President Bush, Let Jesus Change Your Mind

Full Page New York Times Ad, December 4, 2002

PRESIDENT BUSH, JESUS CHANGED YOUR HEART. NOW LET HIM CHANGE YOUR MIND.

We beseech you to turn back from the brink of war on Iraq. Your war would violate the teachings of Jesus Christ. It would violate the tenets, prayers and entreaties of your own United Methodist Church bishops. It would ignore the pleas of hundreds of Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders. You've proclaimed the crucial role of your faith in your life, and you've said that people of faith are often "our nation's voice of conscience." Listen to our voices now.

This is not a just war. .We acknowledge that Saddam Hussein is a cruel tyrant, but a war on the country he rules is not a just war. It will be an unprovoked, preemptive attack on a nation which is not threatening the United States. It will violate the United Nations Charter and set a dangerous precedent for other nations. It will bring death and destruction to Baghdad, a huge city filled with innocent civilians. It will take the lives of too many of our own sons and daughters.

And its huge cost will be gouged out of the already unmet needs of the poor, the underfed and the under-educated in our own country.

It is inconceivable that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and the Prince of Peace, would support this proposed attack...

Those are the words of the General Secretary of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society. Your church leaders have sought private hearings with you to express their passionate objections; they've been denied. All of us who signed this statement share their convictions. A strong faith-based revolt against war on Iraq is coming together in the first weeks of December. If Jesus Christ truly "changed your heart" as you have said, let Him change your mind.

Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, Ecumenical Officer, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church. Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Detroit.Pat Clark, National Coordinator, Fellowship of Reconciliation. Dave Robinson, National Coordinator, Pax Christi USA. Kathy Thornton, RSM, National Coordinator, NETWORK, National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. Rev. Michael E. Livingston, Exec. Dir., International Council of Community Churches. Bishop Bennett J. Sims, Founder, Institute for Servant Leadership, Bishop Paul Moore Jr., Episcopal Bishop of New York (ret.). Jim Walis, Exec. Dir., Sojourners. Michael S. Kendal, Archdeacon, Episcopal Diocese of New York.Rev. George M. Houser, fmr. Exec. Dir., American Committe on Africa.Frederick Buechner, Minister.Sister Gail Worcelo, President, Green Mountain Monastery.Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, Temple Kol Tikva.The Reverend Jeri R. Dexheimer-Dowle, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Reverend John M. Fischer, American Baptist Churches, USA.The Reverend Mary Navarré Moore, Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee. Morad Abou-Sabé, President, Arab American League of Voters of NJ.Rev. Robert Moore, Pastor, East Brunswick Congregational Church & Livingston Ave. United Church of Christ, NJ. Rev. Roy Bourgeois, MM, Founder, SOA Watch.Rev. Peter Laarman, Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church.Rev. Kathleen S. Wiliams, International Ministerial Felowship.Very Rev. James Parks Morton, Dean Emeritus.Frank McNeirney, National Coordinator, Catholics Against Capital Punishment.Rev. Patricia L. Bruger, Executive Director, CUMAC/ECHO.Rev. James E. Flynn, St. Lawrence Church, Heber City, UT. Sister Mary Landon, fsp, Franciscan Sisters of Peace. Marilyn Katz, Chicagoans Against War in Iraq.Rev. Richard Deats, Editor, Fellowship, Fellowship of Reconciliation. Rev. Wiliam A. Richard, Pastor, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Rockwal, TX. Rev. Stacy Pever, Bering Memorial United Methodist Church, Houston, TX. Rev. Dr. Mark Rutledge, Campus Minister, Duke University.Rev. Dr. George Regas. Reverend Robert E. Nee, LICSW, Catholic Priest, Chaplain, Children's Hospital Boston.Sister Helene O.Sulivan, M.M., Maryknol Sisters Congregational Leadership Team. David Selzer, Chair, Janet Chisolm, Vice Chair & Jackie Lynn, Executive Director, Episcopal Peace Felowship. Rev. Gary Cox, Senior Minister, University Congregational Church, Wichita KS. Rev. Sam A. Sirianni, Pastor, Holy Angels Church, Trenton NJ.Prof. James R. Kely, Fordham U. Jeanne Derer, fsm, & Irma Kennebeck, fsm, Franciscan Sisters of Mary, St. Louis, MO. Pax Christi New Jersey. Eric M. LeCompte, National Council Chair, Pax Christi USA .Debra W. Haffner, M.Div., Director, Religious Institute for Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing, Norwalk, CT.Eunice Hyer, Coordinator, Pax Christi, Middle Peninsula VA. Redwood City Franciscan Sisters, Srs. Of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. Margaret Hoffman, SND, J/P Coordinator, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur of California.The Rev. Dr. Wiliam A. Greenlaw, Rector, Church of the Holy Apostles (Episcopal); Exec.Dir., Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, NY City. Veronica Felerath, Regional Coordinator Pax Christi Long Island.Tom Rothschild, Clerk, Brooklyn Monthly Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Rev. Thomas C. Gibbons, Presbyterian Minister, Riichardson, TX. Rev. Dr. Theodore W. Loder, Author, United Methodist Minister, (ret.).Stephanie Mertens, ASC, Coordinator of Justice & Peace Office, US Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Red Bud, IL. The Reverend Saly K. Brown, St. Andrew.s Episcopal Church, Denver, CO. The Rev. Ron Sala, Minister, Universalist Unitarian Society in Stamford, CT. Robert C. Broker, Retired, US/DHHS, former CEO/Serve New England, Inc..The Rev. Robert Edwards, Episcopal Church, Diocese of New Jersey. The Rev. Rob & Sylvia McCann.Fr. Richard Creason, Pastor, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, St.Louis, MO. Ray & Barbara Shiffer, West Side Moravian Church, Green Bay, WI. Phil Runkel, Archivist, Marquette University. Patty Gaines, Coordinator, Pax Christi Weavers. Patricia Krommer C.S.J., Co-Director, Pax Christi, Los Angeles Chapter. Magister Monika Galuccio, Pax Christi, Austria. Michele Anton, St. Mary's Church (Catholic), Mansfield, A. Megan Castelan. Maureen Dorney O'Connel, Regional Coordinator, Pax C. Madeline C. Labriola, Pax Christi USA. The Rev. Dr. M. Douglas Borko, Conference Minister, Florida Conference, United Church of Christ. Rev. Dr. Lyle G. Miler, D.D., ECLA Pastor and Bishop Emeritus, Sierra Pacific Synod.Lorraine Soukup, SSND.Lilia Langreck, SSND, School Sisters of Notre Dame (ret.). Fr. Kevin M. Quealy, TOR, Franciscan Priest, Pax Christi USA. The Rev. John A. Nelson, Dover, MA. Rev. John Dear, S.J..Joan Chittister, Osb, Benedictine Sisters of Erie.Sister Joan Kirby. Jim O.Hanlon, Pastor, ELCA. Jerry Carpenter, Minister United Methodist.The Rev. Jeff Gil, The Parish of Christ Church (Episcopal), Andover, MA.James F. Powers, Spiritual Director, Pax Christi, Atlanta. Rev. George J. Kuhn, Pastor, St. Joseph.s RC Church, Yonkers NY. The Rev. Frank J. Alagna, Ph.D., Episcopal Priest, The Diocese of New York. Frank Galuccio, M.D., Pax Christi. Frank Ostrowski, Ph.D., Fellowship of Reconciliation; Psychologists for Social Responsibility. Dr. Frank Fromherz, Director, Catholic Archdiocese of Portland (Oregon) Office of Justice & Peace. Francis J. Skeith, Coordinator, Pax Christi Texas.The Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwel, Church of the Holy Apostles, NYC. Eleanor Frankenberg, SSND. The Rev. Ed Bacon, Rector, Al Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena. Dorothy Olinger, SSND, School Sister of Notre Dame, St. Paul, MN. Diana Oleskevic csj/a, Justice Coordinator, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province. The Rev. Dr. Dennis B.Calhoun, United Church of Christ, Middlebury, CT.Dennis Teal-Fleming, Director of Faith Formation, The Catholic Church of Mary, Queen of Apostles, Belmont, NC.Rev. Dr. Charles McColough, United Church of Christ. Reverend Carolyn Bulard, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Sister Carol Bialock, RSCJ. Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper, Pastor, Washington Square United Methodist Church. Rev. Bruce N. Teague, Amherst Colege.The Rev. Bruce H. Davidson, Director, Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in NJ. Bil & Mary Carry. Ambassadors of Peace, Pax Christi USA. Father Bernard Survil, Roman Catholic Priest, Diocese of Greensburg. The Rev. Arthur R. Lee, III. Rector St. David.s Episcopal Church; The Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. Anne O. Calaghan Catholic Peace Felowship, St. Malachy Philadelphia, PA. The Rev. Alfred Krass, Co-Chair, Peacemaking Committee Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia. Pax Christi Minnesota. Catholic Action Network/Center for Theology & Social Analysis of St. Louis, MO. Pax Christi Metro. Presentation Sisters Social Justice Team, Aberdeen, SD. Mary C. Daly, RSM. Janet M. Weber, RSC.Ann Welch, RSM. Suzanne Lavoie. Judith Anderson, RSM. Paula Marie Koplar, RSM. Marceline Janisse. Maureen Marr, SND.Pauline Bridegroom, PHSC. Virginia Keleker, CSJ.Katherine Chazotte, SBS.Celeste Marie Nuttman, RSM.Susan Harvey, BM. Catherine M. Dowling, RSM. Roberta Silbert. Audrey B. DeLucia. April Shuman. Alayne Reed. Elizabeth J. Canilo. Jennifer Eisensmith. Natalie M. Cappielo. Elizabeth Baldwin. Jim Madura. Mary Groncheski. Carl Florence Trahan, RSM.Angelita Heinrich, RSM.Maryann Malasics, RSM.Mary C. Bilderback, RSM. Jaele Dragomir. Educator. Eugeniea Clark. Broker, Clark & Co Real Estate. Elizabeth B. Mulford, Attorney at Law. Louisa D. Kirchner, Prof. Emerita of Modern Languages, Uconn, Pax Romana USA. Patricia & Peter Ladley, Pax Christi USA. Terry & George Molina. Mike Sharp. Carri Nelson. Kely Epstein. Pax Christi. Peter Thompson. Minneapolis, MN. Jeanne Fischer Zylstra. Michael DeGregory, Anthrax displaced postal worker. Frank & Mary Herzel. Judy Johnson. Elizabeth McDermott. R Catholic. Rita Wels Clark. Dallas Peace Center. Phil tephan, Bus Station Terminal Manager. Sharyn DuPuy. Sheila K. Dixon.Donna Estabrook, Library Supervisor, University of Michigan. June Foran. Joseph G. an. Sneha Jacob. Joyce Klava. Concerned Citizen. Roman Catholic. Barney & Marjorye Heeney.Joan & Iris Starr. Members, First Congregational Church of Berkeley, CA.Jennifer Angyal, Pax Christi USA. Rosemary Hobson, Pax Christi USA. Elizabeth B. Mulford, Attorney at Law. Joe Hovel, President, County Line Wood Prod.. Richard R. Rivard. Debbie Parsons, Universalist Unitarian Church. Deborah Michalewicz, Water Valey, TX. Jim Newberry, Peace Advocate. Ann Crites, Minister, U.C.C.. Prof. Stephen Crites (ret.)

Affiliations for identification only

RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR SENSIBLE PRIORITIES
P.O. Box 1976 Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10113
Reverend Robert Edgar
Chair, Religious Leaders for Sensible Priorites
General Secretary, National Council of Churches