I’ve already written about the Methodist professors who are opposing President Bush’s library that is likely to be built on SMU’s campus (see previous post, “Bush in My Backyard”), but now a group of Methodist ministers have also joined the fray. These ministers stand against the library’s being associated with SMU because they perceive President Bush to be an anti-Christian President. One of the protesting ministers is quoted in the Dallas Morning News saying,
“I think that George Bush has been in his presidency so inconsistent with fundamental Christianity that he should not be associated with a Methodist university. Methodist means decency and this man has not been decent†(source).
Among the anti-Christian deeds these ministers allege Bush to have committed are the invasion of Iraq, detention of prisoners, and torture.
I won’t rehash everything that I wrote in my previous post in response to the professors, but it is worth pointing out that the ministers’ characterization of the Bush presidency is hardly a consensus position. It would be a shame for Dallas to miss out on a presidential library because of these kinds of misguided arguments.
For more on my opinion on the growing opposition, read “Bush in My Backyard”.
Recent Related Articles:
“Methodist ministers launch anti-Bush library petition” – Dallas Morning News
“Bush responds to complaints about SMU library plans” – Dallas Morning News
“S.M.U. Chief Says Bush Library Would Be a Boon for the Campus†– New York Times
“Ambushing the Bush Legacy†– Wall Street Journal
“Faculty at S.M.U. Voices Concern About Bush Library†– by Ralph Blumenthal (New York Times)
10 Comments
Paul
That quote couldn’t be more true if it tried, Denny.
Also, one has to wonder what SMU would do with the world’s largest collection of coloring books, anyway.
dennyrburk
LOL! Hilarious!
Kris Weinschenker
The board of trustees at SMU (who will actually make the decision) have stated they are still open to idea of Bush’s library being at SMU.
rich
Denny,
It is obvious that you are a die-hard Republican and put George Bush up there with good old Ronnie Reagan.Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition and more troops…yeah thats the ticket!
I actually think that Bush should have a Presidential library at SMU but to paint him as a model of Christian perfection would be wrong.
dennyrburk
Rich,
Who’s painting George W. Bush as the model of Christian perfection? Not me.
Please reread the post. That’s not at all what I said.
Thanks,
Denny
rich
Denny,
Sorry about that. I stand corrected.
Stephen
Since SMU is making such a fuss about the library they should remove this opportunity from their school and give it to another …like Criswell!
Paul
about the only school that “deserves” the GWB presidential library is Bob Jones University.
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Ellen K
You may want to check out what I wrote on my website. I am pretty annoyed that someone who simply passed through SMU without living in the area would presume to make this kind of grandstand play. It’s all political. You would think opponents of Bush would want to get their hands on the background material so they could write articles and win fame in their own peculiar neck of the woods. As a graduate of SMU, I am pretty pissed off.