After a nearly two-year losing battle, some Methodist ministers and professors mounted their final big push Wednesday to try to stop President Bush's think tank from being built as part of his presidential library complex at Southern Methodist University.
They pleaded their case to some of the 290 delegates in the church's South Central Jurisdiction, which is meeting this week in Dallas. The jurisdiction is to discuss the matter Thursday and may vote on it.
"We have faculty and research fellows who represent a wide diversity of ideological and political views; that's what strengthens a university. That's what builds its academic reputation. That is undermined when you have on the campus an institute that actually promotes one particular ideology," Valerie Karras, associate professor of church history at SMU's Perkins School of Theology, told reporters before addressing delegates.
Many of those who oppose building the think tank at SMU don't oppose the Bush presidential library and museum. University officials, however, say the public policy institute cannot be separated from the project.
Opponents say the think tank does not meet SMU or church rules because it would not be used for educational or religious purposes and would be outside the university's control.
They also say its goal of promoting the Bush administration's policies — such as the Iraq war and harsh interrogation techniques of military prisoners — conflicts with church teachings.
The jurisdiction owns the land, but SMU officials say the library complex is a done deal. In March 2007, the Methodist church's mission council — a smaller body that votes on important issues cropping up between the jurisdiction's meetings every four years — gave its blessing for SMU to lease the land for 99 years to the Bush Foundation.
The agreement has already been signed, and SMU continues working with the Bush Foundation, which will manage construction and raise money for the project. SMU was officially named the site for the library complex in February, more than a year after it was chosen as the lone finalist.
"The Methodist community continues to be true to its tradition of having many views ... and we respect all points of view," Brad Cheves, SMU's vice president for external affairs and development, said Wednesday. "The mission council spoke, and the process was followed. The real winners of this are the students, faculty and community of SMU and Dallas. We continue to be honored that SMU was chosen."
Bishop Scott Jones, an SMU board of trustees member who supports the library project, said the mission council's decision was final and that the jurisdiction does not need to vote on it.
But opponents are placing their hope in the jurisdiction's delegates, who may vote on the matter Thursday through at least one resolution after it is brought to the conference floor.
If delegates are denied a vote, opponents of the think tank may be able to appeal to the judicial council, the church's highest lawmaking body. The council would not vote on the library issue itself but could decide that proper procedures were not followed and order a vote by the jurisdiction; the whole process probably would take months.
The fight already has been long for some professors and ministers, who have garnered more than 12,000 signatures on an online petition launched some 18 months ago.
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wow schemeroo, you're so right! let's torture people without trail; continue an endless war; let the rich get richer at the expense of the poor; let's detain children; cut funds for health and retirements; heck, let's just keep dabbling on Saddam and 'al-quea..whatever' and not 'dare' prosecute the genocide, murder, and rape crimes of literally half of Africa's leaders and militias.
In my own right, as a graduate of two Catholic universities, I would be embarrassed to have the bush presidency at my school. I shudder at the thought.. think tank? What a joke.
crc, we could all append "Argue if you want but your(sic) wasting your time if you do" after each one of our posts, couldn't we?
What did I post that was inappropriate? Did I mention that George Bush has certainly given a bad name to the title "evangelical Christian," and that I pray to God we will never have another president like him? Was that it?
Think tank? Bush? This is a joke, right? The two concepts are incompatible.
Besides, all Bush 43 is gonna need is a surplus FEMA trailer for his coloring book and one volume of "Reader's Digest" condensed books.
What a bunch of backslidden hogwash!
Harvard University – Reverend John Harvard gave half his property and his entire library to start this world renowned institution. Harvard’s original motto was: “For Christ and the Church.†The goal of a Harvard education was to establish Christian principles in the minds of students according to the Word of God.
Yale University – Yale was patterned after the design of Harvard. The founders of Yale were authorized to create an institution where “youth may be instructed in the Arts and Sciences who through the blessing of Almighty God may be fit for employment both in the Church and Civil State.â€Â
Princeton University – Reverend Jonathan Dickson, Princeton’s first president, once said, “Cursed be all learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.†Established during the First Great Awakening, the college was a direct result of spiritual revival and a recommitment of the early colonies to further a degree of excellence in education.
University of Pennsylvania – Originally founded by Quakers under the Morill Act.
Brown University – First chartered as Rhode Island College, Baptist followers of Roger Williams founded the school “to train ministers and educate youth properly in the Christian faith.â€Â
Boston University – “Learning, Virtue, and Piety†is the motto of one of the finest of the many learning institutions in Boston.
And more...
http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0372_Schools_of_the_North.html
The Bible says the state wields the sword and that is it's job. This makes it clear that this along with old testament examples of political power are clearly differentiated from the principles for personal Christian living. Some are the same but some like defense are different. For this reason I see no problem with water boarding to get terrorist to speak and more than that I think God expects us to do it to protect the rest of the nation. Argue if you want but your wasting your time if you do.
I agree, the world would be so much safer is Saddam was still in power and those poor folks in Gitmo were on our streets. Not to mention our economy would be doing sooo much better if we had just had higher taxes! Bush is so evil!
Bush certainly sullied the title "evangelical Christian." God, spare us any more presidents like this one!