181 Religious Leaders Accuse U.S. of Deception on Nicaraguan Conflict

A group of 181 religious leaders, including bishops and heads of denominations, Tuesday accused the Reagan Administration of erecting a “scaffold of deception” about the conflict in Nicaragua.

The signers, organized by Witness for Peace, an interfaith, anti-war group, issued a statement called “In the Name of God--Stop the Killing, Stop the Lies” as part of a campaign against Administration requests for more aid to Nicaraguan rebels, known as contras.

They accused the Administration of using “exaggeration, misinformation and outright falsehood” in an effort to “ prepare the American people for further U.S. military action in Nicaragua.”

Specifically, they charged that the Administration has covered up reports of human rights abuses by the contras. They also said that the leftist Sandinista government has offered peace initiatives that “are worthy of more energetic exploration by our government.”

Among the signers were Bishop Philip Cousins, president of the National Council of Churches; Episcopal Bishop Paul Moore of New York; Joseph Lowery, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Donald Shriver, president of Union Theological Seminary in New York.

Dozens of protesters bearing white crosses of “Sorrow and Hope” marched to the steps of Capitol on Tuesday to read the statement and to urge defeat of President Reagan’s $100-million aid request for the rebels.

As the religious leaders stood outside, Secretary of State George P. Shultz was in the Capitol defending the Administration request before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.