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BY KATHY L. GILBERT
UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE

As the world celebrates Christmas, the debate continues over whether President Obama's decision to deploy more U.S. troops to Afghanistan will lead to greater peace on Earth.

Even as they disagree on military strategy, however, the one area faithful United Methodists have no trouble reaching consensus on is that Obama, and the soldiers and their families, need prayers and support.

More than 70 United Methodist bishops signed a letter Nov. 10 asking the president to withdraw troops by the end of 2010. On Dec. 1, Obama announced he was sending 30,000
additional troops to "accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011."

The bishops' letter reflected their belief that "there is no path to military victory in Afghanistan." It is a continuation of their ongoing witness for peace.

"Several years ago, more than 120 bishops issued a ‘Statement of Repentance' for our failure to speak out early against the war in Iraq," the letter stated. "We do not want to make that mistake again of remaining silent in the face of another widening war."

The 77 bishops who signed the letter are part of the larger Council of Bishops, which includes 69 active and 94 retired bishops from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Bishop Marshall L. Meadors, one of three retired United Methodist bishops who drafted the letter, said the president's decision was "disappointing."

Meadors said the goal of getting troops out by 2011 seems unrealistic.

"I realize that the president and his war cabinet know a great deal more about the situation than I do, but based on the fact that we have been involved in military action in Afghanistan for seven years now, it is difficult to conceive how the new strategy is going to bring a victory," the bishop said.

The Rev. Walter Fenton, chief operations officer for Good News magazine, said he supports sending more troops to build up the Afghan Army and police and to "degrade and weaken the brutal and violent Taliban and al-Qaeda forces."

"We recognize that faithful United Methodists and reasonable people can disagree on various military strategies, but in light of the drastic reduction in the number of military and civilian deaths after the surge in Iraq, we support President Obama's decision to send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to defend the defenseless," he said.

Meadors emphasized he was speaking for himself and not for the Council of Bishops.

"I'm just one human being, but I am committed to being a follower of Jesus, who was a peacemaker," he said. "The question is not, what would Jesus do? But what would Jesus have us do?"