We honor their courage and sense of duty, but ... we, as people of faith, have to say to our brothers and sisters, `We are so profoundly sorry,'" Watkins said.Sorry for what? Sorry that the soldiers that they supposedly honor have been "raining down terror" on the people of Iraq and are participating in sowing the seeds of international "violence, degradation and poverty?" Oh, no. We wouldn't want anyone to think that this attitude was in any way undermining US troops in Iraq.
Also included in the two-page statement was a condemnation the current US government for ignoring critical international environmental needs (ie. global warming) and an assertion that, "Hurricane Katrina revealed to the world those left behind in our own nation by the rupture of our social contract."
In addition, the American churches issued a letter in support of the UN demand that the American prison facilities at Guantanamo Bay be closed, saying reports of alleged torture violated "the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person."
I have always supported those who bring their Christian conscience to bear against US policies both foreign and domestic. But I have little patience or empathy with church leaders such as these (who also represent the majority membership of the National Council of Churches) that will "speak truth to power" when condemning the United States but will not condemn the international Islamist movement and the terrorism that it has spawned as an explicit act of war against the United States, Western Civilization and the Christian Faith.
I can hardly wait to hear what they will have to say about Hamas as the new governing party in Palestine. I won't be holding my breath.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Bird, stop making sense! I guess if anyone needs to be lectured about "the dignity of the human person," it's us.
2 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
There you have the WCC, BoP. Empty churches, empty headed church administrators (I won't insult you by calling any of them pastors).
Reform Judaism, and more and more, Conservative Judaism, is not much different.
Another case of everyone jumping into the same garbage bin.
3 - Bird of Paradise
A friendly comment from Wesley Pattillo at my website has identified a major error in my post. I had conflated the representatives of American churches attending the World Council of Churches with the National Council of Churches. 34 US churches signed the statement and 35 churches are members of the NCC. This coincidence also added to my error. As requested I offer my apologies to the NCC and will attempt to make appropriate corrections to my posting. Given, however, the fact that the US/American churches attending the WCC are virtually identical to the churches that are members of the NCC the position adopted by them this past week obviously reflects the position of member churches in the NCC although not serving as an official position of the latter. An example of this can be found here, where the President of the NCC has initiated a letter (now signed by over 13,000 people) in support of the UNs call for the US to close the prison facility at Guantanamo. It would seem that the only difference between the American churches attending the WCC and the NCC itself is the letterhead.
Further Note: According to the WCC website there are 33 member churches from North America (including Canada). The NCC website shows 35 member churches, 21 of which are WCC members.
4 - sr
World council of churces my ass. Thats the equivalence of the liberal god CNN. Monkey see, monkey do.
5 - Chromatius
"universally held belief that Iraq still possessed WMD"
Not around here. Which is why somewhere between one and wo million people marched against the war in London, the biggest in history. That incumbent politicans and most of the corporate media said so doesn't make it universal, or even near universal.
Not even universal in the UK or US intelligence community, actually. As we're discovering.
Not in much of the world actually....
6 - Chromatius
"Similar actions for similar reasons had previously been affirmed when the issue concerned the former Yugoslavia (when Bill Clinton was President)."
Just demonstrates US criminality n foreign policy is not confined to the Republicans or neo-cons. No surprise there.
Different techniques and mood music is all... "international community", UN strongarm stuff, lies, provocation, media complicity (notably what I'd call "liberal" media in particular - the Guardian, Independent - as well as the usual suspects) etc etc.
There's a very good reason Bosnia and Kosovo have become major staging points for what most of you would probably call "Islamic Terror": they were patronised by the US in the campaign against Yugoslavia, just as in Afghanistan.
For me Yugoslavia was the moment when things went really wrong in quite a new way. The Gulf War had its obvious horrors and crimes, but a new alignment of lies and liars came into being with that one. The NGO-isation of the business of war and propaganda, is one element. And the liberal media propaganda, is another.
7 - cmcintosh
I still can't see in the Christian gosples--which are supposed to provide moral guidance for our lives--where Christ gave justification for any violence let alone war!
8 - adam
"I can hardly wait to hear what they will have to say about Hamas as the new governing party in Palestine. I won't be holding my breath."
We built the Taliban
We built Hamas
Whatever we do in the Middle East
Comes back to bite us in the ass
Let’s get out of the Middle East
Before we have no ass.
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Amen, Adam! Go on! Get out of here!
10 - Mar
Thanks for exposing the World Council of Churches!
I have been trying to do that for years!
11 - adam
Ruvy, you are so right.
"Amen, Adam! Go on! Get out of here!"
But we need you to come with us or it won't work.
12 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Adam writes,
But we need you to come with us or it won't work.
This old goat has to stay in his home. He made too many sacrifices to leave the land of the "free" and the home of the "brave." This is my home, now.
So you guys go home... I stay home.