UK Guardian: How born-again George became a man on a mission

[seafan]

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday October 7, 2005


George Bush was born again as an evangelical Christian in 1985 with the help of Billy Graham. But the veteran preacher had a warning for the future president: "Never play God".

As Mr Bush went on from that pivotal moment to be elected Texas governor and win the presidency, fears have occasionally been raised that he has forgotten Mr Graham's admonition.

--snip

However, Mr Bush has arguably gone further in both word and deed than any modern president, and his critics have accused him of deliberately blurring the constitutional separation between church and state. Former White House officials have recounted how staff were expected to attend daily prayer meetings. Billions of dollars have been set aside for "faith-based" groups, which President Bush believes to be more effective for social assistance than government programmes.

Suspicions of a creeping evangelical agenda ignited into outrage with the comments of a US general, William Boykin, responsible for leading the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. The war on terror, Lieut Gen Boykin told Christian groups in 2003, was a war against satan. Of the president, the general asked: "Why is this man in the White House? The majority of Americans did not vote for him. He's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this."

After a brief investigation, the general was not only exonerated for improper remarks, he was promoted to deputy under-secretary of defence for intelligence.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1586923,00.html

[rwheeler31]

1. We used to put people like this in Belllview, now we elect them.

What is wrong with us?

[cassiepriam]

2. Yes, Bush's rise to power says much about us as a people....

A corrupt evil homicidal psychotic man can take power illegally. And no one says a word. The corruption is wide and deep and in all of us. Bush represents the very dark shadows of our country. The deep ignorance, apathy, greed and racism.

[unhappycamper]

3. seafan:

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs and must include a link to the original source."

Thanks.