National Council of Churches assembly condemns torture, considers bio-ethics.

The National Council of Churches (NCC) General Assembly Nov. 8-10 issued a statement condemning torture, defended civil liberties, and began considering a paper on the ethics of bio-technologies, among other business. The assembly, which also is the representative body for Church World Service, is an annual gathering of 300 representatives of 35 communions and denominations representing 45 million US Christians.

Church of the Brethren representatives were Nelda Rhodes Clarke Nelda Rhoades Clark, Jennie Ramirez, Marianne Miller Speicher, David Whitten, and Stan Noffsinger, general secretary, and Merv Keeney, Global Mission Partnerships executive director, of the General Board. Two Brethren young adults--Christina McPherson and Margo Royer Miller--served as stewards, volunteering with others in behind-the-scenes work to make the assembly possible. Becky Ullom, director of Identity and Relations for the General Board, served as an observer.

"In the gathering of Christians from other communions, I feel a closeness to the spirit of Jesus as we worship together and address the common concerns we face as peoples of the world," said Speicher. "How wonderful it is to sit down with other Christians from very diverse backgrounds and share together," said Clarke.

Among common concerns was the US government's policy on torture of detainees. "Due to the timely nature of the matter, a call from the floor requested the assembly to respond to the use of torture," Whitten said. "This was in direct response to the bill that was to be presented to the House with an amendment relating to the unethical use of torture by the United States."

The assembly unanimously passed a "Statement on the Disavowel of Torture" commending the Senate's "anti-torture provisions" in the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill. "We find any and all use of torture unacceptable and contrary to US and international legal norms," said the NCC statement. "Torture, regardless of circumstance, humiliates and debases torturer and tortured alike. Torture turns its face against the biblical truth that all humans are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27)."

Discussion of the statement on torture "was filled, at times, with tension due to the intensity of feelings on the subject," Whitten said. "However, the passing of the statement brought the unity of spirit in the recognition that all of humanity is sacred and created in the 'imago dei.'"

The assembly also pledged to be "ever-vigilant" in defending civil liberties. A resolution committed the NCC "to the monitoring of current and potential civil and religious liberties abuses" and pledged to educate member communions "on the importance of upholding civil and religious liberties, even and most critically in times of national distress."

A policy statement on human bio-technologies, "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," received a first reading at the assembly. Delegates will take the policy to their communions for study and comment and will vote on it at the assembly in 2006.

The policy will be composed in three sections: "Our Theological Self-Understanding;" "The Church's Calling" in faith and science; and "Key Challenges for Church Engagement" including stem cell and embryonic stem cell research. It will include recommendations for the NCC, member communions, congregations, priests and pastors, seminaries and medical practitioners, health care professionals, and researchers. One recommendation is to form a federal commission for the regulation and discussion of emerging bio-technologies.

In other business, the assembly endorsed a Special Commission for the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast; named as president Michael E. Livingston, executive director of the International Council of Community Churches, and president-elect Vicken Aykazian, bishop of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in Washington; and called on member communions to make this Christmas season a time of sacrificial giving. Delegates took action at the meeting, pledging more than $32,000 for Church World Service.

Noffsinger and Keeney were among 17 delegates invited to a meeting with the Venezuelan ambassador to the US during the assembly. The meeting was prompted by Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson's call for the assassination of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela; the NCC had sent a letter to Venezuela saying the remarks were not representative of US churches. Chavez reportedly requested the ambassador to go to the assembly for dialogue with US churches.

"It was encouraging to be part of a conversation that helped to heal the wounds that words create," said Noffsinger. The ambassador expressed how much it meant "for the people of Venezuela that not all Americans concur with Pat Robertson," Noffsinger said. "It gave them hope for the American people."

For more see www.ncccusa.org.

Source: 12/14/2005 Newsline
top