Free Republic

London --- Conservative Christian values from America have the potential to reshape international relations in significant ways during President Bush's second term. The "moral values" agenda has secular Europe in distress, the Arab world in dismay and staunchly Catholic Latin America watching with disdain. Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals turned out in large numbers last month to help Bush win re-election. Some observers believe Bush owes them a political debt; others think the president will simply feel freer now to convert his own religious convictions into policy. Either way, a new emphasis on values could give comfort to those who support...

2004-11-16 Critics wrong to paint Bush as religious fanatic Rory Leishman, London Free Press Why do so many commentators persist in disparaging U.S. President George W. Bush as a dangerous Christian fanatic, while lauding the likes of John Kerry as a champion of the separation of church and state? After all, it was not Bush, but Kerry, who professed in a nationally televised presidential leadership debate that, as a Christian, he believes "everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith." Few of Kerry's backers were alarmed by this statement, because most...

October 26, 2004THE BUSH RECORDPersonal and Political, Bush's Faith Blurs LinesBy LAURIE GOODSTEIN n Sundays when President Bush goes to church in Washington, he chooses the 8 a.m. service at St. John's Episcopal Church Lafayette Square. A short stroll from the White House, St. John's has been the parish for many presidents, but it is still a surprising choice for Mr. Bush.A president who has been typecast as the champion of Christian conservatives, who has proposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, finds fellowship in a church where the priest and many congregants openly support the blessing of same-sex...

What a wild month for me this has been! Earlier I unleashed John Kerry's Bad Rap! and thanks to all of you it is the #1 most requested Flash Movie on www.fronsteps.com! A most gracious thank you to every one of you FReepers that pushed to the top! Then I unleashed When The Man Comes Around (thank you AAP for the mirror site http://www.copperopolisnews.com/whentheman.htm) and the outpouring of wonderful and so sincere comments thanking me for it, made it worth while. And that was going to be it..........so I thought One Freeper named LawGirl FReeped mailed me about a...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A new video documentary offers a peek into President Bush's Christian faith, recounting how it helped turn his life around and has guided his presidency. The 70-minute documentary, "George W. Bush: Faith in the White House," includes interviews with friends and religious leaders and clips from Bush himself. Available in DVD and VHS formats, it is being sold in Christian bookstores, including LifeWay Christian Stores. "He is by all accounts a deeply religious man and one who believes in the power of prayer," author Tom Freiling says in the documentary. "In fact, I have heard several accounts of...

THIS WAS GREAT!!!!!! I don't know if anyone else watched this program on INSP TV Saturday, October 02, 2004 10:00 - 11: PM --- George W. Bush: Faith in the White House --- This was non-political program offers a revealing insider's look at the spiritual life of George W. Bush. Filled with never-before-seen footage this takes viewers behind-the-scenes to experience the challenges he faces, and how his faith has helped him deal with these pressures and shaped his life. Not since the days of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln has a president put so much stock in his Christian faith...

Any discussion of President Bush’s presumed evangelicalism is complicated. Evangelicalism is a style of worship, not a set of beliefs, and to a large extent evangelical Protestants are defined by their personal stories of faith and by whom they choose as their pastor. But core to many evangelicals’ identity is the “born-again” experience described in John 3:3, when a sinner undergoes an intense conversion during a personal interaction with the Holy Spirit, often Jesus Himself. George Bush has not said directly that he was ever born again. He has often said he wwas pointed on the path to God after...

Leaders of more than 50 nations gathered last week at the United Nations to discuss world poverty and the rising gap between rich and poor. President Bush was conspicuously absent. This “born again” president, who talks constantly about his relationship to Jesus Christ, skipped the meetings about helping poor people, but showed up to address the general assembly and brag about the war. When a non-binding agreement was reached to try to help the more than one billion people who live on less than a dollar a day, Bush didn’t sign it. It must have sounded like a bad deal...

Denver, Colorado Grizzly Adams Productions (GAP) announced today that nine Christian television networks which includes seven domestic/international satellites, 62 broadcast stations, 510 broadcast affiliates, and over 3,000 cable outlets, plan multiple showings of GAP's 52-minute news documentary, Faith in the White House, with over half of the broadcasts scheduled in prime time during September and October. The combined broadcast schedule will reach the largest possible audience of faith-based viewers, an estimated 60 million households. Washington D.C.-based national talk broadcaster and family faith issues author, Janet Parshall, hosts the non-partisan, independently produced news documentary that examines the extraordinary faith and prayer...

President is openly religious, but his true beliefs remain mystery Before President Bush addressed a Knights of Columbus convention last month in Dallas, the audience of 2,500 conservative Catholics watched a documentary film about a woman who chose to die rather than end a pregnancy that threatened her life. Then the president gave a speech in which he called Pope John Paul II "a true hero of our time" and used the pope's phrase "culture of life" three times. When it was over, many in the audience were convinced that the president shared their view that abortion is murder and...

Former Vice President Al Gore has compared President Bush's Christian faith with fundamentalist Islam, saying it emphasizes "vengeance" and "brimstone." In an interview with the New Yorker, Gore, who says he's a Southern Baptist, expressed disdain for Bush's public declaration of his faith. SPONSORED LINKS Hot Political Gear Buy Kerry, Bush, and other election 2004 t-shirts, bumper stickers, hats, buttons, and more! Great selection, fast delivery. CafePress.com Wall Street Journal Online - Free Trial Get expert political news coverage from this leading subscription news site. From constant updates to exclusive online columns, we have the news that matters most to...

<p>NEW YORK -- It was President Bush's big day, and he began it in prayer. Bush yesterday attended a morning service at Church of Our Saviour, a Catholic church on Park Avenue. The sermon: "Courage in the Face of Evil."</p>

President Bush (search) prays, he consults scripture; he even plans services on Air Force One when he isn't able to attend church on the ground. So says a new documentary that points out that yes, Bush is a religious man, and many of his core supporters find that one of his most endearing traits. "I think what they like about this man — and what seems to scare other people — is his faith," said David W. Balsiger, producer of "George W. Bush: Faith in the White House." (search) "For a large segment of the voting population — probably 60...

A review of A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush by David Aikman The Faith of George W. Bush by Stephen Mansfield George W. Bush on God and Country edited by Thomas M. Freiling Conservative evangelicals have high negatives in public opinion polling, due in large part to public fears that they are rigid, closed-minded, unreasonable, and unwilling to respect the separation of church and state. Many critics of the Bush Administration have attempted to cast Bush himself in such a light, arguing that religious considerations dominate his politics to such a degree that they prevent...

Bush Says Bible Is His Best Book Sat Aug 28, 2004 04:54 PM ET LIMA, Ohio (Reuters) - President Bush said on Saturday his favorite reading was the Bible, followed by books about history. On a campaign stop in Lima, Ohio, Bush took questions from his audience, including from a young boy who asked him what his favorite book was. To loud applause, the president replied: "The Bible." He said he was also a fan of history and had just read a biography of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers and the first treasury secretary. "History is a way...

The producers of a documentary about President Bush's faith hope to educate millions of Christians nationwide about the commander in chief's spiritual life by distributing DVD copies of the film to 300,000 churches – every church in the country with a mailing address. "George W. Bush: Faith in the White House," produced by Grizzly Adams Productions Inc., is a 70-minute examination of the president's personal practice of Christianity. David W. Balsiger, producer and director of the film, hopes it will serve as a an alternative to filmmaker Michael Moore's anti-Bush "Fahrenheit 9/11." Coming out on DVD Oct. 5, Balsiger sees...

Paul Kengor's first book, "God and Ronald Reagan," became a bestseller when it was released in February 2004, and again the week after Reagan died.  Only a few months later, Kengor has published his second book, "God and George W. Bush," which hits bookshelves today.  Emily Shaheen, a student of Kengor's at Grove City College, interviewed Kengor when she interned for Townhall.com this summer.Emily Shaheen:  How is your book different from other books about President Bush’s faith?Paul Kengor: My book is much more up-to-date and thus comprehensive, all the way up to the 2004 race. For instance, unlike the other books,...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Answering objections that he is too open about his Christian faith, President Bush said Aug. 12 that his faith is inseparable from the rest of his life. In a wide-ranging interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," Bush also defended his position on embryonic stem cell research and same-sex "marriage." King asked Bush about his faith and noted that Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, received applause at his party's convention when he said, "I don't wear my own faith on my sleeve." King then asked Bush, "Does [your] faith come to the office?" "You can't separate...

Subject: Bush in church, Very interesting I'm at the 8:00am service at my church, St. John's Episcopal, at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. (I wanted to go early because I was going with Alice and Brent for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Manassas.) Much of the service was uneventful-nice, but uneventful-until it comes to the part of the service when the priest says, "Greet one another in the name of the Lord." I turn to my right to exchange the peace with my friend, Amy Fox Smythe, who was on the other end of my pew. I...

"Do most Americans realize just how fervent the President's evangelical faith is?" So asks the New York Times' Alessandra Stanley, in her review of the PBS "Frontline" documentary, "The Jesus Factor," which examines the role of faith in George W. Bush's life and Presidency. Stanley believes that Americans would be distressed to know that Bush engages in such outlandish behavior as daily Bible-reading, prayer, and allowing his spiritual life to inform his political one. After all, she is. Among members of the establishment media, Stanley is not alone. In its review, the Los Angeles Times describes the President as possessed...

So Al-Qaeda operatives planned to blow up a mall in Ohio. Big deal. Saddam’s WMD’s found in pieces spread out over the Middle East? Who cares. Headlines of unbridled importance are routinely banished to the dung heap of random word garbage. What else has been buried in the crevasses of common sense? I recently spoke to a hateful Jewish liberal intellectual who pointed out the president’s resemblance to an orangutan. As a Jew, I understood Jewish liberal hatred of the President -- his stupidity, his stupid religion, his stupid Middle East policies, his stupid rejection of the UN, the stupid...

George W. Bush is a deeply religious man and the US remains a very religious country. In February 2004, Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Trust's Religion Programme, wrote that in a recent poll, "Eighty-five per cent of respondents stated that religion was either 'very' or 'fairly' important in their lives, and nearly 60 per cent reported that they attend religious services at least once or twice a month." If religion matters in general, the particular religion that President Bush avows matters all the more. Bush and many of his closest advisers are Evangelicals, a variant of Christianity that non-Americans...

The race for the White House will be decided by fundagelicals. That's good news for twice-born George Bush The word "fundagelism" has never appeared in the columns of this newspaper. The term is, however, current in the blogosphere - that cyberforum which nowadays carries the most interestingly paranoid political debate. "Fundagelism" is not a word that trips easily off the tongue. It's a crunching together of the even more mouth-boggling compound "fundamentalist evangelism". George W Bush is a fundagelist. Dad wasn't. George H Bush (not renowned for his Wildean wit) delivered his most memorable wisecrack on walking into a room...

As an evangelical Christian, President Bush has something in common with the 46 percent of Americans who describe themselves as being "born again" or having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Often has the president recounted praying about major decisions facing the nation--but what do we actually know about the rudiments of George Bush's faith? To what extent do the president's spiritual beliefs impact or influence his political decision-making? And how closely do Bush's religious views mirror those of the country's burgeoning - and politically influential - evangelical movement? ----------------------------------------------- And from http://www.tvguide.com/listings/index.asp 9:00 PM Channel 9 KLRU Thursday, 29...

Photo courtesy of WGBH Boston "Frontline" examines President Bush's religiosity in tonight's segment, "The Jesus Factor." It also shows how his religious views mirror those of the country's buregoning evangelical movement. Public television tonight takes a look at "the most openly religious president in recent times." But don't expect an hour of diatribes against President George W. Bush and his blending of faith and politics. What you'll see tonight on "Frontline," which airs at 9 p.m. on KPBS/Channel 15 with some repeats, is an evenhanded, even cautious, examination of the former Texas governor who years ago told a group...

(PBS/Fronline Website text description of "The Jesus Factor" episode to air Thursday April 29, 2004; lower right corner of webpage): As an evangelical Christian, President Bush has something in common with the 46 percent of Americans who describe themselves as being "born again" or having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Often has the president recounted praying about major decisions facing the nation--but what do we actually know about the rudiments of George Bush's faith? To what extent do the president's spiritual beliefs impact or influence his political decision-making? And how closely do Bush's religious views mirror those of the...

Comment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For God's sake The strong influence of the Christian right on US policy will only increase if George Bush wins a second term, says Philip James Friday April 23, 2004 Evangelical lobbyists used to talk about access to previous Republican administrations. Today, they can say with confidence: "Who needs access when we are already on the inside?" The influence of the Christian right on the Bush White House is self-evident. As well as George Bush, cabinet members Condoleezza Rice, John Ashcroft and Don Evans all consider themselves to be born again. This administration has embarked on a bold...

Why does it make so many on the Left uncomfortable that President Bush openly professes his reliance on God in performing his official duties?Actor Richard Gere has joined in the chorus led by Ralph Nader and others condemning President Bush for mixing his faith with his governance. "One thing I've learned in my life is never to trust anyone who thinks that he exclusively has God on his side," said Gere to a crowd of like-minded Hollywooders. Gere's brilliant insight followed a recent statement by perennial presidential aspirant and equal opportunity nuisance Ralph Nader lambasting Bush for not divorcing his...

AS THE PRESIDENTIAL election draws closer, some people are asking, in ominous tones, a question: What impact does President Bush's evangelical Christianity have on his administration's policies? As an evangelical, an interpreter of literary and cultural texts, and a long-time observer of the evangelical world, I have both a personal and a professional interest in this question. And I'm here to offer an answer: Probably not much.

Fundamentally, Bush Works on Faith By Peter Schweizer and Rochelle Schweizer Peter Schweizer, a fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Rochelle Schweizer are the authors of "The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty." April 11, 2004 NEW YORK — Ask Bush family members and friends about the intersection between the war on terrorism and George W. Bush's Christian faith and you get some strong answers. "George sees this as a religious war," one family member told us. "He doesn't have a PC view of this war. His view is that they are trying to kill the Christians. And we the Christians...

Posted on Tue, Mar. 16, 2004 Bush's openness about religion connects with American youthBY DAVID TARRANTThe Dallas Morning News DALLAS - (KRT) - Early in his campaign for the presidency four years ago, George W. Bush was asked in a Republican debate which political philosopher he most admired.He replied: Jesus Christ "because he changed my heart."At the time, his answer caused a stir. Christian conservatives cheered, but political experts wondered whether his response was wise, or perhaps less than presidential.Today, as he campaigns for a second term, the president's unabashed candor about his faith is hitting the mark among...

May God bless our President! This is for real. I called Laura Lefler in Sen.. Alexander's office today, 2/23, and she confirmed that she wrote it and is now overwhelmed with it spreading via the internet. She sent it so several friends and they then put it on its journey. (Larry Hone) Subject: Bush in church, Very interesting I'm at the 8:00am service at my church, St. John's Episcopal, at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. (I wanted to go early because I was going with Alice and Brent for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Manassas.) Much of...

Subject: President Bush In Church This is for real. I called Laura Lefler in Sen.. Alexander's office today, 2/23, and she confirmed that she wrote it and is now overwhelmed with it spreading via the internet. She sent it so several friends and they then put it on its journey. Larry Hone Subject: President Bush in church, Very interesting I'm at the 8:00am service at my church, St. John's Episcopal, at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. (I wanted to go early because I was going with Alice and Brent for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Manassas.) Much...

This is from Laura Lefler: I'm at the 8:00am service at my church, St. John's Episcopal, at Lafayette Square, across from the White House. (I wanted to go early because I was going with Alice and Brent for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Manassas.) Much of the service was uneventful--nice, but uneventful--until it comes to the part of the service when the priest says, "Greet one another in the name of the Lord." I turn to my right to exchange the peace with my friend, Amy Fox Smythe, who was was on the other end of my pew. I...

Among the events that doomed Howard Dean's candidacy, one left insufficiently parsed took place on January 11 during a question-and-answer session in Oelwein, Iowa. A Bush supporter, Dale Ungerer, got up and condemned the press and the Democratic candidates for over-the-top criticisms of the president. Ungerer invoked the biblical imperative to "love thy neighbor," telling Dean, "Please tone down the garbage. . . . You should help your neighbor and not tear him down." Dean responded, "George Bush is not my neighbor." Ungerer interjected, "Yes, he is," whereupon Dean said, "You sit down. You had your say, and now I'm...

The strengths and weaknesses of a love-thy-neighbor presidency. AMONG THE EVENTS that doomed Howard Dean's candidacy, one that has been insufficiently parsed took place on January 11 during a question-and-answer session in Oelwein, Iowa. A Bush supporter, Dale Ungerer, got up and condemned the press and the Democratic candidates for over-the-top criticisms of the president. Ungerer invoked the biblical imperative to "love thy neighbor," telling Dean, "Please tone down the garbage. . . . You should help your neighbor and not tear him down." Dean responded, "George Bush is not my neighbor." Ungerer protested, "Yes, he is," but Dean said,...

Newsstand sales of Newsweek magazine's hottest issue, "Bush & God," soared by almost 100,000, says Paul Colford, the New York Daily News' highly respected "Hot Copy" columnist. "Newsweek published its biggest newsstand seller of 2003 during the buildup to the Iraq war - 'Bush & God,'" Colford revealed. The cover story, written by the magazine's chief political correspondent Howard Fineman, explained how Bush's faith "changed his life and shapes his presidency." When a cover story clicks with nonsubscribers, Colford noted, the gain in newsstands sales, usually only a small fraction of a magazine's circulation, can be high indeed. According to...

<p>January 16, 2004 -- WASHINGTON — President Bush talked openly yesterday about his decision to quit boozing at age 40, telling church and community leaders in Louisiana that his faith in God helped him kick his "addiction." It was an extraordinary discussion led by Bush, who rarely talks about his past drinking and his life-changing decision to quit.</p>

AMONG THE MANY FAULTS charged against George W. Bush it is probably his conservative Christian faith that most troubles the people who dislike him--or most infuriates the people who hate him. Kevin Phillips has gone so far as to argue that Bush has reshaped the Republican party into a coalition "unprecedentedly grouped around and influenced by Southern evangelical and fundamentalist voters and their wackier leaders." This is one of those truisms that is routinely heard at Blue State cocktail parties. But what exactly is Bush's religious belief and is there any way it can be explained without worrying Kevin Phillips...

He is called one of America's most faith-based Presidents, his speeches infused with scriptural references and invocations of the Almighty. George Bush is said to read the Bible daily, pray in the Oval Office, and on occasion, open cabinet meetings with prayer. Mr. Bush jolted the religious establishment when he was asked to name his favorite philosopher in a presidential debate, and he responded, "Christ, because he changed my heart." That change began a decade before, when Bush says the Reverend Billy Graham "planted a seed in his soul" that led to his recommitment to Christ. White House insiders say,...

CBN.com – Stephen Mansfield is the author of "The Faith of George W. Bush." He spoke with Gordon Robertson about President Bush's faith on The 700 Club. Gordon Robertson: Stephen what do you think was the most, in your research for this, the most suprising thing you discovered. Stephen Mansfield: I think what surprised me the most is how Bush went seeking spiritually at mid-life. I mean here he was, son of a vice-president, good looking, wealthy, well-educated and yet at mid-life he went seeking spiritually in a way that's very rare among American presidents. Very rare. Gordon Robertson: You...

NO.10 BAN ON PRAYING Nov 18 2003 By Paul Gilfeather, Whitehall Editor TONY Blair has been banned from praying with George Bush. The US president wanted the PM to join him in prayer at Durham Cathedral on Thursday. But the official request from the White House was turned down amid fears that such an event would leave Mr Blair open to ridicule. Both men prayed together at the president's Camp David retreat after making the final preparations for war with Iraq. A Whitehall source said: "Durham Cathedral was mentioned to the White House as a possible place to visit and...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Shortly before and after President Bush signed the ban on partial-birth abortions Wednesday, two groups of pro-life advocates met with him privately in the Oval Office. They tell of a man who strongly and openly supports the pro-life cause and does so because of a deeply felt Christian faith. Chuck Colson, who founded a national prison ministry, met with President Bush before the bill signing event. "We had a wonderful conversation, celebrating one of the most significant days of his presidency and a great day for all who believe in the sanctity of life," Colson said....

Book reveals how President's religious and political beliefs are entwined - and claims he did pray with Blair Paul Harris in New York Sunday November 2, 2003 The Observer President George W. Bush stood before a cheering crowd at a Dallas Christian youth centre last week, and told them about being 'born again' as a Christian. 'If you change their heart, then they change their behaviour. I know,' he said, referring to his own conversion, which led to him giving up drinking. Behind Bush were two banners. 'King of Kings', proclaimed one. 'Lord of Lords', said the other. The symbolism...

Book reveals how President's religious and political beliefs are entwined - and claims he did pray with Blair President George W. Bush stood before a cheering crowd at a Dallas Christian youth centre last week, and told them about being 'born again' as a Christian. 'If you change their heart, then they change their behaviour. I know,' he said, referring to his own conversion, which led to him giving up drinking. Behind Bush were two banners. 'King of Kings', proclaimed one. 'Lord of Lords', said the other. The symbolism of how fervent Christianity has become deeply entwined with the most...

President Bush, speaking Wednesday night at a Christian youth center in Dallas, gave an unusually candid assessment of religion's role in leading him from his wayward youth. You've got to understand that sometimes, and a lot of times, the best way to help the addict, a person who is stuck on drugs and alcohol, is to change their heart," Bush said to a cheering audience at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. "See, if you change their heart, then they change their behavior. I know."

President Bush, speaking Wednesday night at a Christian youth center in Dallas, gave an unusually candid assessment of religion's role in leading him from his wayward youth. "You've got to understand that sometimes, and a lot of times, the best way to help the addict, a person who is stuck on drugs and alcohol, is to change their heart," Bush said to a cheering audience at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. "See, if you change their heart, then they change their behavior. I know." Though Bush often speaks of the importance of religion in his life, aides said it was...

Is President Bush Really "One Of Us?" By Chuck Baldwin Food For Thought From The Chuck Wagon October 24, 2003 As Jimmy Carter had done before him, G.W. Bush won the White House, in part, due to his Christian profession. Christians nationwide regard President Bush as "one of us." They believe that he shares their Christian principles and values. Why, then, does President Bush use the power of his office to publicly condemn those Christians who courageously champion Christian principles? Time and again, President Bush has publicly repudiated the statements or actions of principled Christians as they attempted to stand...

President Bush marked the Jewish New Year by telling a roomful of rabbis about his faith and how it helped make him a better man. Some 15 rabbis representing the three main denominations spent an hour at the White House on Monday discussing a range of topics, including Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, poverty and faith-based initiatives. Rabbi Steven Pruzanski of Teaneck, N.J., said Bush twice became emotional: while discussing his recent trip to the site of the Auschwitz death camp and when he talked about how people pray for him. Bush spoke openly about his drinking problem of years past,...

<p>WASHINGTON — President Bush says his religious faith is helping him deal with the challenges of the presidency, and he credits the Bible with inspiring him to push for federal funding to fight AIDS. In an interview appearing next week in the October issue of Ladies' Home Journal, Bush says it is possible to function in the presidency without believing in God, and probably some of his predecessors did not believe in God, but he finds that faith helps.</p>