Decoding the fundie "code," can anyone help with this?

[blondeatlast]

This hits home regarding Robertson's statements on Paula Zahn today, and someone in a GD2004 thread mentioned the infamous "code."

If this is new to you, a brief explanation and I hope others can help out as well (since mine is apt to be woefully inadequate).

During the debates, many pundits and media whores mentioned that Bush was often speaking in a "code" understood by Christian fundamentalists. I'm wondering what the "code" consists of?

This is NOT meant as an excuse to attack anyone but the wing-nut, fundie, Right's beliefs.

But I'm clueless as to this "code" and looking for some insight.

[TaleWgnDg]

1. what code? what code does Dumbya drop to his Religious Rightwing?

Bible phrases.

And more bible phrases.

Sayings that are common to all w/i the rightwing Religious movement.

e.g.,

*************************
"I could not be governor (of Texas) if I did not
believe in a divine plan that supersedes all human
plans." -- Governor George W. Bush

"A year ago, I did give the speech from the carrier,
saying that we had achieved an important objective,
that we'd accomplished a mission, which was the
removal of Saddam Hussein." - GWBush

"Where there is tyranny, oppression and
gathering danger to mankind, America
works and sacrifices for peace and freedom.
The liberty we prize is not America's gift to
the world, it is the Almighty God's gift to all
humanity." -- GWBush

"Justice was being delivered to a man
who defied that gift from the Almighty
to the people of Iraq." — GWBush,
deifying his attack against Saddam,
as quoted from Washington, D.C.,
December 15, 2003

"Mission Accomplished" - GWBush

"God loves you, and I love you. And you
can count on both of us as a powerful
message that people who wonder about
their future can hear." — GWBush

"Obviously, I pray every day there's less
casualty." — GWBush, Fort Hood, Texas,
April 11, 2004

"There is a human condition that we must worry
about in times of war. There is a value system
that cannot be compromised — God-given values.
These aren't United States-created values."
— GWBush, as quoted by Bob Woodward,
in his book "Bush at War."

"This crusade ... is going to take a while."
— GWBush, speaking 5 days after 9-11
about retaliatory issues, Washington, DC,
September 16, 2001

"I called on Congress to join me in passing laws that
would allow the — open up the federal treasury to
faith-based programs, and (Congress) balked," Bush
said. "So I signed an executive order instructing all
federal agencies not to discriminate against religious
groups." — GWBush, January 15, 2004

"Together, we have a charge to keep,"
— GWBush

"Government cannot make ppl love one
another ... (; instead,) love comes from a
higher calling, a higher authority; the great
strength of America lies in the hearts and
souls of citizens who've heard that call, not
in the halls of government." — GWBush

"After all, religion has been around a lot longer
than Darwinism." — GWBush

"I could not be governor (of Texas) if I did not
believe in a divine plan that supersedes all human
plans." - GWBush

"I, George W. Bush, Governor of Texas, do
hereby proclaim June 10, 2000, Jesus Day in
Texas and urge ... all Texans to answer the
call to serve those in need. By volunteering
their time, energy or resources to helping others,
adults and youngsters follow Christ's message
of love and service in thought and deed."
— GWBush, as Governor of TX, officially
proclaiming June 10, 2000, as
"JESUS DAY in TEXAS."

"I believe that God wants me to be
president." — Richard Land, a Director
of the conservative evangelical Southern
Baptist Convention, quoting GWBush on
"the day (GWBush) was inaugurated for his
second term as governor (of TX) in 1999."
*************************




.

[pelagius]

2. Bush often quotes (without attribution) from...

...certain Bible passages and words to hymns favored by conservative Christians.

For example, in the 2003 State of the Union address (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html, he used the phrase "wonder-working power". Any fundagelical Christian would recognize that as a phrase from this Southern gospel hymn:

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

The Lamb here in question being, of course, the crucified Christ.

It's not so much that he's beaming secret messages as he is dropping hints that "I am one of you."

But Bush does use explicit code, also.

Bush's seemingly out-of-left-field commment about the _Dred Scott_ decision in one of the debates was actually quite lucid. The "pro-life" crowd considers themselves the moral heirs of the abolitionists. The infamous _Dred Scott_ decision, of course, waffled on slavery. In the anti-choice folks reasoning "Dred Scott" is equivalent to "Roe v. Wade."

So when Bush says he won't appoint judges that would support "Dred Scott" he's saying, in code-speak, he won't appoint judges who support Roe v. Wade.

[ladybugg33]

3. This is just a ploy to make you believe that Bush can make sense in any

way. He is too stupid to remember code let alone speak in code. There is no code for "no caualties." Now the record is clear. Pat says that God told him there would be great casualties (there have been). Either Pat was lying about God speaking to him and just used common sense (of the kind we all had)about what would face us by invading Iraq OR God really did speak to Pat, in which case it means that God turned his back on Bush because Bush has claimed that God called him to this Iraq mission. Bush believes that God wants everyone free (at least Bush did not claim that God told him this). Now who has God's ear: Pat or Bush?
Who is lying here? It is for sure that ONE OF THEM IS LYING. So far, holds the record on lying so my bet is that Bush is lying again.

Of course, Pat could be lying about everything and using God as a cover.

[pelagius]

4. I hear what you're saying...

...it reminds me of the old Dire Straits line: "Two men say they're Jesus/one of 'em must be wrong."

But Bush's speechwriters definitely draw on the evangelical rhetorical tradition when scripting his public comments. Because fundagelicals believe salvation is internal state not manifested in any external deeds, they look for clues as to the mind of the person.

That's why so many fume that Bush "doesn't act Christian" and none of the fundegelicals seem to notice. But to them, he's acting perfectly Christian by referencing their own cultural touchpoints.

[jdj]

5. this is a good article on it, from an xtian source:

All of these texts convey a sophisticated theology of history that rests on five propositions: 1) God desires freedom for all humanity; 2) this desire manifests itself in history; 3) America is called by history (and thus, implicitly by God) to take action on behalf of this cause; 4) insofar as America responds with courage and determination, God’s purpose is served and freedom’s advance is inevitable; 5) with the triumph of freedom, God’s will is accomplished and history comes to an end.

This is the fullest and most sophisticated theological position Bush has articulated in the course of his presidency. As we have seen, it follows several earlier systems, each of which had its own force, rationale and moment. These include an evangelical theology of “born again” conversion; a theology of American exceptionalism as grounded in the virtue of compassion; a Calvinist theology of vocation; and a Manichaean dualism of good and evil.

In developing these concepts, however, he has shown little concern for consistency and coherence. His theological systems simply pile up, much like his rationales for war in Iraq—of which 27 appeared over the course of one year. (Devon Largio delineates the 27 rationales in a much-cited honors thesis written this past spring at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.)

What is more, there are serious tensions and contradictions among the various systems. The one with which Bush ends, for example, differs sharply from the one with which he started. In his theology of history, salvation is an impersonal and inevitable process of gradual world-perfection, in which the Creator’s goals are achieved through the collective actions of a chosen nation. By contrast, his evangelical faith makes salvation individual and by no means inevitable; it comes in a blazing moment of faith and decision, when a lost soul accepts Jesus as personal savior. If the theology of the early Bush is Pauline, his more recent stance is Hegelian, but without the dialectic and with America, not Prussia, in history’s starring role. It is hard to imagine how one man can hold both doctrines.

http://www.christiancentury.org/feat_08.html

[pelagius]

6. Excellent article! n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. His biblical and hymn references are appalling. I hate that he

has hijacked my religion!

[Moderator]

8. Locking this at the request of the original poster