posted August 15, 2004 09:19 PM              

In God he trusts - how George Bush infused the White House with a religious spirit

Cabinet meetings start with prayers while speeches demonstrate the President's faith, but is all this adding to divisions with Europe?

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

21 February 2003

But for Christ, George Bush likes to tell churchy visitors, he might be found today in a bar rather than the Oval Office. As it is, the man who may soon take the world to war over Iraq heads the most overtly religious US administration in memory, where cabinet meetings start with prayers and where no presidential speech is complete without some statement of Christian faith.

The tale of Bush's transformation is well known, but no less remarkable for that: the feckless near-alcoholic who rediscovered his Christianity after a long conversation with the evangelist Billy Graham in 1986, and went on to become a teetotaller , the Governor of Texas, and finally one of the most relentlessly disciplined presidents in history.

At one level, Bush's conversion should not surprise. America is far and away the most religious country in the developed world. More than 90 per cent of Americans believe in God, according to recent polls and 80 per cent believe in miracles – indeed four out of 10 say they "personally experienced or witnessed" one.

Almost half of the population attend church on a weekly basis – a higher proportion than before the Second World War – and 53 per cent say religion is very important in their lives, compared with just 16 per cent in Britain, 14 per cent in France and 13 per cent in Germany. The reasons are many, stretching back to the pilgrim origins of the country. America is still relatively young and still steeped in idealism. Yes, the US has experienced calamities: 11 September; Pearl Harbor; and a civil war that took 600,000 lives. But it has not suffered the catastrophes that test national faith: mass famine; plague; sustained wartime bombardment; or occupation of its territory by a foreign foe. Indeed, America's very success, its emergence as unchallenged master of the planet, only heightens a sense that the Almighty has singled it out for special favours.

Every recent president has been a practising Christian. Good East Coast gentleman that he was, the elder Bush was an Episcopalian. Bill Clinton was raised a southern Baptist, though as President he attended his wife's Methodist church in Washington.

None was more devout than Jimmy Carter. His victorious 1976 campaign had a strong evangelical strain and to this day Carter remains a church deacon and Sunday school teacher – even though he left the southern Baptist denomination three years ago because of its conservative stance. But once in office, he rarely advertised his Christianity.

Not so Bush and the men around him. In The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W Bush, the former Bush speechwriter David Frum tells of how virtually the first words he heard were: "Missed you at Bible study." The remark, it should be said, was not addressed to Frum, who is Jewish, but to the chief speechwriter Michael Gerson.

Gerson, who comes from a modest Midwestern background, is by any standards a marvellous wordsmith, responsible for a host of eloquent setpiece speeches by a notably ineloquent President. He is also a theology graduate, comfortable with religious imagery and allusion – which suits Bush perfectly.

Tracing the origin of the phrase that stole the show in the 2002 State of the Union, Frum claims he lumped together Iraq, North Korea and Iran in an "axis of hatred". It was Gerson who altered this to the more biblical "axis of evil", picking up on the President's description of al-Qa'ida and the 9/11 hijackers as "evildoers" – a word that incidentally appears in Psalm 27, of which Bush is particularly fond.

These days, as threat and disaster crowd in, Bush's turn of phrase is growing, if anything, more religious. In this year's address to Congress, he spoke of "the loving hand of God behind all of life". The shuttle disaster drew a quotation from Isaiah. If war does come, Bush's speech to the nation will invoke the protecting hand of God.

But there are less obvious references, which suggest that Bush has more earthly, political motives for wearing his faith on his sleeve. The State of the Union, for instance, also spoke of the "wonder-working powers" of the "goodness and idealism and faith of the American people". For the uninitiated, "wonder-working powers" sounds like a speech-writer has gone over the top. But a Christian activist would understand at once the borrowing from the evangelical hymn, "There Is Power in the Blood", and its resounding refrain, "There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb..." And to appeal to the Christian right, one of Bush's key political constituencies, makes perfect electoral sense.

Karl Rove, the key adviser plotting Bush's re-election campaign next year, argues that in 2000, four million evangelical Christians, all natural Bush supporters, did not bother to go to the polls. Energising this base and persuading even one million of them to do so could make all the difference for a President who lost the popular vote last time.

But that's only part of it. Bush's born-again Christianity cannot be questioned. Indeed, it dovetails with his widely attested lack of intellectual curiosity, his seemingly utter certainty of his convictions and with the difficulty of persuading him to change a mind already made up. Few mortals can compete with God for his ear. But the approach carries dangers. At home, many worry that Bush is chipping at the wall – not too strong at the best of times – between Church and State. At the very least it creates unease among Americans who do not share his faith. Abroad, where America's popularity is falling by the day, the risks are greater still. Church leaders in Britain have spoken out against the war, but their views are unlikely to influence policy.

Mr Bush's Christian fervour only confirms suspicions that the looming war with Iraq is indeed a "crusade" against Muslims, exactly as Osama bin Laden suggests. For world-weary Europe the presidential language evokes mirth and queasiness in equal measure. A European leader who spoke in such terms would be laughed off the stage. An American one who speaks this way only increases the fear that simplicities of faith, and a habit of seeing a hideously complicated world in a black-and-white, good or evil fashion, are a recipe for disaster.

Chapter and Verse: Bush and the Bible

"Our prayer tonight is that God will see us through and keep us worthy. Hope still lights our way, and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it."

Speech on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks, 11 September 2002

"We do not claim to know all the ways of Providence. Yet we can trust in them, placing our confidence in the loving God behind all of life, and all of history. May he guide us now."

State of the Union address, 28 January 2003

"In the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'Lift your eyes and look to the heavens.'"

Address to the nation after the shuttle 'Columbia' disaster, 1 February 2003

"It is the greatest gift you can give anybody, to pray on their behalf."

At National Prayer Breakfast, 7 February 2003

"I welcome faith to solve the nation's deepest problems ... We're being challenged. We're meeting those challenges because of our faith ... We carried our grief to the Lord Almighty in prayer."

posted August 15, 2004 11:10 PM              

***************

"I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator." Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf, p. 46

*******************

SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT, GEORGE W. BUSH

Friends, we have been told by David Kay, who resigned as head of the CIA's Iraq Survey Group, that no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) existed in Iraq prior to our invasion last March.

We have also been told by Secretary of State, Colin Powell that no intelligence linking Saddam Hussein and the terrorist organization Al Qaida, or the 9-11 attack ever existed. We have also been told by former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill in Ron Suskind's book, "The Price of Loyalty" that President Bush began planning the invasion of Iraq from the beginning of his presidency, months before 9-11.

Now, some of President Bush's political opponents are saying that our President took us to war in Iraq under false pretexts, and that the lives of over 500 [and growing no doubt] U.S. soldiers have been needlessly sacrificed. Add to the above, assertions that the civil liberties of Americans are being trampled by our President's USA Patriot Act.*

[* "An evil exists that threatens every man, woman, and child of this great nation. We must take steps to ensure our domestic security and protect our homeland." -- Adolf Hitler, proposing the creation of the Gestapo.]

Friends, we must not let these disclosures and allegations weaken our support for our President, George W. Bush. The central issue before us as we head into this year's election campaign has nothing to do with whether or not Saddam had WMD, or was responsible for 9-11. It has nothing to do with how many of our soldiers have died in Iraq, or whether their deaths had any meaning. It has nothing to do with civil rights.

The central issue, indeed the only issue, is loyalty to our President. We must keep faith with George W. Bush. His vision is far too great to be subject to any mere analysis of facts. Questions of whether or not Saddam Hussein had WMD, ties to Al Qaida, or posed an imminent threat to the U.S. or any of our allies, are irrelevant.

As for the U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq, we must keep this number in perspective. Over 400,000 U.S. soldiers were killed in WW2, over 54,000 in Korea, over 58,000 in Viet Nam. By contrast, the 500 or so who have been killed in Iraq is a meaninglessly small number.

With great responsibility must come great authority. And, no man or woman on this planet carries a greater burden of responsibility, or commands more power, than George W. Bush. President Bush accepts these responsibilities, and uses his power, with the wisdom of knowing that peace can only be achieved through perpetual war on the enemies of freedom.

Is there anyone who would deny that Saddam Hussein is an evil man? Is there anyone, after 9-11, who would deny that the United States is under dire threat of terrorist attack? Surely, in the face of such evil, and such danger, simple facts regarding any nation's weapons arsenals, or terrorist affiliations are hardly important. Our President's judgment should be the only criteria for America's prerogative to go to war against any nation at any time.

Furthermore, the cause of freedom is more important than any notions of civil rights. This applies to the American citizens our President has declared, "Enemy Combatants" and who have been arrested and are being held in military jails. So-called "civil libertarians" whine that these people are being held incommunicado, in solitary confinement, without being charged with any specific crimes, that they cannot seek legal representation, and will be imprisoned without trial for an indefinite period of time.

Well, all that loyal, patriotic Americans need to know about civil rights is that those people are being held under the authority of our President, George W. Bush. That's good enough for us. Under the courageous leadership of our President, the enemies of peace and freedom, at home and abroad, are being brought to justice. We owe our President nothing less than our unquestioning loyalty.

posted August 16, 2004 05:03 AM              

I will stop playing the religion card against GWB when he stops trying to incorporate it into politics. I don't care how many people believe the way he does... for every one of them there is someone who believes differently in this world.

Religion has no place in government.

If anyone needs to stop playing the religion card, it's the Right.

A majority of anything isn't what this country is about. It's supposed to be a melting pot.

Shall I state the race issue again? Would you argue that the majority of the people here are white. Does that mean only the white people should be represented? No. That is ignorance... plain and simple.

"Stop playing the religion card"... LMAO
I wish he would.

posted August 16, 2004 07:41 AM            

''Our President's judgment should be the only criteria for America's prerogative to go to war against any nation at any time.''

WHAT???

That is the scariest thing I've heard in a long time. Not that it is about Bush, but that ''we the people'' really put that power in one man's hands? That sounds more like a dictatorship, and that's pretty darn un-American if you ask me....although I'm not entirely sure I truly know what it means to be ''an American''. If it means to put up with daily infringements on our civil rights --and by this I mean serperation of church and state-- going along with the original point LS posted, then I guess I don't get it. I thought we were out to rid the world of cruel governments and dictatorships, blowing our ''we are free, be like us'' horns along the way... but wait, no, being hypocritical must just be what other nations do....

You know, I'm all for supporting my country and putting trust in them, I have a heck of a lot of family over there, but it would be nice if the ''big guys in Washington'' would return the favor and trust us with the truth as they learn it...

And darn right we've got the right to play the religion card, everyone in every faith all over this world play it to prove their points, and that won't ever stop.... as soon as it does, than I will too. I've always wondered why those who follow a particualr faith (Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc..) get special treatment when it comes to ceremonies, prayer in school, blah, but for those of us who do not, we still have to sit there quietly and listen to speaches full of religious text... curious....

posted August 16, 2004 09:08 AM            

IRAQ WAR RESOLUTION
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. J. RES. 114
October 10, 2002

JOINT RESOLUTION
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.
http://www.yourcongress.com/ViewArticle.asp?article_id=2686

posted August 16, 2004 09:37 AM            

''Well, all that loyal, patriotic Americans need to know about civil rights is that those people are being held under the authority of our President, George W. Bush. That's good enough for us.''

Well, does that mean I am not patriotic? Does that mean I am not loyal to my country? Because civil liberties and rights ARE important to me, not following a leader blindly, that, to me, seems like a dictatorship. Not that Bush is trying to be a dictator, but when one says:

''We owe our President nothing less than our unquestioning loyalty.'',

it brings outsiders to question the ''freedom'' American citizens truly have.

If you would like me to explain further, please let me know.

posted August 16, 2004 10:26 AM            

quote:

---

''Well, all that loyal, patriotic Americans need to know about civil rights is that those people are being held under the authority of our President, George W. Bush. That's good enough for us.''

''We owe our President nothing less than our unquestioning loyalty.'',

---

I seem to remember the President taking great care to differentiate between radical Islamic Muslim terrorists and the peaceful followers of Islam here in the United States. Do you have information to the contrary?

I remember the President saying that the terrorists had twisted the peaceful teachings of Islam into a religion of hate and terror.

posted August 16, 2004 12:41 PM            

I was using the words of Raine there, and trying to adress what she was getting at. I haven't heard that too often myself, and wanted to explain that views like that make some people coming from other points of view, or outside America, may use words like this as their opinion for more Americans than truly feel that way.

I would like to add something that supports what you said about Bush's comments:

George W. Bush, speaking to the nation in his ''Freedom at war With Fear''adress. September 20, 2001.
''I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. (Applause.) The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them.''

Good speech writer, huh?

While I congratulate the President for saying these words, some other Americans have not taken these words to heart and situations such as this arise:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution re: Muslims' Call to Prayers, which was decided to fall under the same category as church bells,
''Joanne Golen, a lifelong Hamtramck resident, said she finds the content of the call to prayer offensive. "It says Allah is the one and only God. I am Christian. My God is Jesus Christ. That is my only objection--that I have to listen to a God other than the one I believe in praised five times a day,'' said Golen, 68.''

Sadly, that is how almost that whole city felt about the situation. The issue passed unanimously, but many citizens are appealing. They are claiming infringement on their civil liberties, including the seperation of church and state law. But apparently, it's okay for others to speak freely about their God, as long as it is in the Christian faith.....

Comments on Bush's press conference in April, printed in The Progressive
''In one of his most emphatic moments, he said, "I also have this belief, strong belief, that freedom is not this country's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man and woman in this world. And as the greatest power on the face of the Earth, we have an obligation to help the spread of freedom." This is Bush saying that he is doing God's work in Iraq. That is a particularly inappropriate claim to make, leaving aside the obvious leaping of the church/state wall. Given that Bush has chosen to wage war in an Islamic country, it is unlikely that there are many Iraqis who are anxious to hear Bush's theological justifications.''

Supporting my view. Was kind of hard to find though, but I soldiered on....

posted August 16, 2004 12:54 PM            

I know I don't. And most people I know don't. He doesn't run the country based on some passage in the bible. The founding fathers designed the government so that it doesn't matter what your religion is, there is only so far you can bring it into the govt. If his personal beliefs are Christianity, who cares? I don't. If you don't believe in god, I sure don't care either. To each his own. Clinton went to church (a Christian one). Jimmy Carter is a religious man, isn't he? WHO CARES?

It seems to me that some want the right not to have religion, but it appears they also think some folks don't have the right to be religious.

So he refers to God. Who cares. So you don't. Who cares?

posted August 16, 2004 01:06 PM            

We were just having a debate. I really DON'T care, but as I am extremely interested in history and politics, it is a great mind excercise for me. I am merely taking one side and supporting it with evidence I find in speeches and articles. jwhop and I seem to be relaying back to each other and have an intersting thing going. I'm learning a lot from him, even if I don't completely agree with him, he's pretty smart, and I'd be an arse not to have respect for that.

Perhaps you weren't asking, but that's what I have to say about it.

posted August 16, 2004 03:34 PM              

I've given plenty of quotes. I think Jesus Day is a pretty good example.

HIS religion has no place in government. NO PLACE. No other president has pulled this crap to the same degree. For Christ's Sake... he was {i]saved[/i] by Billy Graham, who is probably about as spiritual as Jim Baker.

Apparently some don't read very well around here... so I'll re-post the exaples from the first article... maybe then your Right Wing Blinders will let the info through. *shrug*

State of the Union address, 28 January 2003

"In the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'Lift your eyes and look to the heavens.'"

At National Prayer Breakfast, 7 February 2003

"I welcome faith to solve the nation's deepest problems ... We're being challenged. We're meeting those challenges because of our faith ... We carried our grief to the Lord Almighty in prayer."

... our faith? I don't share a faith with him. Our collective faith is NOT Christianity!

God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them.
-- George W. Bush, according to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, from minutes acquired by Haaretz from cease-fire negotiations between Abbas and faction leaders from the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular and Democratic Fronts (circa June, 2003), quoted from Arnon Regular, "'Road map is a life saver for us,' PM Abbas tells Hamas" (Haaretz.com:June 27, 2003), quoted from EvilOz (The Iterative Record)

This just shows what kind of human he is:
Please don't kill me!
-- George W. Bush, sadistically mocking condemned killer Karla Faye Tucker, complete with whimpering voice, in an interview with Talk Magazine's Tucker Carlson, quoted from J. H. Hatfield, Favorite Son (2000), caption of photo opposite page 165

There ought to be limits to freedom.
-- George W. Bush, complaining about a website (www.gwbush.com) critical of him, at an Austin Press Conference, May 21, 1999, quoted from www.gwbush.com and the Democratic Alliance, "Yes, They Really Said It!"

Should there be limits to religious freedom as well then, Mr. Bush.

Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.
-- George W. Bush, echoing the either-or, black-and-white thinking practiced by the Jesus character of the Christian Gospel stories ("He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." -- Matthew 12:30) and thereby leaving room for no other options, in his September 20, 2001, "war whoop of folly" speech, ... cheered on by a Congress "overcome with grief and drunk with patriotism," quoted in and adjectives lifted from Matthew Rothschild, "War Whoop of Folly," in The Progressive (September 21, 2001)

The inability to see things other than in black and white is a very good sign of emotional immaturuity.

We come before God to pray for the missing and the dead, and for those who loved them.... Our purpose as a nation is firm, yet our wounds as a people are recent and unhealed and lead us to pray.... This world he created is of moral design. Grief and tragedy and hatred are only for a time. Goodness, remembrance, and love have no end, and the Lord of life holds all who die and all who mourn.... Neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities, nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth can separate us from God's love.
-- George W. Bush, in his sermon for the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance which was held on September 14, 2001, wherein Bush quoted the New Testament passage of Romans 8:38 (angels? principalities? powers?), quoted from Josh Karpf, "Atheism in the New Holy War"

Through my Faith-Based and Community Initiative, my Administration continues to encourage the essential work of faith-based and community organizations. Governments can and should support effective social services, including those provided by religious people and organizations. When government gives that support, it is important that faith-based institutions not be forced to change their religious character.
-- George W. Bush, shamelessly promoting the idea that government ought to overturn decades -- centuries -- of civil rights progress by paying religious organizations to discriminate on the basis of religious adherence -- one of the very reasons why our Constitutison's Bill of Rights forbids our government from "respecting an establishment of religion" -- in his Proclamation: "Religious Freedom Day, 2004" (January 16, 2004) ††

LAMO... religious freedom... you really think I could get government grants for Paganism? Please.

Catholic schools carry out a great mission, to serve God by building knowledge and character.... By teaching the word of God, you prepare your students to follow a path of virtue.
-- George W. Bush, helping to soften the blows of justice in asking (requiring, really) taxpayers to bail out Roman Catholic schools through a publicly funded voucher program after numerous Roman Catholic parishes and dioceses being held financially accountable for clerics who terrorized and molested young boys and girls over a period of decades in the pedophile priest scandal, at a White House ceremony whose audience included more over 200 Roman Catholic officials; quoted from American Atheists Press Reelease, "Bush off Key in Singing Praises of Parochial Schools" (January 12, 2004: source citation based in part upon American Atheists' president Ellen Johnson's written response to this incident) ††

[Immigrants] bring to America the values of faith in God, love of family, hard work and self reliance -- the values that made us a great nation to begin with. We've all seen those values in action, through the service and sacrifice of more than 35,000 foreign-born men and women currently on active duty in the United States military.
-- George W. Bush, forgetting his history (again) in the fact that many came to America seeking freedom from religion, needlessly dividing the nation, and marginalizing tens of millions of Americans who have no belief in deities and practice no adherence to creeds, from his speech, "President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program" (January 7, 2004) ††

Tyrants and dictators will accept no other gods before them. They require disobedience to the First Commandment. They seek absolute control and are threatened by faith in God. They fear only the power they cannot possess -- the power of truth. So they resent the living example of the devout, especially the devotion of a unique people chosen by God.
-- George W. Bush, blaming the Holocaust on godlessness, rather than on Christian anti-Semitism of Martin Luther, St. Paul, and the Jesus of Matthew's and John's Gospels, and ignoring the fact that Adolf Hitler repeatedly called himself a Christian, pretended to be obeying Christ, and cannot be shown to have been an atheist, at the National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance at the U.S. Capitol on April 19, 2001, quoted from Freedom From Religion Foundation, "Bush's Holocaust Remarks Distort History, Scapegoat Freethinkers" April 25, 2001

I really appreciate leaders from around the globe who have come to share in prayer with us today. It reminds me that the Almighty God is a God to everybody, every person.
-- George W. Bush, making a welcoming gestu-- er, uh, claim, in which he speaks on behalf of you and me -- on behalf of everybody, every person -- even though the very Supreme law of the land protects us from such abuse at the hands of our elected leaders, during his speech before the 51st Annual Congressional Prayer Breakfast, quoted from "President Bush Addresses the 51st Annual Prayer Breakfast" (February 6, 2003) ††

Scripture says: "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." I call on every American family and the family of America to observe a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, honoring the memory of the thousands of victims of these brutal attacks and comforting those who lost loved ones. We will persevere through this national tragedy and personal loss. In time, we will find healing and recovery; and, in the face of all this evil, we remain strong and united, "one Nation under God."
-- George W. Bush, directing the religious exercises of his constituents and proclaiming a strange unity which omits at least ten percent of the population: "National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims Of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001" (September 14, 2001)

God's signs are not always the ones we look for. We learn in tragedy that his purposes are not always our own. Yet the prayers of private suffering, whether in our homes or in this great cathedral, are known and heard, and understood.
There are prayers that help us last through the day, or endure the night. There are prayers of friends and strangers, that give us strength for the journey. And there are prayers that yield our will to a will greater than our own....
On this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, we ask almighty God to watch over our nation, and grant us patience and resolve in all that is to come. We pray that He will comfort and console those who now walk in sorrow. We thank Him for each life we now must mourn, and the promise of a life to come.
-- George W. Bush, "President's Remarks at National Day of Prayer and Remembrance" at the The National Cathedral (September 14, 2001)

My administration will be more supportive of the good works done here than any administration in the history of this country because I understand the power of faith, that faith can change lives.
-- George W. Bush, still refusing to admit that "faith-based" programs have not been shown to be more effective than secular programs, and yet still ignoring the facts that (1) "faith-based" programs are typically unfair in thier administration and hiring and (2) "faith-based" programs more often than not exploit thier often-captive audiences to make sales pitches for "The Lord," at Notre Dame University on May 24, 2001

Apparently he doesn't know "faith-based" and "Christian" aren't interchangable.

I appreciate that question because I, in the state of Texas, had heard a lot of discussion about a faith-based initiative eroding the important bridge between church and state.
-- George W. Bush, proving that he has it backwards: it's a "wall" separating religion from government, not a "bridge" joining the two, during a question and answer session with the press, January 29, 2001, quoted from Jacob Weinberg, "The Complete Bushisms"

Take the life issue. This issue requires a president and an administration leading our nation to understand the importance of life. This whole faith-based initiative really ties into a larger cultural issue that we're working on. It begins to affect the life issue, as well as the human dignity issue, because when you're talking about welcoming people of faith to help people who are disadvantaged and are unable to defend themselves, the logical step is also those babies.
-- George W. Bush, unaware that a press microphone was on, telling Roman Catholic "faith-based" subsidy supporters that they are "vital allies" because they won't "be eroded by political correctness or whatever," and assuring them that his scheme to give tax money to religious groups will help them promote opposition to legal abortion, at the White House on January 31, 2001, quoted from Margaret Sykes, "Bush Caught on Tape -- Again: Says he'll use tax dollars to help religious groups oppose abortion," About Pro-Choice Views, February 1, 2001

Our plan will not favor religious institutions over nonreligious institutions. As president, I'm interested in what is constitutional and I'm interested in what works.
-- George W. Bush, promoting his scheme to funnel tax dollars into religoius "charities" which will not be held accountable for discriminating against nonreligious and other-religious workers, and the validity of which religious groups are worthy of being funded will be decided by the government (Bush has already stated that the Nation of Islam will not qualify), at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, for which organizers refused to release a full list of attendees, February 1, 2001, quoted from Conrad Goeringer, "Bush Promotes Faith at Prayer Breakfast: Bipartisan Support for New White House Office," AANEWS 881, February 2, 2001, from American Atheists

I'm sure I can find plenty more for ya.

Really... try taking off your blinders before reading. It's really helpful.

posted August 16, 2004 04:02 PM              

What people ARE concerned about is that the iron-clad union of church and state is what brought us the Inquisition and the holocaust and the Salem witch-burnings live and in living color--usually red.

posted August 16, 2004 04:05 PM              

Are you suggesting GWB is leading us into another "witch burning" era?

posted August 16, 2004 04:27 PM            

God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them.
-- George W. Bush, according to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, from minutes acquired by Haaretz from cease-fire negotiations between Abbas and faction leaders from the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular and Democratic Fronts (circa June, 2003), quoted from Arnon Regular, "'Road map is a life saver for us,' PM Abbas tells Hamas" (Haaretz.com:June 27, 2003), quoted from EvilOz (The Iterative Record)

While it's true Bush met with Abbas along with other leaders in the Middle East, this is what he really said to them.

PRESIDENT BUSH: King Abdullah, thank you for hosting this event. Her Majesty, thank you for your hospitality. It is fitting that we gather today in Jordan. King Abdullah is a leader on behalf of peace and is carrying forward the tradition of his father, King Hussein.

I'm pleased to be here with Prime Minister Sharon. The friendship between our countries began at the time of Israel's creation. Today, America is strongly committed, and I am strongly committed, to Israel's security as a vibrant Jewish state.

I'm also pleased to be with Prime Minister Abbas. He represents the cause of freedom and statehood for the Palestinian people. I strongly support that cause, as well. Each of us is here because we understand that all people have the right to live in peace. We believe that with hard work and good faith and courage, it is possible to bring peace to the Middle East. And today we mark important progress toward that goal.

Great and hopeful change is coming to the Middle East. In Iraq, a dictator who funded terror and sowed conflict has been removed, and a more just and democratic society is emerging. Prime Minister Abbas now leads the Palestinian Cabinet. By his strong leadership, by building the institutions of Palestinian democracy and by rejecting terror, he is serving the deepest hopes of his people.

All here today now share a goal: the Holy Land must be shared between the state of Palestine and the state of Israel, living at peace with each other and with every nation of the Middle East.

All sides will benefit from this achievement and all sides have responsibilities to meet. As the road map accepted by the party makes clear, both must make tangible immediate steps toward this two-state vision.

I welcome Prime Minister Sharon's pledge to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian areas and to begin removing unauthorized outposts immediately. I appreciate his gestures of reconciliation on behalf of prisoners and their families, and his frank statements about the need for the territorial contiguity.

As I said yesterday, the issue of settlements must be addressed for peace to be achieved. In addition, Prime Minister Sharon has stated that no unilateral actions by either side can or should prejudge the outcome of future negotiations. The Prime Minister also recognizes that it is in Israel's own interest for Palestinians to govern themselves in their own state. These are meaningful signs of respect for the rights of the Palestinians and their hopes for a viable, democratic, peaceful, Palestinian state.

Prime Minister Abbas recognizes that terrorist crimes are a dangerous obstacle to the independent state his people seek. He agrees that the process for achieving that state is through peaceful negotiations. He has pledged to consolidate Palestinian institutions, including the security forces and to make them more accountable and more democratic. He has promised his full efforts and resources to end the armed intifada. He has promised to work without compromise for a complete end of violence and terror. In all these efforts, the Prime Minister is demonstrating his leadership and commitment to building a better future for the Palestinian people.

Both Prime Ministers here agree that progress toward peace also requires an end to violence and the elimination of all forms of hatred and prejudice and official incitement -- in school books, in broadcasts, and in the words used by political leaders. Both leaders understand that a future of peace cannot be founded on hatred and falsehood and bitterness.

Yet, these two leaders cannot bring about peace if they must act alone. True peace requires the support of other nations in the region. Yesterday, in Sharm el-Sheikh, we made a strong beginning. Arab leaders stated that they share our goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, and living side-by-side in peace and in security. And they have promised to cut off assistance and the flow of money and weapons to terrorist groups, and to help Prime Minister Abbas rid Palestinian areas of terrorism.

All sides have made important commitments, and the United States will strive to see these commitments fulfilled. My government will provide training and support for a new, restructured Palestinian security service. And we'll place a mission on the ground, led by Ambassador John Wolf. This mission will be charged with helping the parties to move towards peace, monitoring their progress and stating clearly who was fulfilling their responsibilities. And we expect both parties to keep their promises.

I've also asked Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to make this cause a matter of the highest priority. Secretary Powell and Dr. Rice, as my personal representative, will work closely with the parties, helping them move toward true peace as quickly as possible.

The journey we're taking is difficult, but there is no other choice. No leader of conscience can accept more months and years of humiliation, killing and mourning. And these leaders of conscience have made their declarations today in the cause of peace.

The United States is committed to that cause. If all sides fulfill their obligation, I know that peace can finally come.

Thank you very much, and may God bless our work. (Applause.)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/06/20030604-1.html

posted August 16, 2004 04:27 PM            

quote:

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You're not going to get specifics Jwhop. The Liberals don't know how to make them. Such Girlie men!

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posted August 16, 2004 04:30 PM              

One more.

Star Lover is under the false pretense that she is somehow omnipotant. You know, telling people "what you need to do".

I can think of quite a few things I think she should do... but I won't post them because I'd like to keep my place here in LL

posted August 16, 2004 04:39 PM            

As for the rest of your quote, Jwhop addressed one, and I'd say that many of those quotes don't seem scary. So the guy believes in God and wants people who believe in a higher power (which he uses the word God to refer to) to come to America. I still don't see the problem.

As for the quotes, in order to make a judgement one should really be able to put it in it's context, and know the source (ie; GWB on such and such date, according to whomever/whatever source/record). We all know how quotes taken out of context can be.