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PRESS RELEASE
METHODIST BISHOPS OPPOSE BUSH'S MISSILE DEFENSE
Dated 11 Jun 2001
A massive campaign has been launched against his "missile defense" scheme by the church of which President Bush is a member. The fifty bishops of the United Methodist Church have unanimously approved a vigorous national campaign to defeat President Bush's proposed strategic missile defense system.
Citing the threat to world security and peace presented by the proposed system, the bishops have authorized the Church to hire staff, gather volunteers, create a web site, lobby members of Congress, and establish a vigorous program to reach out to the Church's eight million members. Since one of those members is President George W. Bush, the action of the bishops is especially significant.
The bishops' criticism of "Star Wars II" goes far beyond the usual complaints of the system's unworkability and astronomical cost. Advised by scientific and military experts, the bishops point out that because of their great vulnerability, the weapons being considered (including lasers and interceptors in space, in the air, and at sea) would be useless to an innocent nation waiting to be attacked. While potentially useful to an aggressor with the element of surprise on his side, the weapons' primary uses are all offensive, including destroying opposing satellites, seizing military control of space, and attacking targets on the surface of the earth from space without warning. The bishops consider the drive for absolute military superiority represented by these offensive weapons disguised as "defense" to be immoral. By increasing the fear and hatred of the U.S. government, these weapons, the bishops believe, actually increase the likelihood of nuclear terrorist attacks against the United States. At the same time they provide no defense against the non-missile means of delivery (light aircraft, small boat, shipping container, rental truck) considered by the CIA to be the most likely methods of terrorist attack on the American people. According to spokesmen for the bishops, to thus endanger the security of the people of the United States for a system which only benefits weapons manufacturers and exploitative multinational corporations would be both sinful and traitorous.
The bishops call upon President Bush and all Methodists in government and industry to withdraw their support for so-called "missile defense." Leaders of other religious bodies are already beginning to line up behind the Methodist bishops to echo this call.
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For more information, contact:
Rodney Shaw (202) 686-5985
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