George Bush revealed that his approach to the bible, evolution and to other religions has more in common with liberal protestants than with his fundamentalist political amen corner. This was made clear in a surprising ABC Nightline interview on Monday.
When asked by Cynthia McFadden if he thought the bible was literally true President Bush answered:
“You know. Probably not. … No, I’m not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament for example is … has got … You know, the important lesson is ‘God sent a son,’”
When asked if he prays to the same God as those with different religious beliefs he said:
“I do believe there is an almighty that is broad and big enough and loving enough that can encompass a lot of people,”
And when asked about creation and evolution the President answered:
“I think you can have both. I think evolution can — you’re getting me way out of my lane here. I’m just a simple president. But it’s, I think that God created the earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty and I don’t think it’s incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution.”
Check, check, check, – Oh, my God, George Bush and I have have the same world view!!!
It is worth noting that his beliefs on biblical literalism, religious pluralism, and evolution are just coming out now. Contrary to popular belief, George Bush is no dummy. During the last eight years Rove and Bush have cynically allowed fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals to project their world view onto the president. In his last month in office, he may be seeing that fundamentalism, while useful to him in office, is not something he wants to carry with him into civilian life, or believes should be promoted within American society.
George Bush was trusted by a large segment of the Christian population because he publicly articulated a profound personal experience of God through Jesus Christ. This interview reveals that someone can have an authentic religious experience without the burdens of Biblical literalism, anti-science suspicions and Christian triumphalism.
Hopefully other political and religious figures on the right will follow suit. Governor Huckabee?
posted December 11, 2008 at 5:02 pm
“Hopefully other political and religious figures on the right will follow suit. Governor Huckabee?”
Why? And why would they? Why not abandon ideas of biblical relativism, religious pluarlism, and evolution as the beginning of man?
posted December 11, 2008 at 5:52 pm
“Why not abandon ideas of biblical relativism, religious pluarlism, and evolution as the beginning of man?”
The answer is that their opposites: biblical literalism, religious exclusivism, and fundamentalist versions of creationism are all intellectually indefensible. There are multiple, strong, incontrovertable considerations aligned against them.
posted December 11, 2008 at 7:47 pm
You lost me at, “Contrary to popular belief, George Bush is no dummy,” after first quoting three horrible, awkwardly-worded attempts by George The Merciless at forming sentences. Your jubilation at holding the same world view as George The Merciless—who has recently started to appear in sheepskin—only shows what little evidence you need to feel comforted by the family of all those that can engage in, support, vote for, and generally embrace discrimination, war, killing, and walking lock-step with the big corporations that control politics and thus our lives. No matter what myopic worldview George The Merciless has, by comparing him to yourself you only give validity to the idea that one does not have to be smart to be elected president. The idea of an Almighty as one with sensibilities and reason was what many saw reflected in George The Merciless. As a result we have witnessed quite the opposite of everything commonly attributed to Christianity
Finally you had me laughing when you wrote, “Hopefully other political and religious figures on the right will follow suit. Governor Huckabee?”
Dude, the Right got it Wrong! We woke up and grabbed power from their greedy hands. We’re no longer interested in their or your misguided, juxtaposed, miserable, and entirely wrong world views.
posted December 11, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Throughout history, how many intellectual giants have held to religious exclusivism? Does dismissing their position by simply declaring it “intellectually indefensible” add any insight or clarity to this topic of discussion?
posted December 11, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Re Pres. Bush faith: If I may suggest the possibility that Pres. Bush faith or worship may have little to do with our savior Yeshua (Jesus).
posted December 11, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Way to throw a little blasphemy in there, Paul
Why don’t you hold your pen a little tighter and honor your God
so you know,
Bush has said all that before, turns out he’s a politician first
posted December 11, 2008 at 10:41 pm
That’s unfortunate. No credible theologians (who believes God created the world) also believe in evolution. And no major scientists (that are naturalists) also believe God created the world.
Theistic evolution is not credible among most credible thinkers. Pick one and try to prove it. That’s what everyone else is doing.
posted December 11, 2008 at 11:15 pm
So, it has now been declared in these few comments that:
1) Any theologian who believes in religious exclusivism — is holding an “intellectually indefensible” position.
2) Any theologian who both believes in evolution and believes that God created and world — is not “credible”.
What other theological positions we can dismiss by assertion here in this intellectually rigorous discussion?
posted December 12, 2008 at 5:53 am
In a democracy, everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe. If I want to be an evangelical Christian, that is my right (and I grew up in a liberal protestant, Ivy Educated, Agnostic ecumenical household). You have a right to believe that, but for me there is nothing in that old really athiestic faith. As long as I don’t commit acts of terror or discriminate against someone because of my faith, I have a right to that faith. Gov. Huckabee can believe what he wants to – America is a democracy…This is such an immoral society, I think it needs Jesus Christ badly by the way!
posted December 12, 2008 at 6:06 am
Bill, I will bite on point 1), by qualifying point 1).
“Any theologian who believes in an omnipresent God and religious exclusivism is holding an ‘intellectually indefensible’ position.
I add the bit about belief in an omnipresent God to put the nail in the coffin. Omnipresence implies total inclusivism, (as there is nothing that is separable from God because God is all-present, encompassing all that was/is/will be.) To hold to a religious exclusive belief, that only by means of one religious gateway can God be reached, is hence patently fallacious and indefensible.
posted December 12, 2008 at 9:50 am
Albert, if you define “omnipresent” as equivalent to “there is nothing inseparable from God”, then I suppose you’re right.
But I don’t think that is the traditional Christian understanding of the term “omnipresent”. I think it is more along the lines of “present in every place at every time” — which would not, by itself, imply that religious exclusivism is patently fallacious.
posted December 12, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Before the fighting broke out an Evangelical pastor, a Jewish Rabbi, a Moslem Imam, and a Catholic priest were in a bar talking about how their own individual faith was the only and exclusive way to gain access to the divine and secure the divine favor for all eternity.
It turned out that as each tried to make his case he cited his interpretation of passages of the scriptures of his own faith. None could come up with any question begging basis for claiming exclusivity for his view. There was no rational basis apart from assuming the truth of their own interpretations of their own scriptures.
posted December 24, 2008 at 12:52 pm
A fact: In three days Jesus was raised from the dead. Before he was crucified, he healed the sick, healed a lady that had vaginal bleeding for many many years and just from a simple little touch of Jesus garment, she was healed, did I mention that Jesus raised the dead too. All Jesus said was “Lazerous get up!” and he was dead for three days. What other religion did God perform these miracles through man? When Jesus resurrected he walked around the earth for 40 days and 500 people saw him, including the was who tortured him. They bowed to the almighty King!!!! Hallelujah!!!! What other religion did God perform these miracles through man? Did I mention that Jesus stopped Saul in the middle of the Damascus road and ask Saul (a man who killed thousands of Christians before) “Why do you keep kicking against the pricks?” and made Saul blind for three days. Saul went to Straight St. turned into Paul and been preaching Jesus since.
Everything in the Holy Bible is true. God does not lie and He won’t because He does not have too, especially since He gave His only begotten Son to save sinners. He mad the word come to life and the word is still alive because the word resurrected!!!!!!!!