Toto
January 12, 2005, 03:56 PM
President outlines role of his faith (http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050111-101004-3771r.htm)
Mr. Bush told editors and reporters of The Washington Times yesterday in an interview in the Oval Office that many in the public misunderstand the role of faith in his life and his view of the proper relationship between religion and the government.
"I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person," Mr. Bush said. "I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is.
He thinks what is just the way it is - that you are not in fact patriotic if you are not religious?
"I fully understand that the job of the president is and must always be protecting the great right of people to worship or not worship as they see fit," Mr. Bush said. "That's what distinguishes us from the Taliban. The greatest freedom we have or one of the greatest freedoms is the right to worship the way you see fit.
"On the other hand, I don't see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord," he said.
Bush is not stupid, and he has learned the right thing to say about freedom of and from religion. But one wishes that the Lord had given him better advice about invading other countries.
However, Mr. Bush said that unlike many Christians, he does not think that faith is under attack by culture at large and points to the "backlash" against attempts to further secularize the public square as proof.
"The great thing about our country is somebody can stand up and say, 'We should try to take "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance,'" Mr. Bush said. "On the other hand, the backlash was pretty darn significant.
Indeed, a backlash that was carefully nurtured and fanned by Republican operatives.
"But the key thing is, is that we do have the capacity to allow faith programs to access enormous sums of social service money, which I think is important."
Which I think is the main point. Follow the money.
Mr. Bush told editors and reporters of The Washington Times yesterday in an interview in the Oval Office that many in the public misunderstand the role of faith in his life and his view of the proper relationship between religion and the government.
"I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person," Mr. Bush said. "I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is.
He thinks what is just the way it is - that you are not in fact patriotic if you are not religious?
"I fully understand that the job of the president is and must always be protecting the great right of people to worship or not worship as they see fit," Mr. Bush said. "That's what distinguishes us from the Taliban. The greatest freedom we have or one of the greatest freedoms is the right to worship the way you see fit.
"On the other hand, I don't see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord," he said.
Bush is not stupid, and he has learned the right thing to say about freedom of and from religion. But one wishes that the Lord had given him better advice about invading other countries.
However, Mr. Bush said that unlike many Christians, he does not think that faith is under attack by culture at large and points to the "backlash" against attempts to further secularize the public square as proof.
"The great thing about our country is somebody can stand up and say, 'We should try to take "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance,'" Mr. Bush said. "On the other hand, the backlash was pretty darn significant.
Indeed, a backlash that was carefully nurtured and fanned by Republican operatives.
"But the key thing is, is that we do have the capacity to allow faith programs to access enormous sums of social service money, which I think is important."
Which I think is the main point. Follow the money.