Title: ELCA Presiding Bishop Asks Church for Conversation about Iraq War ELCA NEWS SERVICE
January 29, 2007
ELCA Presiding Bishop Asks Church for Conversation about Iraq War 07-012-AL
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- As the U.S. Congress debates its response to the dispatch of additional troops to Iraq, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sent a message Jan. 26 to ordained and professional lay leaders of the ELCA, asking them to engage ELCA congregations in dialogue on the war and to continue to pray for peace.
In his letter, "A Call to Conversation on Iraq," Hanson encouraged ELCA members to engage in the national debate on the nature and direction of the Iraq war with "intentionality, seriousness and vigor."
"We must bring the best insights from our faith, our theology, our experience and our intellect to this challenge, engaging in what will be difficult conversations in our congregations, communities and with our elected officials," Hanson wrote. "I earnestly hope that within all the congregations of this church we, the baptized, will be engaged in prayer and moral deliberation, especially in light of the escalation of violence, the growing casualties on all sides in the war in Iraq and the urgency to seek peace."
Offering the ELCA social statement "For Peace in God's World" and the ELCA message on "Living in a Time of Terrorism" as resources for discussion, Hanson posed a series of questions for congregations to consider, urged them to keep the debate respectful of all perspectives and stressed the importance of modeling such respectful discussion for the nation. "At a time when this country's public discourse has become contentious and people often feel powerless, it is a sign of hope for congregations and communities to engage publicly in civil and moral deliberation," wrote Hanson.
Finally Hanson asked congregations to convey their views to their elected officials as part of the moral deliberation process. "I encourage all of us to dare to struggle with these issues and to share the results of those discussions with our elected representatives," he wrote.
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The full text of Bishop Hanson's message is at http://www.ELCA.org/bishop/m_070126.html on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog