July 23, 2007
by Toya Richards Hill

LOUISVILLE – The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly stated clerk, is part of an interfaith coalition that supports the denuclearization agreement reached by the Bush administration with North Korea.

In a joint statement released July 17, Kirkpatrick and the coalition of religious leaders called the agreement "an important step toward halting the production of nuclear bomb material in that nation."

"This agreement will help to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in the region and enhance international security. We congratulate the Bush administration for its work in this negotiation," said the coalition, which included the Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director of Church World Service; Rabbi Gerald Serotta of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, MD; and Sayyid M. Syeed, national director of the Islamic Society of North America.

The statement coincided with the announcement that North Korea has begun to dismantle its nuclear facilities under international inspection, to fulfill its obligations under the February 2007 denuclearization agreement.

"The agreement requires specific actions in order to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We urge representatives of our government, including members of Congress, to give full support to the agreement so that the United States fulfills its part of the bargain," the coalition's statement said.

"We urge continued diplomatic pressure on the North Korean government so that it completely dismantles all of its nuclear weapons-related facilities."

The group also pointed out that the agreement reached demonstrates the "use of words, rather than war, as a response to conflict," and it urged the Bush administration to "pursue a similar strategy in the nuclear standoff with Iran."

"Our religious traditions teach that efforts should be made to explore every alternative in resolving a conflict before going to war," the coalition said.

PCUSA News Service