Posted on 05/22/2006 8:36:25 AM PDT by pissant
U.S. President George W. Bush has alienated Muslims around the world by using absolutist Christian rhetoric to discuss foreign policy issues, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says.
"I worked for two presidents who were men of faith, and they did not make their religious views part of American policy," she said, referring to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both Democrats and Christians.
"President Bush's certitude about what he believes in, and the division between good and evil, is, I think, different," said Albright, who has just published a book on religion and world affairs. "The absolute truth is what makes Bush so worrying to some of us."
Bush, a Republican, has openly acknowledged his Christian faith informs his decisions as president. He says, for example, that he prayed to God for guidance before invading Iraq.
Some Muslims have accused him of waging a crusade against Islam, comparable with those of the Middle Ages. The White House says it has nothing against Islam, but against those who commit terrorist atrocities in its name.
But Albright says Bush's religious absolutism has made U.S. foreign policy "more rigid and more difficult for other countries to accept."
In her book, "The Mighty and the Almighty," Albright recalls how Bush, while he was governor of Texas, told Christians he believed God wanted him to be president.
She quotes from his speech to his party convention of 2004, when he told Republicans: "We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom."
"Some of his language is really quite over the top," Albright told Reuters on Sunday during a trip to London to promote her book. "When he says 'God is on our side', it's very different from (former U.S. President Abraham) Lincoln saying 'We have to be on God's side.'"
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Whenever the subject of religion comes up here I always mention first that I'm an atheist, so I'm certainly no apologist for Christians or Christianity.
This type of thing which Albright reveals and lefties quote all the time has always amused me.
As I see it, Christians believe God's will will always be done because God is the creator and all that.
The REAL problem they seem to have with this quote is the sense of hubris, and there is an attempt to compare Bush to some kind of free-floating religious extremism.
But to me, what the quote is saying is what ANY Christian who's attempting ANYTHING would say. I mean, is she suggesting that John Kerry, you know, ANOTHER 'good Christian', believed that it was God's will he NOT be President, but he was just smart enough to keep his mouth shut? Is that what Albright is saying? Is she suggesting God has a place in every religious person's life EXCEPT if they choose to become president of the most powerful nation on Earth?
She and her ilk toss that line out there and hope people are shocked by the apparent gall, but they don't want you to actually consider the point, because then, in context, it's not quite what Albright and co. are trying to imply.
She should worry about AQ, after all, they are also people of faith, hmmm?
Matthew 7:15
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 7:16
"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:17
"Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Matthew 7:18
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Matthew 7:19
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:20
"Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:21
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Matthew 7:22
"Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Matthew 7:23
"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
1Pe 5:8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
(NKJV)
THIS IS THE DEMS VIEW ON CHRISTIANS:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1630821/posts?page=79#58
READ THE FBI REPORT!
"...they did not make their religious views part of American policy."
Got that part right, Mad! Let's see...........
Carter - gave away the Panama Canal; refused to help the Shah of Iran, setting up our problems in the Middle East today; helped the fanatic Muslims in Iran take our citizens hostage; screwed up our economy; never met a communist dictator he didn't like, etc.
Clinton - serial fornicator and liar; used our military and bombs to take the heat off of his screwups; did nothing to stop Bin Laden; ruined innocent peoples' lives; Arkancide, etc.
Yep, Mad, those are the actions of Christians, all right.
(sarc)
One has to question what
god SHE prays to for
guidance!
She is not being stupid.
She is being very very deliberate.
Bill Clinton was in Canada condemning the USA, Albright has been making the tour.
These democrats know this is the season to solicit NON-AMERICAN campaign contributions. (yes I know illegal but with enough shell corporations very easily done.)
Albright and the other clintonistas are following the PARLEMENTARY style of SHADOW government (ala England). Most of the rest of the world is ignorant about how the USA's government is a winner take all system with no shadow cabinet.
These appearances are tactical.
The only question is who is the press agent coordinating all this. (Why is the MSM ignoring that story?)
"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."
"I pray to heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that hereafter inhabit it...May none but the honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."
John Adams
We all need to join our 2nd President in this prayer.
Me, too!
"I worked for two presidents who were men of faith,"
Bull.
hahaha -- i love it. Bush = sure. Albright = admitted confused religious background. Her "faith" worries me.
I am not sure I would go that far. I believe God gives us what we ask for and deserve. Did God choose Clinton? I would say yes and no. God allowed us to choose Clinton. We have become a nation largely weak and valueless. We are greedy for the fruits of our neighbors labor, and mor ofen than not we live only to pleasure ourselves. That's our deepest value. We have a fuzzy memory of the values of past generations, but we do not understand them well enough, nor feel them deeply enough, to adequately defend them most of the time. So we get the leaders we deserve.
Bush's faith is appreciated by many -- myself included. But it is a faith often with weakness and shallow foundations. It is sometimes a hypocritical faith (even little things like the swear words and stuff). And it is a faith that embraces the benefits while often denouncing the responsibilities we have toward God. Thankfully his foreign policy usually has more clarity than his faith.
I know I will be flamed for this. But I'm saying it because I think we all need to think about it. Yes, I see myself in some of it. I'm trying to change that. But the fact is, we can't blame God for the weakness of our leaders. He patiently allows us to make mistakes so that we can learn from them. Will we learn from them? That's the real question.
Good God! To think that this woman represented US policy is scary. Jimmah's faith is that regardless of cost and impact just buy your way. Clintoonian faith is "nobody's gonna catch me if I just create another diversion while I'm giving the country away and screwing interns."
What's really telling is that relatively weak faith is perceived as overbearing by Albright. Even the most superficial faith scares the left. They are blind to their real victories. Fact is, the left has profoundly succeeded at shutting down and shutting up real faith and have thus nulified the true support government used to derive from it. It's still not enough for them.
Madam Halfbright should go find Dean and Helen Thomas and see if they could have a '3' some.....
We all have the same failings as President Bush as far as faith is concerned. It won't be until Christ returns that we will be perfect. My language at times doesn't glorify God either and I'm working on that, but it's still there, much to my chagrin and sometimes my embarrassment. I don't know if he's ever been filled with the Holy Spirit, but that certainly would help.
The Bible does say that God chooses our leaders. I don't know how He does that or even why, but He does. He wants us to pray for our leaders so that we will have peace. How many really do? We criticized Clinton but how many of us really prayed for him? One prophetic word I read a few years back said he put him back in because we DIDN'T pray for him. It was a lesson to me to start praying for the Clintons and for President Bush. It's so important. Nothing will change if we don't pray.
Well put and true!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.