Title: Former Lutheran Bishop Asks Clinton to Resign ELCA NEWS SERVICE September 11, 1998 FORMER LUTHERAN BISHOP ASKS CLINTON TO RESIGN 98-AH CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, former presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sent an open letter Sept. 1 to President Bill Clinton asking him to resign. Chilstrom, who served as the first bishop of the ELCA beginning in 1988, stressed that he is active in the Democratic party in Minnesota. "It's been two weeks since I heard your admission that you had 'an inappropriate relationship' with a young woman over a period of several months near the Oval Office," Chilstrom said. " I have come to the painful conclusion that you should resign your office immediately." Chilstrom cited "personal concern" for the president and his family. He said Clinton has "betrayed the youth and families of America" and expressed concern for the public servants implicated in the president's "misdeeds." Chilstrom said Clinton's "critical role" as Commander in Chief has been "undermined." He said, "Since it impacts me very directly, I must also mention the disappointment and shame you have brought to our Democratic Party." Chilstrom retired in 1995 and lives at Pelican Rapids, Minn. In his letter Chilstrom said, "As Americans, we are not naive. Most of us believe that you cannot make a sharp distinction between how you function at your desk in the Oval Office and how you behave in a side room only a few feet away. We believe it inevitably has an impact on your work as our president." Chilstrom said, "Anyone who has been in a position of high and visible leadership in government, church, business, or any other arena, knows the power of temptation. Money, Power, Sex -- that subtle, unholy trinity of evil, is a constant threat." He said, "To be tempted is one thing; to fall is another. To fall once and be sorrowful is one thing; to fall again and again and only admit to an 'inappropriate relationship' when one is caught is another." [additional quotes from Chilstrom letter to Clinton] "There is personal concern for you. I am convinced that you cannot reconstruct your own life and that of your family while trying to be president. If you care for Hillary and Chelsea, you need to devote days and weeks to intense therapy. You need the best counsel you can find. Without this commitment, I see no way that your marriage can survive." "Besides your own family, you have betrayed the youth and families of America. Those who espouse the insidious philosophy that 'nothing is wrong unless you get caught' can now point to you as Exhibit A. You've pleaded with youth to stay away from drugs. Now they can say that as long as no one catches them it's not a problem." "Then there is concern for those public servants whom you have implicated in your misdeeds. I can hardly describe the embarrassment my wife and I felt as we watched Madeline Albright try to field questions about her relationship with you since your admission of wrong-doing. For this eloquent and dedicated public servant to have to stonewall the questions raised about her earlier statement of certainty about your affirmation of innocence was a moment of disgrace for all Americans." "There is another issue that has had little notice in the public media. I have in mind your office as Commander in Chief of our armed forces, a critical role that has been undermined by your behavior. You agreed to withdraw the nomination of an officer as Chief of Staff when it became known that he had had an 'inappropriate' relationship with a woman between marriages. Should our Commander in Chief remain in office when he has had an 'inappropriate' relationship while married?" "You agreed to a policy that forbids gay and lesbian persons, no matter how circumspect their lives, to be open about their sexuality. If they can be banned from military service for relationships that do not impinge on the personal rights of others, should not their Commander in Chief be banned from service for heterosexual behavior that compromises his authority?" "Since it impacts me very directly, I must also mention the disappointment and shame you have brought to our Democratic Party. When I retired from the office of bishop and had more discretionary time I decided to practice what I had preached -- to become active in one of the major parties. Though never strongly partisan, I decided that the Democratic Party more closely espoused the ideals I have held over the years. I got involved. I serve as chair of our township precinct and as vice-chair of our county organization." "I took pride in being identified as a Democrat. Now, like many fellow Democrats, I'm hurting. Though I know that the misdeeds of one person should not and can not characterize an entire body, I feel disgrace and want to look down when others remind me of what the leader of my party has done." "You have pleaded for space to have a personal life. No reasonable person will deny that to you. Only the sick-minded, the late-night comics or those intent on destroying you for political reasons would speculate about or pry into the sanctity of how you and Mrs. Clinton live together in the privacy of your bedroom. But when you are caught in the kind of 'inappropriate' behavior which you have admitted, then it is no longer a private, personal matter." For information contact: Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html