Bush's fundamentalism seen as a decisive, negative factor in his policies

[deminks]

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=00114

There is an alien influence, mostly unpublicized, running like an undercurrent beneath the Bush administration's Middle East policies. It may help explain George W. Bush's single-mindedness, his oblivious inability to face reality as his war in Iraq, his war against terror and his policies towards Arabs and Israeli have collapsed.

I say "alien," because I believe this to be the first time in modern American history that a president's religion, in this case his Christian fundamentalism, has become a decisive factor in his foreign and domestic policies. It’s a factor that has been under-reported, to say the least, and that begs for press attention.

(snip)

Finally, writing in the Australian "on-line e-journal of social and political debate," churchman and teacher Peter Sellick commented on a U.S. television documentary in 2004 that described the Christian fundamentalism of the president and the most ardent supporters of the war in Iraq. "In the president's mind, America stands for the good and the terrorists, or any associated with them, are evil. I do not quibble with labeling acts of terrorism evil...It is the assumption that the world can be divided between good and evil that disturbs me...This is a simplistic and dangerous view of the world that pits military might not only against the planners and perpetrators but against whole peoples...

(snip)

Armstrong concluded, "Fundamentalists do not want a humanely constructed peace; many, indeed, regard the UN as the abode of the Antichrist. The willingness of the U.S. to turn a blind eye to the suffering of innocent people in Lebanon will certainly fuel the rage of the extremists and lead to further acts of terror. We can only hope that it does not take us all the way to Armageddon."

[Erika]

1. W promoted that he is God's divinely appointed messenger

and the fundies ate it up. Would God condone the killing W has done? Would Jesus agree with W's cutbacks to social programs so the rich could get bigger tax cuts?

Why the fear abour Armageddon? Isn't that what Christians want?

Why is religion even a part of our policies?

[L0oniX]

2. All these people are fake christians

These people are the blind sheep that are spoken of in the bible. In the case of Bush, it is the blind leading the blind. I swear that Bush is the anti-christ and America is Babylon the Great.
:grr:

[Missy M]

3. Somehow I feel Bush is not really into his religion.....

as he claims. I don't really see him as religious at all. I think he is lacking in intelligence and is rather simple minded. Simple minded people see everything in black and white, or in his case the world divided between good and evil. He does not have the mental capacity to look at all sides and realize there is no simple answer in dealing with complex problems. He is simply lacking the intelligence needed when dealing with complex problems. It is just easier to claim it is his so called "faith in god" that guides him. He is a phony through and through.

[sadiesworld]

4. The idea that Bush is motivated by religious fundamentalism is laughable.

These stories are popping up with increasing frequency...oh no, it's not power, oil (prices) and cronyism...it's religion! My guess is that you have to be a fundamentalist at one end of the spectrum or the other to buy into this shit.