Bush and Religion

[lookout123]

Over the last four years we have heard a lot of discussion about GWB's faith. We have even debated in the cellar about how he professes his faith and many of his faith based views.

The Economist has a nicely balanced article on the issue that points out that most of what Bush says is highly ordinary when taken in context. Often he is saddled with criticism that is more rightly directed at many of his followers than at the president himself. His statements are, in general, highly ordinary in the political world. Whether you agree or disagree, it is an interesting read. I'll end this with one quick snippet and the link.

Mr Bush is in fact in the mainstream of recent presidents. As Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Centre points out, Jimmy Carter taught Sunday school while president. Bill Clinton talked about Jesus more often than Mr Bush and has spoken in more churches than Mr Bush has had rubber-chicken dinners.

The Economist

[Troubleshooter]

I don't have a problem with Jimmy teaching sunday school, that's not setting policy, and I don't have a problem with Clinton mentioning Jesus because we all know he was being disingenuous.

Bush on the other hand is the one who used the word crusade and who thinks he got elected to handle the 9/11 situation.

It's not about the word count, but the intent behind the words.

[cowhead]

yeah.. there's the whole issue of bush's wording of things.. I mean the man did graduate from an Ivy league school... (if you recall some of the debates he let his facade slip a little...I'll dig up the text if you like.. I just recall the moment of me going 'hey! I use that word!' (and no.. it's not fella ) and wether or not he actually earned his degree is moot.. and I don't care about that.. heh that's a rant for another thread)

he is a scary man.. I will now be going to the 'bush lockbox thread'

[tw]

$35 million for a massive disaster upon millions of people around the Indian Ocean. And it took him five days to make a decision. You tell me where the morality is in that MBA - President Scrooge sound more appropriate. Then when the world criticism is loud and so accurate, he says America will send more later. Wow. So moral that he cannot respond until embarrassed by the world? Lookout123 is so proud of this mental midget president.

[wolf]

I'm sure he's praying for them.

You too, tw.

[lookout123]

wow, tw is so flustered by the measly $35million that he had to post the same thing in, what 4 threads?

[tw]

Originally Posted by lookout123

wow, tw is so flustered by the measly $35million that he had to post the same thing in, what 4 threads?

Reality must be posted multiple times so that religious extremist might notice something that was not decreed from the Aposotle George Jr. You do worship god's chosen apostle George Jr - right? We must remind Lookout123 that earthquakes do hurt people. My mistake. George Jr finally decreed that today. Now Lookout123 understands a disaster happened about the Bay of Bengal.

Lookout123, when are you going to post something that is not an insult. Oh. I forgot. You are a religious extremist. Everyone else is only a heathen. The bible told you to insult heathens.

[lookout123]

[quote=tw]We must remind Lookout123 that earthquakes do hurt people. My mistake. QUOTE]

i'm well aware of that. my sister was in phuket, remember?

Lookout123, when are you going to post something that is not an insult

what exactly insulted you so much?

You are a religious extremist.

this looks more like an insult than what i wrote, but that is ok when considering the source. (yes, my last statement may be classified as a mild insult.)

[tw]

Originally Posted by lookout123

what exactly insulted you so much?

Lookout123 - every post from you has been no information with plenty of insults. I could care about your sister except that you now post only like an anti-Ameican religious extremist. IOW you insult and demean anyone who is not a member of your righteous club.

In no way did I post anything political. I posted straight facts. Facts like we can give Israel $billions. That is more aid that we provide to all Africa. And now we offer a paltry $35 million dollars in emergeny aid? Numeric facts about our government that should embarrass every American.

This in a region where almost as many Americans may have died as in the WTC. That is staight fact. Provided are pictures that an "I want to know" George Jr would have seen on Sunday. These are straight facts.

The mental midget president again failed to make a decision for days. Again it took him five days and public conmendation before he would even acknowledge the scope of what had happened. The press understood the seriousness long before the president would finally concede to reality. Those are facts.

A responsible George Jr would have the USS Kitty Hawk already on station to provide immediately assistance to - at minimum Americans and other NATO allies. Instead he just sat on his righteous ass and made no decisions. That is fact.

You don't like it. Then put up facts to the contrary and stop your silly insults. Insults that I would expect only from the righteous. Grow up. Be a man rather than a religious extremist. If you like George Jr's response, then provide facts why we don't have fleets of planes and ships to, at minumum, extract thousands of Americans immediately - while delivering Red Cross, Unicef, et al supplies.

What are they desperate for in that region? Armies of humans to distribut the aid. Who has the biggest armies? The nation that cannot find any more than $35 million, 6 C-130s, and some survelliance planes.

We are talking about a George Jr who even denied looting in Iraq. Is that a political statment. Only to the righteous or emotional. The fact is George Jr is slow to acknowledge anything he is not ready to understand. This president waited to have America embarrassed before he would even acknowledge the scope of this disaster. That is a fact. Leaders would never do that. Where is there anything moral about this president?

[wolf]

Very little could be done to prevent the loss of life in the areas struck by the tsunamis.

Oh, except for the folks that might have moved to higher ground if the affected countries' governments had issued the proper warnings rather than trying not to spoil the tourist's holidays.

Disaster relief occurs in stages. One of the more important, but frustrating facts of disaster relief is that you want to minimize the number of responders who become primary and secondary victims.

You can't just show up with a plane full of stuff. There has to be a place to land the plane, first off, and then a way to distribute the supplies to those in need ... that work was starting as soon as the first wave hit. But it takes time to implement.

I do recall reading one article that indicated that the US aid effectively started with the use of our surveillance planes and satellites to begin the damage assessment. That doesn't just happen. It requires orders, and those likely came from the top of the chain of command.

[staceyv]

I hate Bush. I felt sick for two days after I found out he was elected. I voted at age 28, for the first time in my life, because I hate him so much. I hate that stupid smirk and cocky laughing look on his face. I read a book, watched the debates, read the paper...I guess I am as informed as anyone else. I have very good intuition and I read two books on how to spot a lie and how to tell when someone is deceiving you (when I was with my liar ex-boyfriend). I'm very analytical, and I like to uncover what's beneath the surface, so I don't take what people say at face value. So, now that you have my prerequisites for judging this idiot, here's the truth, at least as far as I see it:
Bush is a fucking HYPOCRITE. He claims to be religious, anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, etc. But then he sends us to war for personal gain and in the process, kills thousands of innocent people!! I'm not just talking about our soldiers, they were instructed to attack areas where there were a high number of innocent civilians.
And these fools believed him! People think they're doing something morally correct for their country by voting for him. Makes me sick. My grandfather voted for him. All I can say is hopefully he was afraid to change presidents in war time.
Everyone in the world thinks we are a bunch of stupid, cheap (fat) fools! And lately I'm not so proud to be American because of the president that was elected. He ruined our relationship with the UN, based his decisions on invalid information, and did you guys SEE Fahrenheit 911? He just SAT there, reading a children's book when the twin towers were being bombed.
Anti- abortion- why? so people who don't want kids can be forced to have them, raise them like shit and we'll have more people in jail, on welfare, etc?
UH! my thoughs are disorganized, I realize this won't make anyone change their mind, except to decide that they don't like ME, but whatever, I'm just disgusted with this asshole. I'm usually a better persuasive writer, but I did this all off of the top of my head, no outline of clear concise thoughs, just a rant. And 350 million is cheap, but I guess when you screw up the economy as bad as he did, there isn't much left for nice, moral stuff, is there?

[Roosta]

Re: post #4 this thread.
How on earth did you know that nothing happened for five days when the date of posting is only four days after the event?

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by Roosta

Re: post #4 this thread.
How on earth did you know that nothing happened for five days when the date of posting is only four days after the event?

Simple. His talking point fax sheet for the day is being faxed to him from North Korea (from the other side of the international date line).

[Schrodinger's Cat]

Originally Posted by Roosta

Re: post #4 this thread.
How on earth did you know that nothing happened for five days when the date of posting is only four days after the event?

Well, I won't trouble you all with quantum mechanics, etc. other than to say that every worm must have his hole. What was the original post? Oh, yeah. Needless to say, I followed the news of the earthquake and resulting Tsunami's with great interest from the moment I heard the news soon after these events to now. The first nations to come forward with offers of aid did not include the US. Australia, Japan, and even China, were getting news footage about their efforts to send disaster relief before I noticed the US even mentioned.

I will be interested to see the ratio of pledged relief versus ACTUAL relief monies and supplies sent. The jury is still out re the US and Bush, as far as I'm concerned.

[Undertoad]

OMG roosta, you've broken the code. Honesty tw? Your mind seems to latch onto facts and not let go even in the face of other, contradictory facts.