CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding
bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), expressed
a "high expectation for our public discourse" in the closing
weeks of the U.S. presidential campaign.
In an Oct. 16 pastoral letter issued to the ELCA,
Hanson wrote, "Instead of personal attacks, I appeal to the
McCain and Obama campaigns and related message groups to bear in
mind and recall for all of us the situations of our sisters and
brothers who will suffer the most from our current economic
turmoil."
The letter addressed the need for the church to "promote
sound, critical, and creative citizenship and public service" as
stated in the ELCA social statement, "The Church in Society: A
Lutheran Perspective." The social statement "encourages us to
join in public deliberations," Hanson wrote.
In the letter Hanson referred to the current global
financial crisis and the effects the crisis will have on the most
vulnerable. "With the current financial crisis sweeping the
United States and the world, it is too easy to forget those who
are most vulnerable, people who live in poverty here at home and
abroad," Hanson wrote. "They deserve our attention too, as we
prepare to determine this nation's direction for the next four
years."
Hanson asked for all people eligible to vote to exercise
their "faithful civic engagement." "Lutherans acknowledge the
instrumental role of government in society, and participation in
the electoral process is an example of our affirmation of baptism
to 'serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus'
and 'to strive for justice and peace in all the earth,'" he
concluded.
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The text of Presiding Bishop Hanson's statement is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bishopstatement on the ELCA Web site.
The text of "The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective"
is at http://www.ELCA.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Social-
Statements/Church-in-Society.aspx on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
