Posted on 10/10/2004 6:23:58 PM PDT by xzins
Why the World Hates George W. Bush
The Secular Drive to Marginalize Faith
By Allan Dobras
October 4, 2004
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one [the perishing] we are the smell of death; to the other [God], the fragrance of life.” St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (II Cor. 3:6)
The scorn and vitriol heaped upon President Bush by his detractors during the three years plus of his presidency go far beyond political disagreements over how to best answer the pressing needs of the nation. There is little doubt that the president elicits a genuine and personal hatred from his critics, not only in this country but abroad as well. The question is, why?
In a strange dichotomy, President Bush is arguably one of the most decent men to have ever occupied the White House. He rarely has an unkind word to say about his critics even when they go after him with swords drawn. Insiders in the White House have nothing but good things to say about him and he comes from a respected, religious family that has endured decades of public life with nary a hint of scandal.
President Bush lifted himself up from an impetuous youth to the highest office in the land in no small part due to the mentoring of evangelist Billy Graham—one of the most admired men in the world—and his personal faith is a cornerstone in his life. This story alone should be the source of great praise and admiration, not derision. So why then is there so much hatred for George Bush?
Although some may say the hatred stems from the controversy over the Florida vote during the 2000 election, the reality is that the final analysis of the vote shows that George Bush won the election under any conceivable recount circumstance. Actually, the Gore campaign can be more faulted for its attempt to manipulate the Florida vote by insisting on a recount limited to three heavily Democrat counties.
Whether it is opposition toward some domestic political issue, his handling of the war on terror, or the war in Iraq, none can rationally account for the intensity of personal hatred leveled at President Bush as he seeks reelection. The answer to the “why,” is really part of an issue that simmers just below the surface but nonetheless evokes a level of hatred—and fear—that can only be understood in the context of the conflict between enduring truth and spiritless relativism. That is, a clash between two mutually exclusive worldviews—one driven by religious faith and the other driven by secular humanism.
Former Clinton labor secretary, Robert Reich, put this clash of worldviews in clear perspective in his July 1, 2004article entitled “Bush’s God,” which was published in The American Prospect. The article complains about a Bush campaign strategy that is designed to reach out to persons of faith. Mr. Reich says in part:
In its eagerness to promote the teaching of creationism in public schools, encourage school prayer, support anti-sodomy statutes, ban abortions, bar gay marriage, limit the use of stem cells, reduce access to contraceptives, and advance the idea of America as a "Christian nation," the Bush administration has done more to politicize religion than any administration in recent American history…The great conflict of the 21st century may be between the West and terrorism. But terrorism is a tactic, not a belief. The underlying battle will be between modern civilization and anti-modernist fanatics; between those who believe in the primacy of the individual and those who believe that human beings owe blind allegiance to a higher authority; between those who give priority to life in this world and those who believe that human life is no more than preparation for an existence beyond life; between those who believe that truth is revealed solely through scripture and religious dogma, and those who rely primarily on science, reason, and logic. Terrorism will disrupt and destroy lives. But terrorism is not the only danger we face.
In essence, Mr. Reich is saying that “Bush’s God” is more of a threat to modern civilization than fanatical terrorism. His description of the issues at risk because of the president’s faith—sodomy, abortion, gay marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and contraceptives—reveals that little imagination is needed to see that sexual liberation is at the heart of the clash between the opposing worldviews.
With sexual liberation as the goal, there is no doubt that homosexual affirmation is the instrument being used to undermine the values associated with “Bush’s God.” Hedonistic secularists realize that the legitimization of homosexuality—particularly legalization of gay marriage—is a dagger into the heart of the Christian faith and the institutions that shelter its values.
President Bush’s adherence to the principles of his faith represents a formidable obstacle to victory. That is the reason why he is at once hated and also feared, for as St. Paul said, the believer has “the aroma of death,” to the perishing. Therefore, his removal from the presidency must be accomplished at all costs. To accomplish this goal, the president’s detractors have mounted a fierce, personal attack on him through dozens of recently published books, several movies, numerous commentaries, and by a heavily imbalanced popular media.
Additionally, Mr. Reich suggests that the president is an “anti-modernist fanatic” and his religious views place him far out of the mainstream, but recent Gallup polls show the opposite: 68 percent of Americans favor teaching both creationism and evolution in the public schools; 78% of the American people favor a constitutional amendment to allow voluntary prayer in public schools; 68 % of the American people agree that partial-birth abortion should be banned; thirty-nine states have so far passed defense of marriage acts prohibiting gay marriage; and since the June 2003 decision by the Supreme Court that declared the Texas sodomy law unconstitutional, opposition to legalization of same-sex relations has increased to 49% compared to 43% who favor legalization.
One may debate Reich’s view that America should not be regarded as a “Christian nation,” but it should be pointed out that over 80 percent of the American people identify themselves as Christian; most of the founding fathers of our republic considered themselves Christians; and Christian-Judean values had a tremendous influence in the nation’s founding documents, laws, and rules of government. Although it is clear that the founding fathers avoided the establishment of a religious theocracy, it is equally clear there was no intent to insulate government from religious influence—and therein lies the rub.
Quite clearly, it has been the strategy of hedonic secularists to use homosexuality as a spearhead in its drive to marginalize the faith and infuse sexual freedom. To great extent, they have successfully invaded almost every institution in America with a message of acceptance toward sodomy as a lifestyle preference. Much of industry, government, media, and academia celebrate “gay pride,” require “gay” sensitivity training, offer domestic partner benefits, and prohibit contrary points of view.
It is readily apparent how important the infusion of unmitigated sexual “freedom” into the church and the culture is to the secularists, and why they are working so hard to defeat President Bush. A leader who believes in the existence of absolute truth, a president who seeks to apply his faith to his life, is a threat to a post-modern secularist in principle. In an age when the most grievous of sins is to interject your religious beliefs into the public debate, those in leadership positions who profess to know Truth set themselves up for fierce opposition.
Al Dobras is a freelance writer on religious and cultural issues and an electronics engineer. He lives in Springfield, Virginia.
Having said that, there's no way they would tolerate sodomarriage.
Nah, Church Attendance may have had a slight uptick after the attack but it quickly returned to normal.
because if you did not pray on that day you are inhumane.
HUH? If you don't believe in God or other mythologies why would you pray, especially since if there was a God, by allowing the events to happen in first place it's obvious he's was sitting it out.
But
See Church Missed Opportunity After Sept. 11 Terrorist Attack
People who see a tragedy on the scale of 9/11 as an "Opportunity" are inhumane to say the least
BTTT
My god can whip your god is a poor argument for debate. My god can whip your non-god is worse.
Then why are there so many terrorist problems in the Philippines which is the one of the most Christian countries in the world and very few Islamic terrorist attacks in Japan which is one the most Atheist countries?
CC, I believe that the article is discussing the hatred of the Left (using Reich as an example of that hate-speech), not the Islamic world.
I do believe that abortion is the primary reason that the left opposed President Bush. And, as this editorial suggests, they are using the issue of same sex marriage to knock him down and divide America further.
At the root is the Left's hatred of all Godly things and people.
Huh? How does Planned Parenthood and Iran relate to Philippines and Christianity?
This is exactly the course the nation took in the last century on adultery, divorce, heterosexual sex outside of marriage and then abortion.
I do wonder why homosexual activity and marriage is what seems to have finally spurred a backlash. And whether we've yeilded too much ground on marriage and life matters to make and win with a stand, now.
Now I know why I never liked Reich, he is stone atheist.
God bless you, Joe.
I do believe in God and have morals but I am not deeply religious. I know there's a lot more like me that support Bush. I don't see Bush as a fundamentalist or a 'Bible thumper'. He has spoken of his faith but doesn't rub it in your face. I don't understand where the leftists come up with this image of him.
As a side note- the 78% of the population who support prayer in school had better go and vote on election day-no staying home.
bttt
Robert Reich: Mental midget .....
Former Clinton labor secretary, Robert Reich, put this clash of worldviews in clear perspective in his July 1, 2004article entitled “Bush’s God,” which was published in The American Prospect. The article complains about a Bush campaign strategy that is designed to reach out to persons of faith. Mr. Reich says in part:
In its eagerness to promote the teaching of creationism in public schools, encourage school prayer, support anti-sodomy statutes, ban abortions, bar gay marriage, limit the use of stem cells, reduce access to contraceptives, and advance the idea of America as a "Christian nation," the Bush administration has done more to politicize religion than any administration in recent American history…The great conflict of the 21st century may be between the West and terrorism. But terrorism is a tactic, not a belief. The underlying battle will be between modern civilization and anti-modernist fanatics; between those who believe in the primacy of the individual and those who believe that human beings owe blind allegiance to a higher authority; between those who give priority to life in this world and those who believe that human life is no more than preparation for an existence beyond life; between those who believe that truth is revealed solely through scripture and religious dogma, and those who rely primarily on science, reason, and logic. Terrorism will disrupt and destroy lives. But terrorism is not the only danger we face.
In essence, Mr. Reich is saying that “Bush’s God” is more of a threat to modern civilization than fanatical terrorism .....
Why are you talking about Islam? It does not appear in the article.
God's allowing 9/11 is not evidence He was sitting it out.
1. There aren't any Muslims in Japan.
2. The people of the Philippines may be nominally "Christian," but the government isn't necessarily so. In fact, the Catholic bishops of that country have been increasingly at odds with the nation's government over the last few years.
The issue is which of the two world views described in the article best describes reality.
I agree with you. Many religious conservatives worry that the President doesn't make more clear statements on the subject of his own faith. He is definitely no "bible thumper."
However, he appears to have a rock-solid set of moral beliefs that are based in a Judeo-Christian value system.
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