Many in the church had hoped to avoid a confrontation on homosexuality, one of the most contentious issues facing the church since the Methodist split over slavery in 1844.
The unexpected meeting between Mr. Geithner and the vice prime minister, Wang Qishan, comes during a flurry of diplomatic activity between Washington and Beijing meant to avoid a confrontation on China's policy of keeping its currency, the renminbi, at a nearly fixed exchange rate.
As the United Nations Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting, the United States and its allies scrambled to avoid a confrontation with echoes of the Cold War.
It will be harder to avoid a confrontation in the atmosphere of mistrust, tension and irresponsibility that clouds South Asia today.
"We believe he was trying to avoid a confrontation, not pursue one of the officers, when this first happened the tape was never released and one officer said he [Harrison] lunged at the other officer," he said.
Clifford Krauss (NYT) VENEZUELA: UNION LEADERS QUIT -- Hoping to avoid a confrontation with President Hugo Chavez, leaders of the country's main, opposition-dominated labor union federation have "temporarily" resigned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been dogged by the issue since he took office, has tried urgently to avoid a confrontation between the various streams of Judaism and has pressed for a compromise.
"The French want to avoid a confrontation, because the collateral damage of last year's crisis was such that there is no particular taste for repeating it in the absence of high stakes," said François Heisbourg, the director of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris.
While the option appears to be a quick and easy way to avoid a confrontation with Congressional leaders wary of putting more money into the banks, some critics would consider it a back door to nationalization, since the government could become the largest shareholder in several banks.
