Those unstable, superstitious Christians

townhall.com ^ | 4/23/04 | David Limbaugh

[kattracks]

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 faith from his public service. Nader was apparently disturbed by a passage in Bob Woodward's new book.

Woodward reports that when Bush was in the process of deciding to attack Iraq he prayed "for the strength to do the Lord's will." This "revelation" reportedly prompted Nader to tell the Christian Science Monitor,

"We are dealing here with a basically unstable president … a messianic militarist. A messianic militarist, under our constitutional structure, is an unstable office-holder. Talk about separation of church and state: It is not separated at all in Bush's brain, and this is extremely disturbing."

Hold on a second there, Ralph. One with a messianic complex would regard himself as a savior or liberator, according to dictionaries I've consulted. In the statements Nader is referring to, President Bush is doing just the opposite. He is asking God to give him the strength to do God's will. Nothing could be more humble; nothing could be less egotistical. Nothing could be less "messianic."

That's one of the ironic things about Bush's secular critics. They see him as a man literally eaten up with macho-pride and cowboy swagger, yet at his core, he is a man of extraordinary humility, a person who understands this historic moment is not about him, but about the causes, people, and most of all, God he serves.

And while Bush quietly admits that he cherishes his personal relationship with God, he doesn't claim his relationship is exclusive or that he's receiving direct orders from God, especially as to generalship of the war.

David Aikman, author of the new book "A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush," says that Bush is not unduly conspicuous about his faith. "He's never said God told us to go to war, never said God told me to do anything … He's been very careful," said Aikman.

So why do liberal elitists recoil like snakes when Bush makes references to his faith? Why do they act like it's newsworthy when the highest officeholder in the land admits to being a practicing Christian in a nation where most citizens claim to be Christians?

Well, one possible reason is that they believe in a pure separation of church and state, at least as it applies to the Christian church. Some adhere it to such an extreme degree -- as evidenced by Ralph Nader's ludicrous quote above -- that they insist it requires a Christian to separate his faith from his governance.

As if it's possible (or desirable) to create an internal Chinese firewall in someone's brain or his personality to cordon off his worldview from his decisions in office. As if Christians should not only keep their opinions to themselves, but from themselves.

How would Ralph like it if we told him he should not allow his moral judgments about corporate greed to affect his political advocacy or inform his candidacy?

Isn't the double standard painfully obvious? It's not the secularists' allegiance to church-state separation that drives them, but an abiding distrust of and hostility toward Christianity, which many of them see as a dangerous superstition.

A perfect illustration of this is an e-mail I received in response to my last column on the book "I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be an Atheist." My correspondent wrote, "when grown men and women believe Noah and his brood incestuously repopulated the whole planet, I am a bit dismayed that people can be so stupid."

There you have it. Christians are unstable, science-averse simpletons so weak they have to rely on a fictitious savior, so unsophisticated they believe in the forces of good and evil, and so reckless that they will fight wars to protect their national security even if many of America's traditional allies don't have the courage or rectitude to join them.

Oh, how far we've come in this nation since it was considered unquestionably noble to place our "firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence."

©2004 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

Contact David Limbaugh | Read Limbaugh's biography

[goldstategop]

What's funny is these are the same folks not in the least perturbed if Islamofascist terrorists profess faith in Allah.

[TrueBeliever9]

Nor do you read in the mainstream media the Arab newspapers call Nadar "our man." No one prints a word about Nadar's heritage - it is as if he was born out of the front of a covair!

[DeweyCA]

Yeah those "tolerant" folks seem to be very intolerant of Christianity, but very tolerant of ANY other religion. It's only those stupid dangerous Christian ideas that have to be censored.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Richard, your paranoic egotistical narcissism knows no bounds. If our president was the "messianic militarist" of your foolish dreams he would have your coddled butt dragged out of your velvet-hung Hollywood boudoir and put you to work hoeing turnips on the North Dakota/Canada border. Then he would auction your Ferrari and other expensive toys to help support the poor families of our brave troops.

(I'd better stop writing, I'm talking myself into thinking that this sounds like a good scheme . . . Hey, Richard: "Salve Dubya Imperator!")

[GeronL]

Christians are bad, not Muslims....

Maybe we should have another "christian uprising"... maybe the left would respect us a bit more?

[highlander_UW]

As if it's possible (or desirable) to create an internal Chinese firewall in someone's brain or his personality to cordon off his worldview from his decisions in office. As if Christians should not only keep their opinions to themselves, but from themselves.

How would Ralph like it if we told him he should not allow his moral judgments about corporate greed to affect his political advocacy or inform his candidacy?

It's so refreshing to see these same thoughts I've had in print. I've asked leftists if they'd be willing to give up everything they base their decisions on, but they don't even understand the question.

[Susannah]

I can understand why some Arabs would vote for Nader since he is running the anti-war campaign; but does Nader have a particular religion?

[clee1]

I for one couldn't care less what the leftists think of Christians.

However, if the process would in any way reduce the numbers of leftists in America, sign me up!

[GeronL]

However, if the process would in any way reduce the numbers of leftists in America, sign me up!

There is no need to sign up. No names are kept. We let them start it too.

[#3Fan]

Yeah, it's too bad that Christians don't have the stability of lefties like Alec Baldwin and Al Franken.

(/sarcasm...in case it isn't obvious)

[kcvl]

I don't remember any of Hollywood's elite having a problem with Bill Clinton carrying a bible or calling in Jesse Jackson, et al, for a "prayer breakfast" right after he got caught with Monica. Maybe they just have a problem with religion when someone like President Bush really believes and practices it. I guess it's okay to pretend while your butt is in a crack and one needs to portray to the American people that he is asking for forgiveness.

[clee1]

We let them start it too.

You said it, FRiend. But I tell you this: when the leftist finally screw their courage (what little there is of it) to the sticking place and start it, I'll happily "bag the limit".

[rhema]

BUMP

[kcvl]

Wednesday, April 21, 2004
By Roger Friedman

Gere Not Fond of Bush


Richard Gere: Don't Trust Bush

An erudite and relaxed Richard Gere got plenty of ovations last night as the American Museum of the Moving Image's man of the year.

Gere brought wife Carey Lowell, plus his mom and lots of relatives from the Syracuse area, to see him get gently roasted by friends and receive the prestigious award.

It wasn't a solemn night at all — Gere regularly interrupted speakers like Garry Marshall and Denzel Washington from the floor to add his own opinions and observations.

After a clip from his forthcoming tango movie with Jennifer Lopez — a remake of "Shall We Dance?" — Gere stood up on his seat and put a white napkin in his mouth in lieu of a rose.

You'll see the whole thing soon on USA Networks, which taped the star-studded event. Among Gere's friends who showed up were Sharon Stone, Laura Linney, Matthew Modine, Hector Elizondo, Marisa Berenson, Kim Cattrall, Winona Ryder, Tim Robbins, Louis Gossett, Jr., Marty Richards and Liam Neeson.

But it was Gere's last remark that USA may have a little trouble with.

"Trust is so important," Gere said, and I paraphrase a little here. "I've learned not to trust anyone who thinks he has God exclusively on his side." Pause. "Not even the president."

During that pause I thought he meant Mel Gibson, who, like Gere and Washington, is agented by ICM's Ed Limato, was also in the audience. But Gere told me after the dinner, "'The Passion' is just a movie."

He hasn't seen it, by the way. "No, anyone who knows me knows it was a political statement."

It will be hard for USA Networks to clip out the comment considering it's the culmination of Gere's lovely acceptance. Perhaps they will be courageous enough to keep it in.

Another controversial comment that will also probably make it into the show was from Gossett, who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar opposite Gere and Debra Winger in "An Officer and a Gentleman."

Said Gossett of his relationship with Gere: "We never had a cross word or a tense moment. Debra Winger took care of that."

Winger was one of the few Gere co-stars noticeably absent.

Also not at the dinner were some who had legitimate excuses because of work or illness: Susan Sarandon, Queen Latifah, Diane Lane and Julia Roberts. Latifah and Lane sent video messages.

But the most glaringly absent were Uma Thurman and her parents. Gere and the Thurmans — once thick as thieves — had a falling out some time ago over Tibet and the Dalai Lama.

There were a lot of film clips shown last night from Gere's many, many films. Some are best forgotten; a few are excellent.

[kcvl]

Richard Gere Online (with a message board)...


http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/6767/index.htm

[GeronL]

He should stick to acting.... actually he should move into a cave in Tibet.

[GeronL]

I thought those old geocities addresses were changed?? mine is geocities.com/geronl! used to be something/something/a number

[kcvl]

Try this one

It seems someone has beat us to telling him to shut up! lol!

[Susannah]

I wonder how David Limbaugh's book Persecution: How Liberals are Waging War on Christianity is selling.

We all have to accept things like "Gay Pride Parades", imagine the shock if there were a "Christian Pride Parade"