Bush's Religious Allusions on the Rise

AP ^ | February 18, 2003

[Indy Pendance]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- "I welcome faith to help solve the nation's deepest problems," President Bush told a convention of religious broadcasters last week.

Earlier, in his State of the Union address, he said, "The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity."

The president, often portrayed as using a strict good-and-evil compass to navigate national issues, has always peppered his speeches with exhortations to moral and civic duty. And with war, tragedy and terrorism confronting him all at once, Bush's allusions to spirituality and morality seem to be increasing.

Speaking to the broadcasters in Nashville, Tenn., last week about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Bush said, "We carried our grief to the Lord Almighty in prayer."

Hours after the shuttle Columbia disintegrated, Bush turned to religion and a quote from the book of Isaiah to help console the nation.

"The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home," the president said.

Expressions of faith and values are familiar ground for American presidents, and this one, who became a born-again Christian in the 1980s after concluding he was drinking too much, is no exception. Yet lately, Bush has gone beyond his usual broad remarks on the power of faith in general to use language and ideas specific to Christianity.

It is a welcome message for some, particularly the evangelical Christian conservatives whom Bush is courting as he seeks a second term. Some others are uncomfortable.

"This president is using general references and, beyond that, terminology and vocabulary that come straight out of a very particular religious tradition, which is evangelical Christianity," said the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, a Louisiana pastor and executive director of the Interfaith Alliance Foundation, an umbrella interfaith group.

"I think his rhetoric implies a lack of appreciation for the vast pluralism of religion in this nation," Gaddy said.

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said Bush speeches have started sounding "more and more like a sermon in a church" and risk alienating significant chunks of his constituency.

"When presidents start to become theologians on a regular basis, they begin to exclude people from their audience," Lynn said.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush is comfortable speaking about religion because of its importance to him personally.

"The president when he speaks, speaks in a very inclusive way, very respectful ... of the fact that we are a nation whose great strengths come from the fact that we have people of so many faiths and people who have chosen not to have any particular religious affiliation," Fleischer said.

In his State of the Union address, Bush reflected on the challenges facing the nation as it prepares for possible war:

"We Americans have faith in ourselves, but not in ourselves alone. We do not claim to know all the ways of providence, yet we can trust in them, placing our confidence in the loving God behind all of life and all of history. May he guide us now, and may God continue to bless the United States of America."

In Nashville, Bush praised Americans' "deep and diverse religious beliefs." But he also singled out a special place for Christianity, calling the gospel that the broadcasters share over the airwaves "words of truth."

More generally, the president has delivered several passion-filled speeches recently on behalf of his proposal to spend billions more to combat AIDS abroad. In Grand Rapids, Mich., the day after his State of the Union address, Bush said the humanitarian crisis is a chance "a moral nation" cannot pass up to use its riches and know-how for good.

[jjm2111]

The AP think as presidents should be avowed Atheists.

[boxer]

What scares these people about morality and faith. I have asked numerous people who have used the old dodge about having religion shoved down their throat, when did this happen to you or anyone you know? None of them have ever been able to answer. Has this ever happened to any of you out there?

[pgyanke]

> "'I think his rhetoric implies a lack of appreciation for the vast pluralism of religion in this nation,' Gaddy said."

I think Mr Gaddy's rhetoric implies a lack of appreciation for a personal faith. Does the God he worships seek pluralism? The One I know wants me to know Him. Embracing a pluralistic approach to appease the masses has never been something He encouraged nor welcomed. Mr Gaddy's rebuke of the president should be recognized as a rebuke of his own personal lack of faith.

[RLK]

More generally, the president has delivered several passion-filled speeches recently on behalf of his proposal to spend billions more to combat AIDS abroad. In Grand Rapids, Mich., the day after his State of the Union address, Bush said the humanitarian crisis is a chance "a moral nation" cannot pass up to use its riches and know-how for good.

-----------------------

Unfortunatly, Bush's religion is inclined toward a form or Christian Marxism the feels justified in conscripting me and the nation into sacrifice in servitude to the irrational demands of superstition, irrationality, and corruption throughout the world. He and the Clintons are too frequently attending the same church.

[Steve_Seattle]

The press is still trying to potray Bush as some kind of dangerous religious fanatic. Bush referred to God following the deaths of the astronauts? Outlandish! He referred to God when speaking to a group of religious broadcasters? Scary! He mentioned God in the state of the union? Unconstitutional! A couple of weeks ago when this same issue was raised, I pointed out that in JFK's inaugural address, he quoted Isaiah and said that "On earth, God's work must truly be our own." There were a couple of other religious references as well; Bush has NOT significantly gone beyond what is typical of presidents. It is sheer bigotry that the press keeps trying to make an issue of this.

[Indy Pendance]

Not yet, but the radical muslims want to.

[Indy Pendance]

I agree, and this ap article proves your position.

[Steve_Seattle]

"language and ideas specific to Christianity"

Heaven forbid that a Christian should use the language of Christianity! In a speech directed towards the general public, I have never heard Bush refer specifically to Jesus. His comments have not gone beyond the "vanilla" Judeo/Christian comments of other presidents.

[Indy Pendance]

I can't recall him using 'Jesus' either. This country was founding on Christianity. These people need to get over it. No one is forcing their beliefs down anyone's throats. I'll bet if you research every presidental speach, you will see they all reference God some way or another. Look at our constitution and bill of rights. Even Clinton did, and he didn't get this treatment. I know, it's a liberal mindset.

[xzins]

I agree with you at one level.

At another, Bush uses scriptural allusions that are clearly identifiable.

[TightSqueeze]

"The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity."

Some may argue that real liberty is the freedom to reject God's gift without fear of retribution by the prized students of religion.

[mombonn]

I heard a great quote this morning, which applies quite well to your reply.

The quote was, "I understand all the words in your sentence, but don't understand a thing you said."

[Steve_Seattle]

What scares the press about Bush's references to God is that they think he really believes what he says. With Clinton and JFK, the press probably figured they were just following presidential protocal and didn't really believe any of it.

[xzins]

bump to main article

[Steve_Seattle]

I was also mystified by RLK's comments.

[borkrules]

They better get busy and sandblast Lincoln's second inaugural address off the walls of the Lincoln Memorial. That thing is littered with references to "just God" and "prayer" and other double-plus ungood words.

[snooter55]

YUP ! In a nutshell !
Snooter ;o)

[Corin Stormhands]

Interesting...this is the group Reagan was speaking to when he made the "Evil Empire" speech...

Thanks for the ping.

[dead]

Not to speak for RLK, but I think his point may have been that charity is a fine Christian tradition, but taking other people's money to perform such charities is neither fine, nor Christian.