| Standards of investing have limits I always appreciate your coverage of socially responsible investing and appreciate that The United Methodist Church has some standards for investing. However, I hope the readers of the July 9 UMConnection realize the limitations. Its true that there is no such thing as a pure investment. Its up to the individual to know and educate ourselves on which companies meet our own values. The Ineligible List is useful, although I was surprised about some of the companies that are on it. At least now I am more informed about companies that have revenues from gaming and defense. The Domestic Approved list of OK firms is, in my opinion, damaging. Many of us who fight for labor rights are appalled to see Hormel, Wal-Mart, Nike and Disney listed. Even Exxon and Enron are on the list. The Board of Pensions is in dialogue with Disney and Wal-Mart, but until they change their ways, they do not deserve to be recommended, and the board is misleading United Methodists to think they are guilt free. Lets keep working on the issue. Christine Matthews
Foundry UMC How much longer must we differ? Once again, we at the local church level disagree with the bishop. Thank God that President George Bush has exercised great restraint and not sent our troops to war against the rebels in Liberia. Afghanistan and Iraq are two situations in which our countrys and the worlds safety and way of life were at stake. Liberia is an internal mess that should be handled internally. If the United Nations wants to deploy its troops to do battle against the rebels, good for them. I guess I just do not understand the bishops view that we should not go to war against Saddam Hussein but we should go to war against the rebels of Liberia. If our troops are used to protect this country it should be along our borders to assist the border states in controlling the illegal immigrants (many of whom are felons, terrorists and those looking for an easy life in the states). I suggest that the leadership of the Baltimore-Washington Conference start looking toward the local congregations and what we see as priorities. It is pretty obvious they havent been listening up to now. George Pierce
Huntingtown UMC Editors note Bishop May, in a news release dated July 10, called for President Bush to authorize American participants in an international peacekeeping effort in Liberia. The Bishop also said the bloodshed must stop. He did not call for war. Cant we just get along? We are concerned about the rough edge on some of the letters to the editor appearing in recent issues of the UMConnection. Not long ago, someone wanted to perform a Methodist version of an excommunication on the president. In this (last) issue we were surprised to learn that Evangelicals were bearers of bad news. Then instead of suggesting that we stop calling each other names, the writer proposed that the liberal faction appropriate the name evangelicals as if our pejorative vocabulary was not sufficiently confusing already! We were also astonished to find that the decline in United Methodist membership is because as a denomination we are not liberal enough! In adjoining articles, we read that Rainbows of diversity offer signs of hope and that we should be about Repairing the Breach, sentiments more to our liking. What contrast! One has to wonder if The United Methodist Church, like Alices Wonderland isnt getting curiouser and curiouser. Not that anyone ever charged us of being evangelicals. But neither do we hope to substitute some progressive manifesto for the ancient creeds. Especially we do not want to be known as liberal or conservative before we are known as Christians. Tradition and our traditions are richly diverse appears in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral for an obvious reason. In the memorable words of Rodney King, Cant we all just get along? Judy and Dan Stone
Pastors, Delmont UMC | 
Login/Register to leave comment