Church leaders plan dialogues on
security concerns
By Tim Tanton
WASHINGTON (UMNS)-United Methodist bishops are taking the first steps
toward starting a churchwide conversation on the issue of international
security.
"Throughout the globe, there is a deep concern about security in an era of
terrorism," said Bishop Timothy Whitaker, leader of the denomination's
Florida Area. "Certainly the people of the United States of America are
preoccupied with the issue of security, and whenever the most powerful
nation on earth is preoccupied with an issue, the rest of the nations have
to be preoccupied with that issue."
The Council of Bishops voted Nov. 4 to discuss a paper on security at
their meeting next spring. Afterward, the bishops will hold discussions
about that document among United Methodists in their areas and report back
to the council. Bishop Walter Klaiber of Germany will write the paper,
which will be titled, "In Search of Security: An Invitation to a
Conversation."
The final outcome of the conversation is open ended, said Whitaker,
convener of the bishops' Task Force on "In Search of Security." The
council might decide to authorize publication of a major study on security
that would be released to the church, or it might approve joining with
other denominations in releasing such a study to the public and policy
makers, he said.
The bishops, meeting Nov. 2-7 in Washington, are the top clergy leaders of
the 10 million-member United Methodist Church. Nearly 112 active and
retired bishops from around the world are attending the semiannual
meeting.
Whitaker and Klaiber emphasized the importance of providing a theological
underpinning for the conversation on security, to give people a biblically
based perspective for examining public policy and their own behavior.
"We think it would be extremely significant if United Methodists across
the United States and around the globe were involved in a conversation
about the search for security in light of the biblical witness of faith in
God," Whitaker said.
In the conversations, people would reflect on the validity of phrases such
as "war on terrorism," Whitaker said in a written report. They also would
discuss global public policies regarding terrorism, "such as the storage
and development of weapons of mass destruction by nation-states of the
West and the national security strategy of the United States."
"We think it would be morally irresponsible for the Christian community to
be silent while security is being defined in terms that do not take into
account the perspective of faith or that may be contradictory to the
perspective of faith," Whitaker told the bishops as he presented the
report.
He noted that the United Methodist Board of Church and Society is also
working on a paper on terrorism, which will be helpful to the bishops. The
bishops' paper will have a broader scope and will relate to the dialogue
that is occurring around the world on terrorism, he said.
Measures taken to improve security in the United States in the wake of the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have given rise to concerns by church
and secular groups about the erosion of liberties and other implications
for public policy.
The council seems to be in a mode of study, and action may be six months
to a year away, said Bishop Felton Edwin May, leader of the church's
Washington Area. In the meantime, he said, "freedoms are being wiped
away." Did the committee discuss what could be done now? he asked.
Whitaker replied that the task force's proposal allows the council to act
at any time with a statement or other action, and he said bishops could
also act individually if they felt the need.
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