Manichaean Maniac
Comments: 6
Here’s a story guaranteed to help you sleep better at night.
Bush puts God on his side
Tom Carver, BBCBefore September 11, President George W Bush kept his evangelical Christian beliefs largely to himself.
He had turned to God at the age of 40 as a way of kicking alcoholism, and his faith had kept him on the straight and narrow ever since, giving him the drive to reach the White House.
But all that changed on the day of the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
Those close to Mr Bush say that day he discovered his life’s mission.
He became convinced that God was calling him to engage the forces of evil in battle, and this one time baseball-team owner from Texas did not shrink from the task.
William Burroughs comes to mind: “If you’re ever doing business with a religious son of a bitch, get it in writing! His word ain’t worth shit, not with the good lord telling him how to fuck you on the deal.
But wait! There’s more:
One in three American Christians call themselves evangelicals and many evangelicals believe the second coming of Christ will occur in the Middle East after a titanic battle with the anti-Christ.
Does the president believe he is playing a part in the final events of Armageddon?
If true, it is an alarming thought.
But he would not be alone, as 59% of all Americans believe that what is written in the Bible’s Book of Revelations will come to pass. [My emphasis.]
Hang on — can this be true!? Almost two thirds of Americans believe … oh, forget it. Nothing would surprise me now.
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Posted to General Rants • 2003.04.06 (Sun) • 11:27
Comments
Posted by vis10n 2003.04.06, 23:20
Don't be surprised… even level-headed folks like myself actually believe that the events outlined in the Revelation of St. John will happen.
But not all of us who believe necessarily believe that its appropriate to hasten those events along.
With or without my help those awful things will happen… I should fill my days with being an agent for good: To paraphrase an article of my faith, I "believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men… if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, [I] seek after these things."
As for Burroughs' comment, I understand the idea… but really can't agree with his painting with such broad strokes. I, for one, believe in a Higher Power. That said, I also believe in the Rule of Law… and it is rare indeed when I find those two beliefs in conflict. Rare enough, that I would venture that my word is as reliable (or moreso) as the next person's.
Posted by Jeff 2003.04.06, 23:32
Jeremy, I can't speak for those 59% nor the "moral majority" in this country. I don't know what to say actually. It's an enigma to me.
You might be interested in a piece I wrote last month on Bush's religious beliefs and how they were affecting his decision-making abilities.
His use of the word "evil" to refer to Saddam, bin Laden, et. al. injects a religious, crusade-like quality to his words (and to US actions). Given that, I can start to understand the discomfort many Muslims might feel after hearing him speak.
Posted by Curmudgeon 2003.04.07, 10:26
I once read that more than half the people in Iceland believe in the existence of fairies, which goes to show that people in any "advanced" society are not that far removed from their supersticious ancestors. Icelanders, fortunately, do not possess weapons of mass destruction, so the rest of the world (not to mention the little people) are safe for now.
Posted by Matthew Aaron 2003.04.07, 11:39
Curmudgeon: The Icelandic population that retains the beliefs of their forebears are not necessarily "supersticious" [sic] – they simply… retain the beliefs of their forebears; they obviously see significance and legitimacy therein. I think their beliefs should be met with the same respect as your own.
If I have misunderstood your comments, I apologize.
As for Mr. Bush's beliefs, this seems a little far-fetched. No doubt he believes he's crushing an evil, but how much of it is fueled by his own religion is a question that may go forever unanswered.
Posted by Curmudgeon 2003.04.07, 16:19
Matthew: My apologies for misusing the word "superstitious" (and for the misspelling!) I was trying to point out that Americans are not unique in adhering to beliefs that have fallen out of favor in other countries. 59% of all Americans believing that what is written in the Book of Revelations will come to pass does not automatically translate to 59% of all Americans believing that what is going on in Iraq now is another step on the road to Armageddon. Sorry for any offense caused.
Personally, I'm doubtful of the extent that Bush's religious beliefs plays in his decision-making. It seems more of a cynical attempt at providing some (any) moral justification to his policies in the face of worldwide condemnation. There has been a noticeable lack of prominent American religious leaders flocking to his side during this particular crusade.
Posted by James 2003.04.08, 08:32
Recently I happened upon an Evangelical Preacher on tv, he was declaring the Iraq conflict the final war before Armageddon. He went on to describe the anti-christ. Mentioning things like many people flocking to him as a new moral influence. The loss of freedom of speech and other liberties. I kept thinking to myself that this stuff describes Bush to a T, yet I don't think the preacher was even aware of it, as he supported the war and loved Bush.
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