UMC take on Bush Policy Center

Adam Hamilton, pastor of the largest United Methodist Church in America.. which is only a few miles from my house.. had some interesting things to say about the Bush Library, Policy Center at SMU? Here are a few excerpts from his post:

Southern Methodist University has been chosen as the site for the Bush Presidential Library to be constructed after President Bush is no longer in office. The decision on the part of the university has created a bit of conflict among some United Methodists. Southern Methodist University is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. You as United Methodists own this property. And that is where the question begin to be raised.

The primary concern is that in order to host the Bush Presidential Library the school is also required to host a Bush Public Policy Institute - a think tank that might be partisan and focused on promoting certain policies that might, at times, be contradictory to the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. No one disagrees that the President has the right to form a public policy institute. The question is whether it should be housed on church owned property.

I recommend reading the whole article. It presents some interesting questions.