BTL: Religious Leaders Oppose White House Drive for War with Iraq

Interview Robert Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches by Scott Harris

As President Bush continued his campaign to gather U.S. and international support to launch a new war against Iraq, opponents of his policy have taken to the streets across the globe. In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of citizens in Britain, Italy and Spain have voiced strong objections to their government's support for the "Bush doctrine" justifying a pre-emptive strike against the government of Saddam Hussein. Here in the U.S., tens of thousands of protesters have also poured into the streets expressing their opposition to the White House drive for war. Protests organized by the Not In Our Name Coalition and other groups have been held in major cities and towns across the country including New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Ore.

Even as Congress was poised to approve House and Senate resolutions giving the president broad authority to initiate a war with or without United Nations' backing, national religious leaders were taking a stand against what many believe will be an unprovoked attack on Iraq. Forty-nine heads of American Protestant and Orthodox churches and Catholic religious orders recently signed a letter to President Bush opposing U.S. military action against Baghdad.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Robert Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, a signer of the letter and a former six-term member of the U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania. Dr. Edgar explains why he and other religious leaders are opposed to the Bush administration's war plans.

Contact the National Council of Churches by calling (212) 870-2511 or visit their Web site at www.ncccusa.org.

Pledge of Resistance www.peacepledge.org

Not in Our name www.notinourname.org

IAC Oct 26th Protest International Action Center www.iacenter.org

Sept. 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, www.peacefultomorrows.org

Groups Opposed to a New U.S. War Against Iraq Organizing Nonviolent Civil Disobedience, Between The Lines interview with Pledge of Resistance's Gordon Clark, Week Ending Sept. 27, 2002.

Family Member of Sept. 11 Victim Reflects on Her Loss and Mood of the Country Between The Lines interview with the Rev. Myrna Bethke, Week Ending Sept. 13, 2002.

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