College ad to protest Bush visit

One-third of the professors at an evangelical Christian college in Grand Rapids, Mich., are taking out a large ad in a local newspaper Saturday to protest President Bush's commencement speech.

"As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and to initiate war only as a last resort," the ad will say. "We believe your administration has launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq."
...
"No single political position should be identified with God's will," says the ad, which also chastises the president for "actions that favor the wealthy of our society and burden the poor."

Christians are to be characterized by love and gentleness, it adds, but "we believe that your administration has fostered intolerance and divisiveness and has often failed to listen to those with whom it disagrees."
...
"Some think we should be honored to have the president here," religion professor David Crump said. "We're excited by the opportunity to show people that evangelical Christianity is represented by a much broader spectrum of opinion than is depicted by the religious right and the media."

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050516-103313-9190r.htm

It will be easy to miss this little story (and thanks are due, I guess, to the Moonie Times). But Calvin College is a very conservative Christian college and for the professors there in any numbers to protest against Chimpy is astonishing. My best friend did a short stint there as an associate professor and was able to weasel out of signing their version of a loyalty oath because he was technically part time and temporary. He mostly couldn't sign it because it required him to loathe and abhor the pernicious sin of the anabaptists, and as a good Church of the Brethren congregant, he didn't think he should loathe and abhor himself.

Anyway, this is quite striking that a third of the faculty at Calvin should be so bold as to condemn Lil George's Excellent War of PetroImperialism. Would that more conservative Christians would read and take seriously the plethora of passages about peacemaking and a just distribution of resources in society.

to them in the 16th century. Burning at the stake, drowning, torturing on the rack were the order of the day then. And it was the Swiss reformers led by Zwingli, a spiritual mentor of Calvin, who was the most zealous in stamping out the Anabaptist, all because they had the temerity to suggest that the state had no right to tell thdm how to worship (sound familiar?).

But yeah, my friend was able to prevail on the faculty adviser to let him teach his classes without signing. It's apparently a holdover from those enlightened times of the 16th century when people REALLY took their religion seriously, and to which a certain segment of our population is determined to return us to. Ick.

... their petty power struggles by crying "heretic" and "blasphemer" ...

I think it's great!!! Yay!

"We are not Lynchburg," he said, referring to the more conservative Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell. "We are not right wing; we're not left wing. We think our faith trumps political ideology."

And the article explicates what that faith is: concern for the environment (God's creation), peace, tolerance. Good on them!

Awesome!!!

:woohoo: :woohoo:

I went to a Christian university in the sixties. It was not a fundie think tank.

Most of the professors, including those in the religion department, were liberals. Thought was encouraged. Dissent was evaluated respectfully. Science was taught in the science classes, and religion in the religion classes.

I am glad there are still Christian schools like this one.

What a great story.

I am amazed by the guts of the professors who spoke out. Calvin is in my back yard and is very conservative.

A professor at Hope College which is in Holland Michigan, a town nearby, was fired last month for speaking out about the war and gay rights. The chilling effect has taken a toll on many faculty and students there.

I'm thinking those of us in opposition to Bush are quickly becoming the majority.

More people from all faiths and all walks of life speaking up. I don't consider myself a Christian. But I do know that there are some out there who are not happy with the direction this Bush Admin is taking this country.

I love this part btw

No single political position should be identified with God's will," says the ad, which also chastises the president for "actions that favor the wealthy of our society and burden the poor."

Christians are to be characterized by love and gentleness, it adds, but "we believe that your administration has fostered intolerance ...
"Some think we should be honored to have the president here," religion professor David Crump said. "We're excited by the opportunity to show people that evangelical Christianity is represented by a much broader spectrum of opinion than is depicted by the religious right and the media."

of portraying fundies as the only Christians out there.

When I read stories like this, I can't help but grin.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21518002

protray's the fundies and does a lot of catering to them I always thought they were a lil bigger but now days I'm thinking they're actually small in number and just doing the stories to keep the base happy and motivaited to do Bush's will.

It says a lot about Bush that he can't give a commencement address at a mainstream institution. They have to find safe Christian schools for him, and now even that isn't working out so well.

PROTEST BUSH
Saturday, May 21
President Bush will be in Grand Rapids on May 21st to speak at Calvin College’s commencement, and we want to offer a few unsolicited opinions. There will be a variety of different ways to send the message – a radical marching band, street theatre, and protesting along one of the busiest roads in West Michigan. Tell your friends and bring your signs, banners, noisemakers, and whatever else you need.
Download and print a flyer, in either color or black and white, with a map, directions, and philosophical rambling.

For info and updates: www.mediamouse.org

http://justiceandpeacecoalition.org/

I almost missed this story! Grand Rapids is extremely right wing and it gave me goosebumps to read that not everyone associated with Calvin is "honored" to host the president. I will be at the protest on Saturday not only to protest the president but to stand up for the professors brave enough to speak out. Evangelical Christians who tell the truth and tell others that they believe the war in Iraq is unjust and unjustified should be encouraged in every way.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

THIS is what's needed--a public affirmation that the religious right GOP leaders do NOT speak for them or anyone they worship!!!

:headbang:
rocknation

There is definitely a growing movement against right-wing wackos who've usurped Chritianity or any other religion for dark purposes.

Isaiah 32: 5-8 A Must read and we must take back the word Liberal. No vile person can be called Liberal according to God.....

http://www.freep.com/news/mich/bush19e_20050519.htm

Calvin College may be predominantly Republican, but a visit from President George W. Bush on Saturday is stirring up some discontent among students, faculty and alumni.

One-third of the faculty members have signed a letter of protest that will appear in a half-page ad in the Grand Rapids Press on Saturday, the day Bush is to deliver the commencement address to 900 graduating seniors at Calvin. The ad cost $2,600.

"As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and to initiate war only as a last resort," the letter says. "We believe your administration has launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq."

More than 800 students, faculty and alumni also have signed a letter protesting Bush's visit that will appear Friday as a full-page ad in the Grand Rapids paper. The ad cost more than $9,500.

"We are alumni, students, faculty and friends of Calvin College who are deeply troubled that you will be the commencement speaker at Calvin," the letter states. "In our view, the policies and actions of your administration, both domestically and internationally over the past four years, violate many deeply held principles of Calvin College."

100 students are expected to adorn gowns armbands or buttons with "God is not a Republican or Democrat."

Dissent? Maybe Georgie will come down with a timely flu bug.

I know there is a protest planned outside Calvin, but didn't know there is protest from the inside. It's good to see true Christians waking up.

This must be a falsified report that demonstrates how firm a grip they now have on the media to make us not know they are coming, because anyone who is not in cloudcuckooland knows that fundies in training at fundie training camps like Calvin College are all contributors to dominionism. Calvin himself was a dominionist as anyone who reads history will know and is not ignorant. We need to be using our spare time scorning these people with taunts on Internet message boards and figuring out what's really going on in their heads amongst ourselves (don't ask them because they'll lie), because they're of no use to us and are brainwashed into supporting Bush* so much they cannot be reached.

_{NOTE: This post is sarcastic.}

Students and faculty to protest Christian school's commencement speaker

May 19, 2005

BY KATHLEEN GRAY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Calvin College may be predominantly Republican, but a visit from President George W. Bush on Saturday is stirring up some discontent among students, faculty and alumni.

One-third of the faculty members have signed a letter of protest that will appear in a half-page ad in the Grand Rapids Press on Saturday, the day Bush is to deliver the commencement address to 900 graduating seniors at Calvin. The ad cost $2,600.

"As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and to initiate war only as a last resort," the letter says. "We believe your administration has launched an unjust and unjustified war in Iraq."

http://www.freep.com/news/mich/bush19e_20050519.htm

let's cordially invite the media

I think this is terrific news, but, if they really feel this way, why would they invite him?

he was the only one to go to a public college, Michigan State.

My husband's family is generally very liberal, and they are religious...but the kind of christians that don't believe in war.

The President of Calvin College, Gaylen Byker, is also the Director of an offshore oil company, InterOil, Corp. (Interoil.com) Interoil was organized in Texas but its officers took it offshore. InterOil was in partnership with Enron until the late 90s. There is a good article about InterOil at Stocklemon.com, title "Stocklemon Reports on InterOil Corp." You can google the title and go right to the article. What a story! If Byker were my college President I would say he had some esplaining to do.

:hi:

Thanks for information on Byker!!

that's my mom. :) My brother is a Calvin grad. and he and my parents are going to protest tomorrow. Knock 'em dead guys!