They met on a Friday. In Brazil. Porto Alegre to be precise. 17 February 2006. Who did? Answer: The World Council of Churches. For their 9th Assembly.
Entirely willing to declare self-interest for the host country President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged churches and religious leaders to cooperate more closely and speed social and economic reforms in Latin America's largest nation. They had, he said, "an irreplaceable role in the task of transforming Brazil." Read transforming for transcending and who could want for anything more. Or less. For its burdens of widespread poverty and both poor and patchy public services, despite economic growth.
From there and for their part in the proceedings this largest gathering of Christian churches in a decade spoke out. To the U.S. which they warned was pushing the world toward environmental catastrophe with a "culture of consumption" and its refusal to support international accords 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."
Repeat: "Our name".
The WCC has more than 350 mainstream Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches. U.S. groups include the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, several Orthodox churches and Baptist denominations..
This WCC statement is in both reality and perception part of a widening religious pressure on the Bush administration. The Very Rev. Kishkovsky, moderator for the U.S. group members, said the statement was backed by church leaders only. An officer of the Orthodox Church of America he added, "I believe church leaders and communities are wrestling with the moral questions that this letter is addressing."
On the same Friday, the U.S. National Council of Churches - with many WCC members - released a letter appealing to Washington to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Alleged torture there violated "the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person."
As we know what made the news headlines was the White House's denunciation of the United Nations. Religious denunciation's - evangelicals upon the rest - would be altogether too fragile a thing to do in 2006.
The Rev. Sharon Watkins, president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), worried that some may interpret the language as undermining U.S. troops in Iraq.
"Our country responded [to 9/11] 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," it said. "Nations have been demonized and God has been enlisted in national agendas that are nothing short of idolatrous."
"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 added.
U.S. officials were accused of ignoring warnings about climate change and treating the world's "finite resources as if they are private possessions."
Last but by no means least there was sharp criticism of 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," the statement said and asked forgiveness for a world that's "grown weary from the violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown."
Bush bash? Yes, and more. As a cult for Self deserves. A whole and shared guilt's way of allocating 'credits' where they are due.
Truly,
