Reprinted by permission of The Christian Post
By Angela K. Brown
Associated Press Writer
Thu, Jul. 17 2008 08:48 AM EDT
After a nearly two-year losing battle, some Methodist ministers and professors mounted their final big push Wednesday to try to stop President Bush's think tank from being built as part of his presidential library complex at Southern Methodist University.
They pleaded their case to some of the 290 delegates in the church's South Central Jurisdiction, which is meeting this week in Dallas. The jurisdiction is to discuss the matter Thursday and may vote on it.
"We have faculty and research fellows who represent a wide diversity of ideological and political views; that's what strengthens a university. That's what builds its academic reputation. That is undermined when you have on the campus an institute that actually promotes one particular ideology," Valerie Karras, associate professor of church history at SMU's Perkins School of Theology, told reporters before addressing delegates.
Many of those who oppose building the think tank at SMU don't oppose the Bush presidential library and museum. University officials, however, say the public policy institute cannot be separated from the project.
Opponents say the think tank does not meet SMU or church rules because it would not be used for educational or religious purposes and would be outside the university's control.
They also say its goal of promoting the Bush administration's policies — such as the Iraq war and harsh interrogation techniques of military prisoners — conflicts with church teachings.
The jurisdiction owns the land, but SMU officials say the library complex is a done deal. In March 2007, the Methodist church's mission council — a smaller body that votes on important issues cropping up between the jurisdiction's meetings every four years — gave its blessing for SMU to lease the land for 99 years to the Bush Foundation.
The agreement has already been signed, and SMU continues working with the Bush Foundation, which will manage construction and raise money for the project. SMU was officially named the site for the library complex in February, more than a year after it was chosen as the lone finalist.
"The Methodist community continues to be true to its tradition of having many views ... and we respect all points of view," Brad Cheves, SMU's vice president for external affairs and development, said Wednesday. "The mission council spoke, and the process was followed. The real winners of this are the students, faculty and community of SMU and Dallas. We continue to be honored that SMU was chosen."
Bishop Scott Jones, an SMU board of trustees member who supports the library project, said the mission council's decision was final and that the jurisdiction does not need to vote on it.
But opponents are placing their hope in the jurisdiction's delegates, who may vote on the matter Thursday through at least one resolution after it is brought to the conference floor.
If delegates are denied a vote, opponents of the think tank may be able to appeal to the judicial council, the church's highest lawmaking body. The council would not vote on the library issue itself but could decide that proper procedures were not followed and order a vote by the jurisdiction; the whole process probably would take months.
The fight already has been long for some professors and ministers, who have garnered more than 12,000 signatures on an online petition launched some 18 months ago.
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