…or for that matter, any God-fearing president?
I for one certainly don’t want an omnipotent being mad at my elected officials. I understand some difficult logistics to overcome, but if the President can’t go to church, doesn’t that mean the terrorists won?
I think he does. I’ve heard a couple of reports over the years mentioning the Bushes being at Sundays services. What sect he belongs to, I don’t know.
He’s a Methodist, but I’m pretty sure he usually goes to St. John’s Church, which is an Episcopal church near the White House. He’s also gone to Lincoln Park United Methodist, and, for the past three years, has gone to Easter services with the soldiers at Ft. Hood, Texas.
Why does he tote a Bible? Do they have Scripture readings and he takes it to follow along? Just curious because in Catholic churches all the readings are in the Missalette and there’s no need to bring a Bible to mass.
Perhaps it’s a family bible or one with some other sentimental value.
Or it makes for excellent photo ops.
I don’t believe he does attend church on Sundays, not regularly.
I don’t think it’s logistics. It’s personal preference. Some people don’t tie religious faith with church attendance and by all appareances Bush is one of them.
I know churchgoers who bring their own Bibles, even though there are Bibles available in the pews. Usually they’ve spent years marking and notating their copies so they can refer to other sections during the readings.
I can’t remember where I heard this but it wasn’t some blog.
No, he doesn’t regularly attend service (this may have changed since I read that, probably a year ago, though I doubt it). Not that I really care that much if my President does, but I do find it a bit odd that such a religiously centered politician wouldn’t attend. Yes, many people do believe (even myself) that religion is not necessarily practiced in the walls of a church, but based upon the traditional ideas he backs and the fact that he’s a role model for so many (and the fact he’s President, going to church couldn’t be bad PR) I just think he’s not that religious and puts it on for show/votes.
Though I may be wrong, he just may believe strongly that church is not always the best place for religious practice, even I believe that. It’s just that if I were President I wouldn’t be attending church either, but I also wouldn’t be preaching from office.
And its not logistics… Look at Carter.
I have a friend who attends St. John’s Episcopal. She says “many” presidents have worshipped there over the years, because it is close to the White House and they know the drill. The problem isn’t so much logistics for the President as inconvenience for the other worshippers. She says when Eisenhower used to come (when she was a kid), it wasn’t that big a deal. There were Secret Service agents around, and everyone pretended not to stare at him. As time went on the security checks got worse, and she said that post 9/11 they do everything short of patting down the other attendees.
Because of that, some presidents have preferred chapel services at the White House. I’m not a big fan of President Bush, but I can understand that he might not want to put the rest of the congregation through that every week.
clayton, you may be thinking of a New Republic article about presidential chuch attendance (primarily focused on Bush). The author had attended the Methodist church that the Clintons attended, and didn’t think the extra security was that big a deal.
Jimmy Carter wins the prize, I think, among modern presidents who attended church. He not only attended First Baptist regularly, he taught Sunday School there.
Bush became “born again” in a sect that emphasized intense, group Bible readings. They met as a “men’s group,” not, IIRC, in a church. This would explain why he carries his own Bible, and why strict, regular attendance might not be required.
Not that is in any way related to the OP, but the last British PM to be a church-goer was John Major. Nobody made a big deal of it. I suppose he went to the same church before he moved into Number Ten as after, and the same one now.
Oh, and I’m biased, just in case anyone didn’t catch on to that 
I’m not sure if that article was where I heard about it, I can’t seem to find it on their website.
It is a minor thing, certainly not nearly as important as many other beliefs and practices of Bush that have a real and immediete effect, but is at least somewhat important due to its potential to show propagandist/PR techniques.
possible propagandist/PR techniques.
Sorry, I should have provided a link. I was reluctant because the columnist isn’t exactly neutral about the topic. And not really factual, either (no word on how often he does or doesn’t attend, really).