WHAT IS BUSH THINKING

I don't understand your characterization of Bush's "a confrontation between good and evil" as being religious. It does not appear to be religious to me.

You contend that our conflict is between different ideologies but don't provide any reasons why you prefer that to good versus evil. IMHO, wanting to kill off all infidels is evil no matter the reason (in this case it seems to be for Allah) and wanting to save ourselves from being killed is good, but has no particular connection with any religion.

True, Bush has used Chrisitian values in order to choose what he does. But that is nothing original or new. I have used those same values for my entire life to help me make my decisions - humility, courtesy, love, compassion, etc, etc. Isn't that the way most of us do it? What's to object?

Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"

It's not surprising to me. It's just a part of his character. The part that scares me and makes people resent Christians.

this is the most frightening thing to me religion and politics are the most deadly combination known to man. i have seen the results and they have been written all over the Bush administrations bloody hands. iraq, Lebanon, Israel i could go on here. when ever someone sees things from the perspective of good vs evil and they see themselves as doing God's work no good will come of that. we have examples through out history.. crusades among them the reformation, inquisition in Spain and Italy. Death and destruction come though this path. personally it makes me sick.
Andrew thank you for posting this although i wish you would never have been able to see such an article. Keep it up man the world needs to know just how dangerous the Bush regime actually is this article and his remarks confirms that without a doubt. Great job Andrew!!

I watched this unfold on television and via a few blogs. Like you, I believe that the conflict is much more complicated than a religion debate. To say this is good versus evil does nothing to end the conflict (and accompanying suffering and destruction). In fact, it embraces only the lowest possible understanding of good and evil.

The "Third Awakening" reference is very telling of Mr. Bush's present mental state.

Perverting and integrating religion into policy and politics is a dangerous path. As christians, we use our religious beliefs in our personal decision making, and tend to lean towards those who we percieve to be embracing our same morals, ethics, social beliefs, etc.

But there has been a real organized and implemented shift by Republicans over the past 30 yrs., to create a base of evangelical christians. I am a Southern Baptist, I know the impact of the politics.

John Danforth, a leading and well respected Republican, has written a book addressing religion in politics. It is well worth reading. Here is a comment:


"John C. Danforth says his new book, "Faith and Politics," is an attempt to start a discussion about the role of religion in elections and government. A right-to-life Episcopal priest and former Republican senator from Missouri, Danforth has said he's come to see the religious right as a force for polarization and was inspired to write the book, due out Sept. 19, after watching the dispute over Terry Schiavo. "In our country," he said at a recent Episcopal convention, "thank God we are not killing each other in the name of religion, but religious people acting in the name of Christ have championed the wedge issues that divide us, that cut common ground out from under us, and make even discussing important questions so difficult."

Americans are largely religious people, but they are also largely very tolerant. People of all manner of faiths and beliefs live at peace here. The characterization of all religion as bad is unfair, untrue, and frankly, a bit bigoted. The problem comes when some pervert religion to excuse violence. This happened centuries ago for Christians with the Crusades and all that, and it is happening now in Islam. Hopefully moderate voices will triumph and the Islamic fascists who twist the faith to allow terrorism will be marginalized, just as the most extreme elements in America and Europe are ostracized and discredited by almost everyone.

You are correct that this is not a battle between Christianity and Islam, so it's not a religious war in that sense. But it most certainly is a battle between good and evil. The good are those who wish to live in peace and tolerance, and the evil are those who do horrible things to others, regardless of their excuses. The evil see good things like tolerance and freedom as evil, and evil things like murder as good. They are twisted people, and to pretend that they're just like us, just with a different belief system, is a sign of moral insanity.