Karen
02-19-2006, 11:59 AM
U.S. Church Alliance Denounces Iraq War
By BRIAN MURPHY, AP Religion Writer Sat Feb 18, 1:05 PM ET
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - A coalition of American churches sharply denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq (https://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Iraq) on Saturday, accusing Washington of "raining down terror" and apologizing to other nations for "the violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown."
The statement, issued at the largest gathering of Christian churches in nearly a decade, also warned the United States was pushing the world toward environmental catastrophe with a "culture of consumption" and its refusal to back international accords seeking to battle global warming.
"We lament with special anguish the war in Iraq, launched in deception and violating global norms of justice and human rights," said the statement from representatives of the 34 U.S. members of World Council of Churches. "We mourn all who have died or been injured in this war. We acknowledge with shame abuses carried out in our name."
[snip]
On Friday, the U.S. National Council of Churches — which includes many WCC members — released a letter appealing to Washington to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and saying reports of alleged torture violated "the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person."
[snip]
"Our country responded (to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks) by seeking to reclaim a privileged and secure place in the world, raining down terror on the truly vulnerable among our global neighbors ... entering into imperial projects that seek to dominate and control for the sake of national interests," said the statement. "Nations have been demonized and God has been enlisted in national agendas that are nothing short of idolatrous."
[snip] The message also accused U.S. officials of ignoring warnings about climate change and treating the world's "finite resources as if they are private possessions." It went on to criticize U.S. domestic policies for refusing to confront racism and poverty.
"Hurricane Katrina revealed to the world those left behind in our own nation by the rupture of our social contract," said the statement.
The churches said they had "grown heavy with guilt" for not doing enough to speak out against the Iraq war and other issues. The statement asked forgiveness for a world that's "grown weary from the violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown."
entire article may be found here:
https://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2006/02/18/us_church_alliance_denounces_iraq_war/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News
Venezuela's Chavez warns Rice, 'Don't mess with me' (https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060219/wl_nm/venezuela_usa_dc;_ylt=AvVLpctN0u7iaXDGE6Z2UmK9IxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NTMzazIyBHNlYwMxNjk2) Reuters
By BRIAN MURPHY, AP Religion Writer Sat Feb 18, 1:05 PM ET
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - A coalition of American churches sharply denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq (https://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Iraq) on Saturday, accusing Washington of "raining down terror" and apologizing to other nations for "the violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown."
The statement, issued at the largest gathering of Christian churches in nearly a decade, also warned the United States was pushing the world toward environmental catastrophe with a "culture of consumption" and its refusal to back international accords seeking to battle global warming.
"We lament with special anguish the war in Iraq, launched in deception and violating global norms of justice and human rights," said the statement from representatives of the 34 U.S. members of World Council of Churches. "We mourn all who have died or been injured in this war. We acknowledge with shame abuses carried out in our name."
[snip]
On Friday, the U.S. National Council of Churches — which includes many WCC members — released a letter appealing to Washington to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and saying reports of alleged torture violated "the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person."
[snip]
"Our country responded (to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks) by seeking to reclaim a privileged and secure place in the world, raining down terror on the truly vulnerable among our global neighbors ... entering into imperial projects that seek to dominate and control for the sake of national interests," said the statement. "Nations have been demonized and God has been enlisted in national agendas that are nothing short of idolatrous."
[snip] The message also accused U.S. officials of ignoring warnings about climate change and treating the world's "finite resources as if they are private possessions." It went on to criticize U.S. domestic policies for refusing to confront racism and poverty.
"Hurricane Katrina revealed to the world those left behind in our own nation by the rupture of our social contract," said the statement.
The churches said they had "grown heavy with guilt" for not doing enough to speak out against the Iraq war and other issues. The statement asked forgiveness for a world that's "grown weary from the violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown."
entire article may be found here:
https://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2006/02/18/us_church_alliance_denounces_iraq_war/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News
Venezuela's Chavez warns Rice, 'Don't mess with me' (https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060219/wl_nm/venezuela_usa_dc;_ylt=AvVLpctN0u7iaXDGE6Z2UmK9IxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NTMzazIyBHNlYwMxNjk2) Reuters