Nashville and New York. They were accompanied by the
Rev. Kil Sang Yoon of the Board of Higher Education
and Ministry. In Washington, they met with United Methodist Board of Church and
Society (GBCS) executives to hear how the agency's ministries are organized.
They also met with staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the
House International Relations Subcommittee, and spoke in favor of the reunification
of North and South
Korea,
an official end to the Korean War and the reunification of families across the
38th parallel. [Note: The calls for the reunification of North and South Koreas despite the fact that the northern country is under
the rule of an atheistic dictatorship is a purely political action with no
thought as to its advisability.]
- As quoted in the UMNS Weekly Digest for May 13-17, available on website: http://umns.umc.org/dailynews.html
Pakistan. Christians must offer light, hope, says Pakistan bishop
NEW YORK (UMNS) - Christians in Pakistan and elsewhere must provide a positive alternative to
extremists who advocate violence, according to a prominent bishop there. "The
terrorists are the ambassadors of death and destruction," said Bishop Alexander
John Malik of the Diocese of Lahore,
Church of Pakistan. "We as the followers of Christ ought to be the
ambassadors of light and hope." Comprising eight dioceses, the current
Church of Pakistan is the result of a
union in 1970 with Anglicans, Lutherans, United Methodists and Scottish Presbyterians.
Malik, calls himself an "Anglican-plus."
Christians are continuing to appeal for an end to Pakistan's blasphemy laws. The situation in Afghanistan remains a concern for Pakistan. Malik believes a strong
government is needed there. "If you leave Afghans alone, they will start
fighting again," he said. - UMNS; Linda Bloom; New York; 10-21-33-71B{213}; May 8, 2002
5
Presbyterian Church (PCUSA). The
Presbyterians in the pews rejected Amendment 01-A to their church constitution (which
would have legitimized the ordination of those engaged in homosexual practice
in that church’s denomination.). A handful of churches and ministers are
publicly saying that they will not obey the Constitution, which requires
“fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness.” Stated Clerk Clifton
Kirkpatrick, is our denomination’s chief constitutional officer, is
contributing to [the] defiance in that he says that the meaning of “chastity”
is not clear. Therefore, he argues, each local governing body can come up with
its own definition. And some are doing exactly that:
- Wayne Osborne, a
Stamford, Conn. Elder who openly boasted of his same-sex
partnership, told his presbytery
that he
was “chaste in the eyes of God.”
- “Reverend” Kathleen
Morrison, who told the San Francisco
Examiner that she enjoys a sexual relationship with another
woman, declared
to Redwoods Presbytery that she is “chaste” by her definition of the term.
Many churches are protesting
the failures of Louisville’s [The central office for that denomination.]
leadership by withholding their per capita contributions… Per contributions
clearly are voluntary, and advocacy of discipline is clearly within the rights
of [local] church officers. Yet the Stated Clerk’s opinions are encouraging
church bureaucrats to coerce protesting churches. [All this sounds familiar to
United Methodists.]
-
Letter received from Dr. Parker T. Williamson of the Presbyterian Lay
Committee, March 22, 2002
Sudan. Report from
Stephen F. Noll:
Subject: Sudanese Gathering Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 22:47:50 +0300
Over this past weekend, we have had a visit
from Fran Boyle, an American from Truro (Uganda) Church who has a big heart for the Sudanese people.
The event occurred on Sunday afternoon, with 21 Sudanese students and their
families. We have 21 at Mukono, and there are several
more at Kabale and also at the neighboring seminary
in Namugongo. Their stories are heart-rending. They
all know instinctively how to jump into foxholes when they hear the drone of
the Antonov cargo planes sent by their own government
to kill them. One of our students is a widow whose husband was killed in the
war and is here with her small children. But the hardships they have endured
have borne rich fruit as well. The Church has grown in great numbers in Sudan, and most black Africans identify themselves with
Christianity. They say that the persecution has helped them overcome ancient
feuds and suspicions between tribal groups, uniting them in their common need. I
was able to read to them an internet report about the peace accords just signed
Switzerland. The agreement would allow humanitarian aid to enter
the Nuba mountains which
have been a major area where the government is between the Government of Sudan
and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in starving its own people.
While they welcomed the news of the cease-fire, most of the Sudanese at our
gathering did not believe any long-term solution would work other than
separation. Hence they speak of New Sudan (i.e. Southern Sudan). Whether the hope for partition is realistic, I do
not know (note the recent partitions in the former Yugoslavia). The students believe that America is their only earthly hope for the future. They are
very grateful for the chance to advance their education at UCU
[University]...[which] might be a kind of light to the nations, especially for
people from nearby countries (Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Sudan) which have very
little educational infrastructure.
- Faith J. H. McDonnell; Institute on
Religion and Democracy; Website: www.ird-renew.org
Vietnam.
Vietnamese religious leaders visit U.S. church
groups
NEW YORK (UMNS) - A delegation of Vietnamese religious leaders
spoke about tolerance in their country and expressed thanks for past
cooperation during meetings with U.S. church leaders. In May 9-13 visits to
New York and
Washington, the Buddhist and Christian clerics met with National
Council of Churches and Church World Service executives, as well as
representatives of the United Methodist agencies. Vietnamese government
officials also were on
the trip, and leader Le Quang Vinh
refuted claims that Vietnam has no religious freedom. The group Human Rights
Watch has charged the government with oppression of Vietnam's Christian Montagnards,
but Vinh said that was a political issue, not a
religious one. [Note: Once again, this reflects money given to the National
Council of Churches and Church World Service by well-intentioned Christians
being used to promote Marxist disinformation. There is too much personal
experience that shows the situation in this country as not as portrayed here.
Ecumenical church leaders are being mislead here – and
its influence is being spread using church media from our denomination.]
-UMNS, by Linda Bloom; Washington; 10-33-71BP{220};
May
13, 2002. As quoted in the UMNS Weekly Digest
for
May 13-17, available on website: http://umns.umc.org/dailynews.html
* * * * *
"Indeed, I tremble for my country
when I reflect that God is just."
--Thomas Jefferson
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