*'s religion statement really scared the bejeezus out of me

[Clinton Crusader]

I believe that God wants everybody to be free. That‘s what I believe. And that‘s been part of my foreign policy.

WTF??? Now GOD is dictating foreign policy in this country?? I was stunned NO pundits made hay of this, but just the opposite. They found it glorious. Sorry, but this is just BIZARRE. And Im a Christian! He's on a freakin CRUSADE!

Am I the only one who feels this way?
:kick:

[soleft]

1. Bet it makes bigger waves in foreign press

It's a very scary statement

[TomClash]

2. God speaks to him and tells him what to do

He prays and receives divine guidance. So did God tell him to invade next? Iran?

Oh, brother. This fool has got to go.

[CityZen-X]

19. His god speaks to him.....

through the ear piece he has implanted!

[leftofthedial]

3. rising fundamentalism around the world

and the unfettered rise of global capitalism

are the two greatest evils faced by our species and our planet

the little bushturd represents all the worst of both of them

[catchthefever]

4. No

I heard that too. I also disagrees with the things he prays for... strength, wisdom, etc. That's pretty damn selfish. If God wants people to be free, he'll inform the people, and they will do, without US intervention or assistance.

[seabeyond]

5. well ya.... he told the jordon president god told

him to go to war against iraq.

said something to a bunch of canadians also

[KOBUK]

6. I was concerned as well !

Who do we free next? Cuba,Syria,Iran or maybe China ?

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Personally I am sick of bush* 's "God" crap!

I'm sick of him shoving it down my throat and I wish he'd keep his phony "born again" crap to himself. Better yet, he can take his religious BS back with him to his pig farm and spew it to his cows since they are such "good listeners! :crazy:

[Rambis]

8. One dumb undecided

woman said, "I like it when he talked about his wife, it made me feel closer to him" When you have statements like this the bush faux religious bullshit works or he wouldn't be saying it. Poeple scare the hell outta me.

[whistle]

9. Here is a story about George W Bush's inspiration to run for president....

...<snip>

An Evolving Faith
Does the president believe he has a divine mandate?

By Deborah Caldwell


In the spring of 1999, as George W. Bush was about to announce his run for President, he agreed to be interviewed about his religious faith--grudgingly. "I want people to judge me on my deeds, not how I try to define myself as a religious person of words."

It's hard to believe that's the same George W. Bush. Since taking office -- and especially in the last couple weeks -- Bush's personal faith has turned highly public, arguably more so than any modern President. What's important is not that Bush is talking about God more, but that he's talking about him differently. We are witnessing a shift in Bush's theology--from talking mostly about a Wesleyan theology of "personal transformation" to describing a Calvinist "divine plan" laid out by a sovereign God for the country and himself. This shift has the potential to affect Bush's approach to terrorism, Iraq and his presidency.

<snip>
A month after the World Trade Center attack, World Magazine, a conservative Christian publication, quoted Tim Goeglein, deputy director of White House public liaison, saying, "I think President Bush is God's man at this hour, and I say this with a great sense of humility." Time magazine reported that "Privately, Bush even talked of being chosen by the grace of God to lead at that moment." The net effect is a theology that seems to imply that God is intervening in events, is on America's side, and has chosen Bush to be in the White House at this critical moment.

"All sorts of warning signals ought to go off when a sense of personal chosenness and calling gets translated into a sense of calling and mission for a nation," says Robin Lovin, a United Methodist ethicist and professor of religion and political thought at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Lovin says what the President seems to be lacking is theological humility and an awareness of moral ambiguity.

<much more>

<link> http://www.beliefnet.com/story/121/story_12112_1.html

And the site has a poll:


Total: 8962
What do you think of Bush's religious language?

Its moral clarity is part of what makes him a good leader. (51%)

I like when he talks about his personal faith, but talk of 'divine calling' makes me nervous. (18%)

He talks way too much about his faith and religion in general. (31%)


Perhaps we should DU this poll as well.

[goclark]

16. It's only 51 %

That is very low.
I would think it would be 80 -90 at least.

[Clinton Crusader]

17. Defintiely go after this poll, maybe a NEW thread?

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/121/story_12112_1.html

Its moral clarity is part of what makes him a good leader.
51%

I like when he talks about his personal faith, but talk of 'divine calling' makes me nervous.
18%

He talks way too much about his faith and religion in general.
31%
:kick:

[endnote]

10. Especially given that God does not speak to people

Their mental illness does...

[CityHall]

Except the people in Gitmo, apparently

God wants those people to be electrocuted with bags over their heads.

[liberal N proud]

11. But his blind faith Conservative Christian followers

thought it was right on the mark for them.
They want the apocalypse to happen while they are here.

[David__77]

12. He's appealing to a specific demographic.

It is calculated. It's a truism to say it, but we cannot forget it. These people are more secular than just about anyone, in fact. They are the epitome of callous, imperial Rome in decline.

[Norquist Nemesis]

13. I'm with you on this

all the way! How do you go in with guns and force freedom? You can't force democracy...by it's very definition it is by the people.

I'm not intending to offend anyone here when I say this, but regarding religion and specifically Evangelicals...is this the Christian equivalent to radical Muslin extremists? Isn't their approach with making (versus convincing though word and deed) everyone abide by their beliefs and values, indictrinating from birth an ideology in the children, inflicting what they believe by taking over power positions (media management, local politics, etc)...isn't this just like what they accuse Muslims of? :scared:

[Clinton Crusader]

14. Not knocking anyone's religion but...

it's downright horrifying to hear the pResident say he dictates foreign policy based on his messages from God. WTF?????

I cannot tell you how amazed I was not one pundit anywhere thought there was anything even the slightest bit askew about that statement. They all thought it was freakin dandy.

IS there a seperation of church and state in this country?? Sorry, but Im suspicious of anyone who's TOO religious...

Maybe it's me, I dont know, but if KERRY said that, they'd all jump all over him saying the Vatican would run the country, like they said about JFK..
:kick:

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

15. I wish someone who knew the Bible would dispute this

The Bible does not speak of democracy and freedom. In fact, Jesus lived under Roman rule and did not incite rebellion to be free. There are a lot of wonderful things to say about our ideals of freedom & democracy (even in these times when it's under threat), but don't try to back it up with God. This is just an attempt by bush* to conceal his immoral policies with a cloak of infallibility.
:puke:

[sweetheart]

18. Taking guidance from God, OK... but THAT guidance?

Making war and killing 10's of thousands of people is not taking
advise from God. Sadly, whatever voice he's hearing, it must be
someone else.

I respect someone who, in a position of leadership, realizes that
their choices affect millions, even billions of lives, and asks
in all humility for divine guidance. Were he actually listening
to GOD, likely an entirely different basis of goodwill would
emerge, rather than gunboat diplomacy.

I do find it tiresome that some DU types just rail on it because
he said "god". So what. I meditate and trust the intutition of
my own heart, and it has never led me astray. In words i might
call that listening to God, so christians understand.

Rather what is tiresome is listening to the inner druken racist.
... and his inner drunken racist wants to wage war, murder, steal
and enrich his buddies... and he's abusing the word "god".

Some sensitivity to the hundreds of millions of americans who
believe in God, could be wise on this political forum.

[Clinton Crusader]

20. I have said over and over Im CHRISTIAN

Some sensitivity to the hundreds of millions of americans who
believe in God, could be wise on this political forum.

But to run a country's foreign policy based on your religious beliefs is INSANITY.

I believe in God, sweetheart, Im not knocking GOD but *'s USE of him to excuse/explain/ramble about his CRUSADE to make everyone 'free' because HE believes it. What if the POTUS was Jewish? Muslim? Buddhist? And they formed the government around their religion? The Christians in this country would be none too pleased, Im sure.

No one is knocking GOD, but *'s almost fanatical right wing babble.
:kick:

[sweetheart]

21. i understand

I was addressing less a tone in your post, and more that in the
thread replies.

Honestly, if a buddhist president were to run foreign policy
based on "bodhichitta", then there would be no wars, outstanding
goodwill and an attempt to end all causes of suffering for all
human kind.

It has nothing to do with religion, really. War and murder is
endorsed by no religion, not one endorses the criminality that
this faux-pretender aspires to.

I've an issue with him calling his bullshit "god" and as well with
DU'ers claiming that true religious inspiration would be unwelcome
in foreign policy.

Dang, if i could hear a president quoting the bible on loving thy
neighbor and helping the disadvantaged (REALLY), i would be relieved.
A little altruistic love and inspiration would be a welcome change.

The archbishop of canterbury speaks wisely with religious inspiration,
and he has spoken up directly against the evils of war. I'm all
for hearing more from real religious people to put these liars to
shame.

[progressivebydesign]

22. I thought it was entirely CREEPY and will turn off moderates..

I think it made all except the most fervent born-agains squirm. It was creepy and icky the way he went on and on. He's mentally ill, I'm sure of it. Not because he's a supposed born-again, but the way he talks about it... he's creepy.

[Mz Pip]

23. Mike Barnicle

was bothered by the comment and said so when he was on the After Hours segment on MSNBC.

I thought Bush's "Freedom is a gift from the Almighty" pretty bizarre, too. All his hyper religiousity is strange coming from a guy who doesn't go to church.

MzPip
:dem:

[Jacobin]

24. So, now our Manifest Destiny is to take over the entire world?

With Gawd on our side?

Beam me up, Scotty.

[Vincardog]

25. Gooble PNAC that is the plan Global Imperial America

[donhakman]

26. ACTUAL QUOTE