# If Bush were on a "Mission from God", does it matter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 6, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104 "2005-10-06T21:51:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/101 "2005-10-10T03:18:48Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > My problem with this “God told me so” bullshit is that it can be used to justify almost any seemingly irrational action. God told me to: > > - cut taxes on the rich > - take a five week vacation at my “ranch” > - start drinking again > - ignore all evidence of global warming > - go on **Extreme Makeover** > See how easy it makes all your decisions? Do you have any evidence for your allegation that President Bush has started drinking again? If so, please share. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/102 "2005-10-10T04:34:56Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Do you have any evidence for your allegation that President Bush has started drinking again? If so, please share. No such allegation was made. **Frostillicus** was obviously speaking hypothetically and rhetorically. Do you think he was really alleging that Bush had gone on _Extreme Makeover_ as well? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/103 "2005-10-10T05:44:40Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > No such allegation was made. **Frostillicus** was obviously speaking hypothetically and rhetorically. Do you think he was really alleging that Bush had gone on _Extreme Makeover_ as well? He’s probably referring to the whole Laura Bush on _Extreme Makeover_ thing. I have also been hearing speculation about him starting drinking again ( assuming he ever stopped ) for a long time; all the way back to the “I choked on a pretzel” incident. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/104 "2005-10-10T05:52:43Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > He’s probably referring to the whole Laura Bush on _Extreme Makeover_ thing. I have also been hearing speculation about him starting drinking again ( assuming he ever stopped ) for a long time; all the way back to the “I choked on a pretzel” incident. There have been some recent tablod stories alleging that Bush has started drinking again. It wouldn’t surprise me. There would hardly be anything remarkable about an untreated alcoholic falling off the wagon. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/105 "2005-10-10T06:57:25Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > There have been some recent tablod stories alleging that Bush has started drinking again. It wouldn’t surprise me. There would hardly be anything remarkable about an untreated alcoholic falling off the wagon. True. Even a national leader. IIRC, Winston Churchill drank like a tequila worm throughout his term as Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/106 "2005-10-10T13:31:36Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > “Atheism” can be argued as not being a monolithic belief system. Which I will agree with you. > > However, there is much dogma involved in the arguments. When you disagree with me by saying there is no dogma, you are being kind of disingenuous. Because there is oftentimes quite a bit of dogma levelled in the atheist debate from the atheist side. This however, does not mean ALL atheists are dogmatic. > > \ > > So, while you can claim that “Atheism” isn’t a monolithic code of faith, and you would certainly be correct in saying that. It would simply be a lie to try and convince someone that dogma does not oftentimes frame the atheist side of this debate. So, you are making the claim that while atheists can make sense, the majority of the time, they don’t. I will require a cite on this. One single hand-staber on’t do it. When come back (with a non-strawman), bring pie. > [@](#): > > A final dogma that is the stickiest one is the idea that faith/mysticism/mythology/religion are antonyms of the word science, they are not, they don’t attempt to perform the same job, there is nothing contained within them that is necessarily in opposition to science. This particular dogma comes from a political division between “science” and the catholic church. The Catholic Church found the methods of the burgeoning “scientists” to be less than savory, for instance the cutting up of cadavers for study. This allows a monolithic imperial religious regime to frame the debate even 500 years later. The dogma in this case is inherited from the side that the atheists are claiming to be in opposition to. SOnds liek a good reason to me. I think you need to have your reasoning examined. Actual oposition=a clash between two groups. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/107 "2005-10-10T13:35:53Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > There have been some recent tablod stories alleging that Bush has started drinking again. It wouldn’t surprise me. Same here. Btw, [here](http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/63426) is one of the articles in question. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/108 "2005-10-11T01:44:14Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Same here. > > Btw, [here](http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/63426) is one of the articles in question. This a whoosh, right? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/109 "2005-10-11T02:06:40Z")
Let me see. Bush has been known to drink in the past. There is a rumor going around that he has stated again. The rumor, while quite probable, is beaing spread by means of celebrity tabloids. Thus, I thought it would be helpful to link to one source of the rumors. \ Yes, I am who-_crash-thud_ Wait, stop the presses, hold the bitterness, and turn off the \ Perhaps I am simply misunderstanding what your reasoning, **Updike**. Please, tell me, why do you think this might be a whoosh? ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/110 "2005-10-11T02:34:05Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Wait, stop the presses, hold the bitterness, and turn off the \ Perhaps I am simply misunderstanding what your reasoning, **Updike**. Please, tell me, why do you think this might be a whoosh? Perhaps because I didn’t think anyone would, in any seriousness, use the National Enquirer as a citation. Guess I was wrong. Hey, at least you’re one step up from the poster in a different thread who claimed Bush “still does cocaine”, with no other reason than because she thinks it’s true. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/111 "2005-10-11T02:45:12Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Perhaps because I didn’t think anyone would, in any seriousness, use the National Enquirer as a citation. Guess I was wrong. No, you were right about that, it’s just your reading comprehension that’s off. I was in no way using the article as a cite, nor was I claiming that Bush has been drinking again. Instead, I was simply linking to what people were talking about, so that people who have not read it can see the article in question. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/112 "2005-10-11T03:01:11Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Perhaps because I didn’t think anyone would, in any seriousness, use the National Enquirer as a citation. Guess I was wrong. > > Hey, at least you’re one step up from the poster in a different thread who claimed Bush “still does cocaine”, with no other reason than because she thinks it’s true. :rolleyes: Dude, it wasn’t linked to as a cite that Bush is drinking again. It was just linked to as an example of a tabloid that was _reporting_ that Bush was drinking again. Not a single person in this thread has either alleged that Bush is drinking again or tried to use a tabloid to prove it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/113 "2005-10-11T15:55:17Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Not a single person in this thread has either alleged that Bush is drinking again or tried to use a tabloid to prove it. It wouldn’t surprise me if you had. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/114 "2005-10-11T20:17:26Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Perhaps because I didn’t think anyone would, in any seriousness, use the National Enquirer as a citation. Guess I was wrong. > > Hey, at least you’re one step up from the poster in a different thread who claimed Bush “still does cocaine”, with no other reason than because she thinks it’s true. :rolleyes: Heh, I don’t know the truth one way or the other, and I could really give a flying f\*\*\* whether or not Bush is drinking. He’s failing at being president whatever side behavior he has. However, I often heard that the National Enquirer is oftentimes quite factually sound. That it’s not their facts that are in question, but their methods. THey use really shady paparazzi style methods to get their scoops. I find it funny in a time where everyone is questioning the integrity of media as a whole, that someone would still hold to questioning the integrity of the National Enquirer. How is it that the New York Times that posts articles about how certain areas of New York are in a real estate slump because 2 bedrooms are selling for 1.5million as opposed to 2.5 million down the way, or says that one needs to make at least $ 500k a year to live in New York comfortably is in any way more respectable than the National Enquirer? Erek ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104/115 "2005-10-11T22:29:01Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It wouldn’t surprise me if you had… EXCLUSIVE: Richard “Big Dick” Cheney to sell Halliburton stock to purchase Ashton Kutchner’s heart! “Two Viagras and a high hard one, with this piece of crap ticker, and I’m headed straight for the dirt nap! Whats the point of relentless greed and the voracious pursuit of power if you can’t even catch a little nookie without having a near-death experience…” said the satyric statesman, while chopping a line for the C in C… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bush-were-on-a-mission-from-god-does-it-matter/325104.md?page=5)