Originally posted by prepstudinsc+Jun 22 2005, 05:51 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prepstudinsc @ Jun 22 2005, 05:51 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Freddie53@Jun 22 2005, 01:31 PM
The people who really control the Republican Party haven't been inside a fundie church more than once or twice. Reagon was a Presbyterian, one of the most liberal denominations in America, certainly not close to fundievile. H.W. Bush is Episcopalian which is as liberal as it gets in Christianity. No fundies are in the
Episcopol Church. George Bush is United Methodist. United Methodist are not as liberal as a group as the Presbyterians or the Episcopol Church, but the United Methodist Church has never been accused of being being fundie. The United Methodist Church has lost members for beiing "too liberal" So let the record show what churches these Republican leaders attended. Bill and Hillary Clinton and George and Laura Bush both attend the same United Methodist Church in Washington D.C., Foundary United Methodist Church. Though Bill's official membership was still in a Little Rock, Arkansas Baptist church last I heard. And some leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention wanted to excommunicate that church from the Convention for having Bill's name on the roll.
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The Presbyterian Church is more than just one church. There is the Presbyterian Church (USA), there is the Presbyterian Church in America, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (General Synod), the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Bible Presbyterian Church, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the list goes on. Some of these denominations of the Presbyterian family are among the most ultra-conservative and very evangelical churches around. Even within the PCUSA, there is a large contingent of churches that are part of the "Confessing Movement" which is the evangelical branch of the PCUSA which has been taking root. It is sweeping through that church as a great revival, because people were seeing the need for a return back to Biblical foundations.
As to Foundry UMC in Washington, DC, it is close to the White House, so that is why the President attends there. Many of the Episcopalian presidents have attended St. John's Church, Lafayette Square, because it is across from the White House. President Carter and his family were members of First Baptist Church of Washington, DC, which is triply aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Churches-USA, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention, which is an African-American group of churches.
Each of these denominations has churches which span the gamut from being very conservative to very liberal. I know some United Methodist churches down in my area that stay true to their Episcopalian roots and others that hold fast to their holiness/revival heritage, being closer to their offshoot Pentecostal churches. The ones that are more "Episcopalian" or high-church in style tend to be more liberal, while the "Holiness" Methodists are definitely conservative--very conservative.
The same holds true with Baptist churches. I have been associated with some that are very traditional and conservative, while others I know that might be termed more "intellectual" and be in university towns would definitely be in the liberal camp. They can all be in the Southern Baptist Convention, but at polar ends of the spectrum in worship styles, in doctrinal interpretation, etc.
To say there are no fundies are in the Episcopal church is way off, too. Some of the largest (and growing!
Episcopal churches in the US are the ones that are the evangelical ones. St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Houston, TX; Truro Church, Fairfax, VA; St. Philip's Church, Charleston, SC; St. Helena's Church, Beaufort, SC; St. Bartholomew's, Nashville, TN; St. James, Newport Beach, CA, just to name a few that are fundamental/evangelical (some even charismatic) and proud of it.
It's wrong to paint such a broad stroke about churches that whole denominations are all conservative or liberal.
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Monty,
You do have a point. However, in the case of the Episcopal Church the overwhelming majority is not remotely fundie.
I consider myself evangelical. I am sympathetic to both the Episcopal heritage of the Methodist Church and the holinest heritage of the Methodist Church. One could be fundie and be either. One could not be fundie and appreciate both heritages.
I was pointing out the irony of what churches the past Republican Presidents have been members of. And the of the past Democratic Presidents Truman, Carter and Clinton have been offically Southern Baptists. Johnson was Disciples of Christ.
Nixon was Quaker. Eisenhower was Presbyterian as I recall. Kennedy was Catholic and I don't remember what Ford is. Rosevelt was Episcopalian. Past Rosevelt I don't know the denomination of many of the Presidents.
Monty, you have to see the irony of it all George Bush the fundie is United Methodist. Bill Clinton the great liberal is Southern Baptist. It is interesting to say the least.