Unfamiliar with Bush's Bible
by Warren Hynson
Technician (North Carolina State University) 11-17-2005
It was Gandhi who once said, "He who says that religion and politics don't mix understands neither one." Our "Leader of the Free World," President George W. Bush, is a deeply committed Christian. I am not writing about his personal relationship with Christ -- that is only between him and God. He has discussed his faith publicly, many times, and has more often than not included passages from Scripture and hymns in his numerous speeches and addresses. Bush has been labeled by many as the most openly religious president in many generations, if not ever.
As I said earlier, I am not questioning our president's faith, only the role it seems to play in our nation's foreign and domestic policy. The book of James says, "faith without deeds is useless," and also that "a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." So I am only left to wonder where in the Word of God does our faithful president find evidence that supports some of our nation's public policies? Certainly not in any Bible that I have ever read. In fact, not only would Scripture not justify some of our government's plans, it would actually call us to correct them. Just last week in the House of Representatives, a bill was proposed to modify its budget. This included cuts of $9.5 billion in Medicare, $8 billion in foster care and aid to the disabled and finally $844 million in the Food Stamps Program. Thus an estimated 300,000 people will no longer be receiving any help to put food on the table and 40,000 underprivileged children will be cut from reduced-price school lunches.
I am confident there is nothing in the Bible that justifies such policies. Especially when Jesus says, "As you've done to the least of these, you have done to me," and that is not to mention the other 2,000 verses referencing the poor in the Bible. Bush has admitted he doesn't know much about the poor. He has been quoted as saying, "I don't understand poor people. I don't live and never have lived around poor people. I don't know [how] poor people think. Frankly, I'm a white Republican guy who just doesn't get it. But I'd like to. How do I get it? How do I understand?" Well, if you really want to know, get to know the poor, because to Jesus, they are the ones who are blessed and to whom the Kingdom of God belongs.
On Ellis Island, on the first anniversary of Sept. 11, Bush talked about how America stands as a beacon of light to the world, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. That is found in the Gospel of John. But the light mentioned there is quite different from the light that the president was speaking of. It is the word of God and the light of Christ, not the flare of American freedom. So now Scripture is being altered and choreographed into what will best accommodate Bush's plans and policies for the people of America. Jim Wallis, founder and editor of Sojourners, says, "It confuses American civil religion and biblical faith. It confuses God's purposes with the best interests for American foreign policy." As a Christian, I abhor the idea of God's word being used as a safety blanket to assure the people of America that God would want us to do this or that.
Walter Slayer, a reporter from The Dallas Morning News, has closely followed Bush's political career and talked privately with him about his faith. He notes that Bush has privately admitted that clearly, he is a person chosen by God at this particular point in time to represent the interests, not only of a nation, but the guidance of God at a troubled time in the country. If Bush wishes to think he has been divinely called to lead this nation, fine; he can think whatever he wants. But I believe God did not call him to take advantage of the poor or put him in the pulpit of our National Cathedral to call the nation to arms with his war propaganda that claimed our "divine mission to rid the world of evil." Without the president's reminder, I almost forgot God was American. Not only does that constitute dangerous policy but more importantly dangerous theology -- something a man of sincere faith should be greatly concerned with.
© 2005 NCSU SMA
