# Bush thinks only Christians should be president **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 12, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460 "2005-01-12T23:21:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/1 "2005-01-12T23:21:40Z")
The latest bit of [oblivious bigotry](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3485-2005Jan12.html) from the Commander in Chimp. > [@](#): > > President Bush told the Washington Times yesterday he doesn’t “see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord.” > > “I fully understand that the job of the president is and must always be protecting the great right of people to worship or not worship as they see fit,” Bush said. > "That’s what distinguishes us from the Taliban. The greatest freedom we have or one of the greatest freedoms is the right to worship the way you see fit. > > “On the other hand, I don’t see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord.” It’s easy, dude. George Washington did it. Thomas Jefferson did it. Abraham Lincoln did it. None of those guys had much relationship with Jesus. Jefferson and Lincoln both specifically rejected Christianity, and guess what…ALL those guys were WAAAAAY better presidents than you. Oh…and any time you want to start protecting all those religious rights of others will be just fine with me. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/2 "2005-01-12T23:33:14Z")
That’s not the part that bothers me. > [@](#): > > “I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you’re not equally as patriotic if you’re not a religious person,” Bush said. “I’ve never said that. I’ve never acted like that. \*\*I think that’s just the way it is.” \*\* (emphasis fearfully added) _That’s_ the part that bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/3 "2005-01-12T23:36:43Z")
What? Presidents aren’t supposed to be Christians? Then why are we living in a theocracy? What’s that… oh… never mind. ---
**Author:** ![laigle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@laigle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laigle)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/4 "2005-01-12T23:38:42Z")
Well, at least he hasn’t tried lumping us in with the terrorists and sending us off to the Gitmo death camp. Yet. Hmm, there’s a knock at the door… ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/5 "2005-01-12T23:40:04Z")
I disagree with Bush, and would leap at the chance to vote for a politician who would keep his faith personal. However, I hardly think this is “oblivious bigotry.” He didn’t categorically state, “You must believe in JAY-SUS to be POTUS!!!,” he qualified it with a “from my perspective,” and it seemed to be a respectfully offered personal opinion rather then any kind of official platform statement. On my list of things I don’t like about Bush, this ranks somewhere between the topic of **Reeder** pit thread #1.832e38 and **Reeder** pit thread #1.832e38. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/6 "2005-01-12T23:40:14Z")
It’ll be good practice, a warm up. Hell Lite. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/7 "2005-01-12T23:42:19Z")
Wait a second - your president thinks that religious people are more patriotic than non-religious people? So, you have to have a relationship with the Lord to be president. Which Lord is that - the Christian God, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Allah, Buddha, Zoroaster, or AmenRa? Does it matter which one, as long as you have a relationship with one of them? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/8 "2005-01-12T23:51:14Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Wait a second - your president thinks that religious people are more patriotic than non-religious people? Like father like son, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/9 "2005-01-12T23:53:53Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > I disagree with Bush, and would leap at the chance to vote for a politician who would keep his faith personal. When Rising Democratic Star ™ Barack Obama was running against certified lunatic Alan Keyes in Illinois’ bizarre senate election, Keyes said that Jesus wouldn’t vote for Obama. [I pitted this at the time.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=282354&) Obama’s response would have made me cheer, had I been present: “I’m not running to be the minister of Illinois. I’m running to be its United States senator.” Praise be. ---
**Author:** ![Vindi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ee59a6/32.png) [@Vindi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vindi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/10 "2005-01-12T23:54:47Z")
Sounds like an opinion, nothing more, nothing less. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/11 "2005-01-12T23:56:09Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > So, you have to have a relationship with the Lord to be president. Which Lord is that - the Christian God, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Allah, Buddha, Zoroaster, or AmenRa? Does it matter which one, as long as you have a relationship with one of them? You aint from around here, are ya boy? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/12 "2005-01-13T00:02:26Z")
Best not be around here much longer, niether. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/13 "2005-01-13T00:05:18Z")
> [@Vindi](#): > > Sounds like an opinion, nothing more, nothing less. A particularly stupid opinion. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/14 "2005-01-13T00:05:25Z")
> [@George W. Bush](#): > > I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you’re not equally as patriotic if you’re not a religious person. I’ve never said that. I’ve never acted like that. I think that’s just the way it is. Why does George W. Bush hate America? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/15 "2005-01-13T00:11:10Z")
Regarding the OP, can someone please point out to me where Bush said only Christians should be president? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/16 "2005-01-13T00:12:28Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Regarding the OP, can someone please point out to me where Bush said only Christians should be president? > [@Bush](#): > > On the other hand, I don’t see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord. Do you think he was talking about another the Lord? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/17 "2005-01-13T00:16:28Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Regarding the OP, can someone please point out to me where Bush said only Christians should be president? [QUOTE=GWB as quoted by the Washington Post] “On the other hand, I don’t see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord.” [/QUOTE=GWB as quoted by the Washington Post] In Christian Evangelical America, “the Lord” is commonly used in place of “_my_ Lord”. It’s rather like the subtle difference between “Jeffery is bring a friend to dinner” and “Jeffery is brining his friend to dinner”. The first might be anybody, the second is Jeffery’s SO. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/18 "2005-01-13T00:16:44Z")
He’s been in office four years, and people are still surprised to learn the President is a wild-eyed religious fanatic who thinks he was Chosen By God to lead a crusade against the (Christian- ) Godless heathens? What have you been washing your hair or painting your nails since 2000? ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/19 "2005-01-13T00:17:07Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Do you think he was talking about another the Lord? Perhaps [this](http://www.michaelflatley.com/) one? Pash ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460/20 "2005-01-13T00:17:42Z")
Now \*that’s \* an exmple of Crappy Coding. Can we have a mod in here for a cleanup? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-thinks-only-christians-should-be-president/284460.md?page=2)