Earlier this month United Methodist bishops released statements critical of the war in Iraq (opinions echoed by other Christian bodies over the last two years and by leading Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill this week).
It didn’t take long, however, for the Republican Party –aligned Institute on Religion and Democracy to attack the United Methodists. The Christian Post reports:
“No doubt, these bishops, if transported back in history, would have impartially ‘lamented’ the ‘continued warfare’ between Allied and German forces in Normandy in 1944, while blaming the plight of millions of victims of fascist aggression on the United States,” (Mark) Tooley suggested.
Tooley, a former CIA worker, is a key staff person for IRD. IRD is funded by extremists such as Richard Mellon Scaife and staffed by Republican Party activists and has a stated goal of "reforming" all mainline churches.
Their aim is to silence the prophetic voice of mainline churches on issues such as war and peace and economic justice for the least of these.
IRD confuses partisan political activity in support of the Republican Party with living out the Gospel message.
United Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder, who teaches as a professor of pastoral formation at Duke Divinity School, wrote one of the UMC statements signed by the bishops on Iraq.
Carder rejected such criticisms (by Tooley), calling them “a distortion and failure to understand both the motivation and position that the bishops expressed in the document.”
“It is viewing the document through predominantly ideological and political lenses rather than theological and ethical lenses,” he said.
“Vicious attacks even among United Methodists are symptomatic of the deeper problems that cause war, violence and destruction.” Ultimately the bishop said he hopes everyone can commit to overcome differences in peaceful ways. “I would encourage all those who have different positions to dialogue together,” said Carder.
“This is not idealism. This is finding ways to engage, support, and promote understanding for forgiveness and justice.”
We are called to pray even for our enemies. Through their divisive actions and advocacy Tooley and IRD have proven themselves to be enemies of peace and justice in the world. I encourage people to send him a respectful message supporting the United Methodist bishops and offering a prayer that God will soften the hearts of all those at IRD so that they might hear Jesus proclaim “blessed are the peacemakers.”
Tooley’s e-mail address is: [email protected].
Related Post: The Evil Empire (aka Institute On Religion and Democracy) Strikes Back!
