President's crisis spurs varied reactions among United Methodists
9/21/1998 By Joretta Purdue* WASHINGTON (UMNS) - President Clinton's crisis is drawing mixed reactions from prominent United Methodists, ranging from words of forgiveness to calls for his resignation.
For the most part, however, caution and temperance are the rule, as church leaders try to provide moral perspective in the wake of revelations about the president's behavior.
President and Mrs. Clinton attended Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington on Sept. 20 for the first time since the president's Aug. 17 testimony before a grand jury. Clinton's admission then about an improper relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky was followed within weeks by the release of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's detailed report to Congress and the House of Representatives' subsequent decision to release a videotape of the testimony.
During the church service, the Rev. J. Philip Wogaman used the church lectionary as the basis for his sermon. It included the text from Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." In the message captioned "Zion's Song in Babylon," Wogaman warned that destroying one thing in civil life leads to destroying others and then the nation.
Earlier in the week, Wogaman had said: "One of my concerns is that in this kind of climate there can be a temptation for those in public life to try to destroy their opponents, and that works in both parties. But in a democracy, where public dialogue must be civil and where restraint must be shown, to destroy your opponents will help destroy the nation."
He also voiced the concern that "the present condemnation of the president by many in politics and in the press" is "making it more difficult for us to discern the important role of love and reconciliation in politics." He said he believes that President Clinton will find healing, and with him the nation, "but we will not do it on the basis that neglects the lessons of love."
Wogaman is widely reported as being the third minister in the president's newly formed accountability or counseling group. However, the pastor, who taught ethics at Wesley Seminary for several years, will not confirm or deny any kind of counseling relationship with the president or anyone else. The ethicist told United Methodist News Service he feels free to speak about what he thinks is wise for the country, segregating that from any pastoral relationship he might have.
Preaching on Sept. 13, the Rev. Nancy Grissom Self also found a timely sermon in the lectionary text, which dealt with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Self is pastor of University United Methodist Church in Redlands, Calif., where she has been serving since leaving the secretariat of the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women in 1990.
Two days after the release of the Starr Report, Self's sermon dealt with the loss of innocence, confidence and trust in the political process.
"Lurid details of sex in high places relentlessly dominate our news coverage these days, but sex and violence also dominate prime-time and late-night drama, and even the daytime soaps are laced with indiscretions and infidelities and intrigue," she told the congregation.
"I really believe that there's a 'lostness' in our generation that we as the church must address with seriousness and not be caught in the sensationalism nor the cynicism." Her sermon concluded with the assertion, "We are surrounded by God's grace no matter how deep the shame, how debilitating the disgrace, how unforgiving the attitude. . . . God follows and forgives and loves even people we give up on."
Bishop Felton E. May, who leads the Washington Area, observed that as a Christian he is "duty-bound to forgive" and recommended asking "whether the president's behavior, to the degree it is accurately portrayed by the Starr Report, reflects a problem that permeates our society and for which all of us are responsible."
He advocates three actions in response to this national crisis:
· a national day of atonement;
· a national commitment to recovery; and
· a national dialogue about God, morals and values.
"I have learned that when a church is in trouble, changing the pastor is rarely an adequate solution," the bishop said. "As a nation, we are an addicted people who want to feel good without living healthy lives. We want to feel righteous without doing justly. We want to feel loved without devoting ourselves to loving relationships."
The Rev. Joseph Lowery, chairman of the Black Leadership Forum and co-founder and president emeritus of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, has said he does not believe impeachment or resignation can serve the best interest of the nation.
In "The Amen Corner," a column that he writes for the African-American press, Lowery criticized the president's foolhardiness after surviving other scandals and called Kenneth Starr to repent for "his persecutorial behavior rather than prosecutorial behavior." Lowery observed, "Unfortunately the president's weakness and the special persecutor's meanness are signs of our times. We have tolerated weakness and celebrated meanness. Our culture has been wounded by moral compromise and political violence."
Lowery calls for a revival of spirituality, values and high principles.
"Our perception of morality must extend beyond sex," he said. "Moral authority also embraces the capacity to lead the nation to address poverty; hunger; accessible, affordable health care; quality education; and peace and justice."
He expressed concern that stripping away the confidentiality presidents thought they had will lead to less effective relationships with advisers and Secret Service staff. Noting that "we all have sinned," Lowery suggested a national act of repentance as a first step, and he reminded everyone of the line from the Lord's Prayer that said, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
Bishop C. Joseph Sprague of the denomination's Chicago Area issued a two-page statement on Sept. 15 in response to questions. The bishop outlined how he handles charges of sexual misconduct in the clergy he supervises, noting that first he tries for reconciliation. "While I shall never sweep such important matters under any rug, I am convinced that investigations and possible trials, while occasionally necessary, are hurtful to all concerned, even if due process and justice are served."
Sprague also looks to see if the behavior abuses children or youth or is part of a pattern, he said. "When trust is broken, despite God's forgiveness of the clergy as a person before God, vocational credibility and privilege have been destroyed," he asserted.
He has concluded that Clinton's behavior with Lewinsky, "and allegedly with others, is part of a pattern of lewd, inappropriate sexual behavior" that would be defined within the denomination as sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Sprague said that God's grace is not cheap.
"While I believe that Mr. Clinton, apparently contrite of heart and forgiven by God, does have an open future in which to use his immense talents for good, I do believe that either public censure or the president's resignation is warranted," Sprague stated. He called on Clinton, for the good of his office, nation and world, as well as himself and family, "to do what any United Methodist pastor would be forced to do: Face the consequences of inappropriate behavior and make the necessary and quite tangible amends."
The Rev. Leicester Longden, chair of the theological commission of the Confessing Movement within the United Methodist Church commented, "Speaking as a pastor and a Christian citizen, I believe that the drama of the Clinton presidency gives the nation an important opportunity to reflect on character, law and forgiveness."
He expressed the hope that citizens would not be guided by party loyalties. "I hope they will not reduce the crisis in the presidency merely to a private scandal," Longden said. He added that he prays for a new national commitment that recognizes the influence and impact of the character of leaders and the importance of accountability and restitution to forgiveness.
In the political arena, Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.) was one of the first United Methodists to speak on the issue. On the day the Starr Report was released to the public, Bumpers warned against a rush to judgment in a speech entered into the Congressional Record.
The president "is entitled to be heard," Bumpers said. "The American people are entitled to an objective, nonpartisan deliberation based on the facts."
The question before the House of Representatives will be whether or not any or all of the president's misdeeds combined "reach the threshold that the founders intended in the Constitution," he said, "and that is, we know it is not treason and it is not bribery, and the next question will be: Does it reach the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors?"
Bumpers urged both chambers of Congress not to neglect the important work before them, such as dealing with issues of health care, education and the environment.
"There has been an awful lot said about the president sacrificing his moral authority," he said. "I would simply remind people that allowing children to go without health care is immoral too, in this senator's opinion. And abusing the only planet God gave us to sustain ourselves is also immoral."
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), a United Methodist who was among the early candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 1996, has not issued any statements on the Clinton matter. The Senate's role comes later if there is an impeachment process, his press secretary, Andy Fisher, explained.
Lugar has said that it is probably not appropriate for the president to resign because he needs to continue dealing with the important issues facing the country while he works on his own problems, according to Fisher.
Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), senior of three United Methodists on the House Judiciary Committee, noted through his press secretary that "there is agreement between majority and minority staff that there is certain information that should not be in the public domain."
However, subsequent media reports indicated tension between Republicans and Democrats in the preparations for the release of the videotape and transcripts of grand jury testimony. Many deletions to the material were later restored in committee and House action.
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) found her office swamped with 1,000 e-mail and 750 phone calls in four days, so she added a toll-free hotline and another e-mail address for her constituents so they could more easily offer their opinions.
"I believe the president's actions were irresponsible and indefensible, and I am deeply disappointed," Stabenow said.
"With the release of the Starr Report, it is now up to the U.S. House of Representatives to review the evidence, conduct a fair hearing, and decide what consequences the president will face," she noted. "I am committed to a swift resolution that is in the best interest of our country so that we can continue to address the important issues of concern to families such as education, social security and health care."
In Berlin, the Rev. Heinrich Meinhardt, who leads two churches, said he has discussed the Clinton situation with some church members but has not preached on the subject.
"The majority regret the behavior of the president, but also, I would say, they would ask for forgiveness and hope that he will stay in the office."
When asked if the moral crisis weakens Clinton as a world leader, Meinhardt said that if the situation "goes on and on without an end," it may have a more weakening effect in that regard than the actual behavior.
Meinhardt noted that people in Germany are wondering why the Starr Report was published in such detail, and one person had observed to him that it contains more details than Playboy.
Moira Sleight, editor of the Methodist Recorder newspaper in London, reported that the main response from British people is fascination that Starr was able to investigate the President's sexual behavior in the way he has.
"I think most people's view is that Bill Clinton has been an absolute fool, and Clinton jokes are abounding here," she said. "British Methodists share in the general reaction. Incredulity, rather than indignation, is the main emotion."
She also spoke of "widespread sympathy for Hillary and Chelsea and sadness at the hurt they have been caused."
"I believe many Methodists also look at the wider picture and realize that while Clinton's personal life has been very disappointing, his contribution to the Irish situation cannot be negated." Irish Methodists have spoken of their feeling that he has made an important contribution to the peace process. Sleight added that whatever happens to him as a result of the revelations, that feeling still stands.
Noting Clinton's declaration of repentance and plea for forgiveness, she said, "Methodists here would feel, I think, that such forgiveness is for his family and nation to grant and is not the concern of other nationalities."
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*Purdue is news director of United Methodist News Service's Washington bureau.
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