The Methodist Supreme Court: George Bush Library and SMU.

[mcroft]

My father is the Chancellor of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, which is not something I will ever be for many, many reasons. As he describes that, this means he is "the bishop's lawyer". Southern Methodist University in Dallas is both affiliated with the church and the home of a major Methodist Seminary, the Perkins School of Theology.

A member of the SMU Perkins staff sued the Bishop in Church Court over his decision to allow SMU to go forward with hosting the George W. Bush Presidential Library and the policy institute "inspired by the principles of George W. Bush's administration."

"The university and the church’s South Central Jurisdictional Conference, which owns the school and elects its trustees, contended the presidential library is an honor that will serve as a resource for historical research, dialogue and public programs."¹

Whatever you think of Bush and his administration's principles or Methodists or the economic advantages to Dallas or any moral stain that adheres to SMU or if you think it's going to be a resource or a tool, or any misgivings you might have regarding the details of the deal, the case she brought was that the Bishop should block the lease because it subsidized a particular political point of view.

It was a pretty weak case, and it was demolished by the Chancellor. “We do not see this case as a vote for or against former President Bush or his policies, but a simple matter of church law,” said my father, the Chancellor.

I think SMU is making a mistake. I don't think, for instance, the various Bush Library organizations will deal substantively with Bush regime torture. But I can't help but think it's their own choice to lie down with dogs and get up dirty.

Comments

[princejvstin.livejournal.com]

My father is the Chancellor of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, which is not something I will ever be for many, many reasons.

I never knew this. Or I forgot it if I did.

But yeah, I think SMU is just asking for the tsuris its going to get if it hosts the Presidential library.