Did anyone switch off that terrible episode of Will & Grace last night to see Frontline’s terrifying, frustrating Bush: The Jesus Factor?
We all know he’s a Born-Again Christian, he’s been very open about that (though after the Bush Sr. debacle with Pats Buchanan and Robertson, Bush Jr. was advised to tone it down when not in “friendly territory”). But he’s an ex-alcoholic Born-Again Christian, and you can’t get much more obsessive than that.
The frustrating thing is, he won fair and square: 40% of Americans claim to be Evangelicals, and 70% of them vote. They’re well-organized, and the rest of us are lazy, and screwed. Problem is, now Bush is doing just what he pledged to do: institute a theocracy, fight gay rights, women’s rights, and fight a holy war against Islam (and the Muslim extremists played right into his hand). What I find terrifying is that this guy believes the Bible is inerrant and in the “end times,” and now he’s fighting the “evil doers” in the Mideast . . . I have the horrible feeling he’d be perfectly content to see the whole world blown up if it results in the Rapture.
I don’t want this to go into the Pit . . . But question: is there anything wrong with electing a self-professed religious fanatic if he’s open and above-board about it and his followers are simply so numerous and well-organized that he can’t lose?
Well, is there anything wrong? No. It’s what people want, it’s what they get.
On the other hand, it’s a sign we’ve passed R. A. Heinlein’s Crazy Years and have entered the age of Nerimiah Schudder, isn’t it? Don’t worry. Eventually, after the police state finishes building itself, we’ll have an organized uprising by the private militas and then we’ll have a libertarian paradise. Or possibly a communist one. Never could quite tell.
Ned Flanders? We should be so lucky. The guy may be strongly religious but he’s “got a good heart,” as dropmom would say. I’m not nearly so sure about our president and his advisors.
Well you did point out a major problem… “the rest are lazy, and screwed.” Until young americans start voting more (1/3 only vote) religious wackos will dominate the political scenario.
I do sometimes feel Bush invaded Babylon… and not Iraq.
And as a fundamentalist there’s no telling him that in Revelation “Babylon” meant Rome. Though if we’re invading southern Italy next time I’m joining up!
“Mario! More vino! Now, back to you, Francesca. I wish to be lost in your dark eyes forever.”
OH, please, stop playing disingenuous. That (can I call Bush an SOB?) . . . person . . . wants to enact a Constitutional amendment designed to enshirine into the backbone of our legal system the second-class status of gay people.
When Bible-beating wackos want to codify the law to suit their beliefs and strip away my rights, then the fearful are merely seeing clearly and are not “paranoid.”
Is there any evidence that Pres. Bush holds an “imminent End Times” theology? Not all us born-againers do. Even Pres. Reagan in his comments on the subject only wondered if we were in the Last Days, he never came down with any certainty on the subject. The Bush neo-con plan for democratizing the Middle East actually speaks to a much more hopeful view of the future- I would say more hopeful that the situation may warrant (I really wonder if present MidEastern Islamic culture can provide ground for democracy).
Being paranoid means suffering from irrational fears. It would be paranoid for us to believe that the president was an alien who baths in baby’s blood. It is not paranoid for the non-religious–and the reasonably religious–to worry about our president’s penchant for attributing his actions to God and His will. You can’t reason with someone who thinks God is working through him every step of the way. Someone like that–in his narrow little peabrain–can never be wrong or be persuaded to change his mind.
I want a prez who can articulate his decisions and policies rationally, without relying on the trusty “God is guiding my hand”. Not only does it take a leap of faith to believe that God guides people’s hands (as a Christian, I believe He does but I don’t expect others to) but it takes another leap to believe that God is guiding Bush’s hand. Why should the American people have to have so much faith in order to trust the administration? I want a prez who encourages us to think, not to believe and feel.
But Bush doesn’t do this. No, he makes the war on terrorism about “good vs. evil”, “freedom vs. oppression”. He constantly reminds of the hatred Al-Queda has for Americans, as if their hatred alone is reason enough to eliminate them. He makes anti-gay rights legislation about wholesome family values. He does not make his constiuents think. “Thinkers” were not impressed with his last press conference. “Believers” were.
But on the other hand, if the majority of voting Americans want a fundamentalist religious fanatic in office—then, according to the laws of our land, shouldn’t we have one?
Yes, as long as he doesn’t let his religious fanaticism spill over into the political workings of the country. The problem is, fanatics have a difficult time separating the two (I have no idea why…this is remedial stuff here!). But if we found one who could do it, I’m cool with it. Jimmy Carter actually did a pretty good job of separating the two.
It’s just symbolic (and fairly obvious symbolism, what with the seven hills reference and all) in Revelation. Elsewhere “Babylon” means “Babylon,” even when they misspell it.
But when it is in the interests of those who hold power activity not to encourage the democratic participation of mainstream rationalists (not so easy to manipulate or predict) then the situation is more likely to deteriorate further.
The American people are being given the modern equivalent of “bread and circuses” (tax cuts - mortgaging their future prosperity - and Foreign Wars with a demonised but diverse, and infinitely redefinable, enemy) and until the shit really hits the fan I do not see them waking up.
All I can see trouble ahead… but perhaps I’m just a different type of “Last Days” believer?
I and I don’t be likin’ Babylon wit’ all its corruptions and damnations, don’t you know? It be time to make Exodus, movement of Jah people. We know where we’re goin’, We know where we’re from. We’re leaving Babylon, We’re going to our Father land.
some born again acquaintances of mine like to tell me that satan is the great deceiver, and that he is boundless in his ability to convince people to do evil. they claim that the only salvation from this is to have a personal relationship with jesus.
what i wonder about is this: if satan is so good at being deceptive, how does someone know that their personal relationship is indeed with jesus, and not with satan wearing a jesus mask?
Sigh. Look, it’s one thing to bash Bush based on his religious views. However, when suggests says that “he’d be perfectly content to see the whole world blown up if it results in the Rapture,” then I daresay that one has stepped firmly into the realm of paranoia.
I can understand some of the objections to Bush, even if I don’t entirely agree with them. However, to suggest that he would gladly welcome worldwide destruction is to step far beyond the limits of rationality.
Seems to me the sort of folks who are naturally open and above-board are quite unlikely to be fanatics. And vice versa.
I’m with those who wonder if Bush is a good fundamentalist. I am, of course, in no position to know, but his religeous practice strikes me as a matter of convenience - goes to church to keep the wife quiet, says the right buzz words when speaking to certain groups, that sort of thing. So I don’t think we have to worry too much about Bush’s religious ideology driving his political ideology.
On the other hand, John “The Crisco Kid” Ashcroft scares the bejesus out of me. He takes his religeon seriously and actually seems to think his ideas and the Lord’s ideas are one and the same.
This is a democracy, and the idea is that the guy with the most votes wins, even if he wears a tinfoil Stetson. I mean, what can we do - appeal the election to the Supreme Court?
You conveniently left off the first part of my sentence: “I have the horrible feeling he’d be perfectly content to see the whole world blown up if it results in the Rapture.” It was not meant literally, it was meant as in “this guy totally creeps me out.”
Though, frankly, we’re as close to being blown up as we’ve been in quite a while . . .
