"Aide: Bush Faith Has Been Misunderstood"

[GreenPartyVoter]

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's religious faith is "mainstream America" and no different from previous presidents, the director of his Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives said Friday.

"The president's faith has been misunderstood," said the White House aide, Jim Towey. "I don't see him as any different from his predecessors, both Democrats and Republicans." Towey cited Democrats Jimmy Carter and Franklin Roosevelt.

"There's a double standard in the way these matters are covered," said Towey, a Roman Catholic and onetime aide to the late Democratic Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles. Towey was speaking to the Religion Newswriters Association, whose members report on the field for secular media.

He said of Bush, "He's so mainstream America on matters of faith" and similar to people who pray privately "in restaurants, out on their farms and in their small businesses."

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20040910/D850TPK00.html


Baloney! Most presidents did not go to the extent of inserting hymn lyrics in their speeches.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
And God told His children: "I love you. Play nice."

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[htuttle]

1. I don't remember Jimmy Carter saying that 'God told him this' ...

...and 'God told him that'. Carter DEFINITELY never said that God told him to go to war.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. He mentioned God fairly often, but not like * does.

[NC_Nurse]

4. Yeah, and unlike *

He walks his talk. He IS a good Samaritan, a peacemaker, and his faith is evident in his actions. Totally different than the Chimpster and his made-for-tv posing.

[NC_Nurse]

3. I hope not

I hope most "mainstream" Americans don't want religion controlling their government.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. actually, some evangelicals don't think he's religious enough

and are in fact voting for this guy Michael Peroutka http://www.peroutka2004.com/

[seabeyond]

6. all religious people, use crisco for annointment

prior to going into prayer???????????????

[michigandem2]

7. he is saying in his stump speeches he is

giving the Iraqi's their "god given right to be free" and goes on and on about God and what he wants for them...which bugs the hell outta me..not because I am completely NON religious..but because he wraps himself up in his "faith" and blurs it with the government...something we are supposed to avoid..he just could care LESS>...sick fucking extremist...that is what he is

[Flubadubya]

8. Symbols of crucifixion at RNC is commonplace?

Those damned podia weren't even a veiled reference to crosses. They were blatant representations. What national political convention has ever done that? :puke:

[blondeatlast]

18. They were nearly carbon copies of the podia in the Presbyterian

church I grew up in--I'm not kidding; dead to rights.

[lukasahero]

9. people who pray privately "in restaurants...and in their small businesses"

Um, how does one pray privately in public? I believe Jesus likened those types to the pharisees.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Actually, our family does say grace in restaurants

We want our kids to feel thankful that they have something to eat. (Hard point to impress upon a young 'un, though, when they hate what's being served. *l*)

[Texas_Dem]

11. My question is

why do they see the need to tell us this? What is the reason to say that your faith is "mainstream"? As opposed to what? Church of the Brown Bottle?

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. As opposed to all those "blasphemous" religions

like judaism, islam, hinduism, buddhism, ba'hai, wicca, liberal christianity, etc etc etc. :eyes:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
And God told His children: "I love you. Play nice."

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[PurityOfEssence]

13. faith influencing policy is fine; if used as justification, it's tyranny

This is why religion is kept out of politics: believers of the proscribed faith are superior to the serfs who aren't part of the group. Worse, it skips the logic of justifiability as it creates an aristocracy.

In pluralism, one's plans and ideas inherently worth nothing; their value must be proved rationally. To grant a blank check is not only silly, it's dangerous.

Carter was more godly than any president in my life, and he was morally consistent to keep it out of politics. That's because he's a truly decent person.

Junior is a theocrat, a madman and a dick; he'll twist the faith to justify his ends and feels no remorse doing so. The man is a sociopath, and that's the nicest way of putting it.

[DebinTx]

14. The reason I see Bush's religion as different

is because he doesn't seem to be able to manage himself publicly without invoking religion. Let him bible thump all he wants IN PRIVATE but I resent him qualifying himself as what most American christians believe.

I also resent the fact that Bush found the Lord in the bottom of a bottle. People who find the Lord that way usually have a warped sense of reality and feel compelled to thrust it on everyone around them.

Sorry but born-agains are the worst.

[blondeatlast]

22. "manage himself publicly without invoking religion."

In thinking about it, he really does do that. Not God--religion.

As someone who likes to think herself a Christian, it makes me squirm, it really does.

I will never be able to watch him again without thinking of that comment; it's dead-on.

[catweasel]

15. Misunderstood

Bush's boy frequently quoted an apostle of Jesus , rather than Jesus.

Why would he do this ?

Apostle : If you are not with us, you are against us.

Jesus : If you are not against us , you are with us.

I have to say that i have sent this to various democrats and have seen no one take up this issue.

Does no one understand the difference, like the apostle didn't?

One could still include France ,Germany, and Russia for example, using the correct quote.

[Bluebear]

16. Misunderstanded.

[carpetbagger]

17. Two words: poor people.

The greatest success of the religious right, having been unable to overturn legal abortion, force schools to lead religious exercises, and as of yet unable to effect the Apocalypse, has been their ability to make Americans feel totally ok with dismissing the plight of those less fortunate than them.

Strange.

[baldguy]

19. FDR & Carter didn't try and bring about the Apocalypse.

[kentuck]

20. And mocking people as he puts them to death...

God, I hope he's not like your average "Christian"???

[jmowreader]

21. Apparently "to the right of Fred Phelps" is now mainstream

because that's where Bush is headed.

When Jack Chick starts looking like a liberal compared to the president of the United States, WE ARE IN TROUBLE!

[blondeatlast]

23. Dupe thread has overtaken this, so

:kick:

[Jacobin]

24. Bullsit. He's a fundamentalist nutbag