# US Troops in Iraq Asked to Pray for GWB **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468 "2003-03-31T16:15:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/1 "2003-03-31T16:15:12Z")
See the following link: [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s819685.htm](http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s819685.htm) Does this smell right to you? Why on earth are our soldiers being urged to pray for President Bush? Shouldn’t President Bush be urged to pray for our soldiers? This reminds me of Bush’s comment at his “press conference” that he took strength in knowing that 1,000s of people that he never met prayed for him every night. I didn’t realize that there was an organized effort to encourage such prayer. And how much pressure is being placed on our troops to mail in those little cards acknowleging that they have prayed for the President? The more I think about this, the more it bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/2 "2003-03-31T16:22:45Z")
It’s a pamphlet “produced by a group called In Touch Ministries”. I doubt it has any official status. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/3 "2003-03-31T17:05:02Z")
I’ll bet the troops in Iraq are already praying that Rumsfeld learns war strategy, and quick. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/4 "2003-03-31T17:05:04Z")
Is there a prayer gap? If so, we can’t let the Iraqis out pray the good ol’ US of A. They may have a strategic prayer advantage, what with the whole Muslim prayer regimen. We’ll have to do better, God willing. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/5 "2003-03-31T18:33:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Sunday’s is “Pray that the President and his advisers will seek God and his wisdom daily and not rely on their own understanding”. That’s sort of like a mime replacing a nonexistent window, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/6 "2003-03-31T18:54:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beagle \* > \*\*Is there a prayer gap? If so, we can’t let the Iraqis out pray the good ol’ US of A. They may have a strategic prayer advantage, what with the whole Muslim prayer regimen. We’ll have to do better, God willing. Amen. \*\* Yeah, but our God is better than theirs, so our prayers count double.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/7 "2003-03-31T19:15:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frostillicus \* > \*\*See the following link: > > [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s819685.htm](http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s819685.htm) > Does this smell right to you? Why on earth are our soldiers being urged to pray for President Bush? > \*\* Perhaps because he is Commander-in-Chief, and President. And we are at war. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frostillicus \* > \*\* Shouldn’t President Bush be urged to pray for our soldiers? > \*\* Why are these mutually exclusive? In the Christian faith, we are commanded to pray for one another, so I expect that Bush is praying for the military, and they for him. And me for both. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frostillicus \* > \*\* > This reminds me of Bush’s comment at his “press conference” that he took strength in knowing that 1,000s of people that he never met prayed for him every night. I didn’t realize that there was an organized effort to encourage such prayer. > \*\* Yes, there is, and it has been going on for several thousand years. 1 Timothy 2:1-3. I have been praying for the President and other leaders daily for years. Yes, the previous one too. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frostillicus \* > \*\* > And how much pressure is being placed on our troops to mail in those little cards acknowleging that they have prayed for the President? > \*\* As far as I can tell, none at all - it is purely voluntary. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frostillicus \* > \*\* > The more I think about this, the more it bothers me. \*\* I am honestly unsure as to what you find objectionable about this. Are you saying no one should be allowed to persuade others to pray for the President? Or is it the specific requests being made ("that the President and his advisers will seek God and his wisdom daily " or “that the President and his advisers will be strong and courageous to do what is right”) to which you object? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/8 "2003-03-31T19:22:08Z")
C’mon, this is ridiculous. So what if a Christian ministry is handing out little pamphlets urging soldiers to pray for the president? Where is the harm in asking people to pray? In a wartime situation, don;t you think that soldiers who are already inclined to be relgious couod use a boost in their faith? I have no use for prayer myself, but if it makes other people happy, more power to them. It isn’t as if we have a state-sponsored church mandating prayers for the Commnader-in Chief. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/9 "2003-03-31T19:27:51Z")
Dear God, I hope you are doing well. Please bless Mommy and Daddy and Timmy and my dog Sparky. Also, please bless President Bush and help him think of the best way to recklessly destabilize a region and send people off to die and kill as Jesus taught us. Amen. P.S. - I would like a pony. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/10 "2003-03-31T19:29:45Z")
The reason why this bothers me is that I always thought that prayer was a private act between you and your God. The idea that other people should be telling me to pray and telling me WHAT to pray, is offensive to me. Also, the idea that soldiers should then send a card to Dubya notifying him that they were praying for him seems to violate the basic idea that prayer is a private, not a public act. I guess this wouldn’t bother you if a Muslim group was giving our soldiers cards urging them to pray to Allah. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/11 "2003-03-31T19:39:43Z")
> [@](#): > > I guess this wouldn’t bother you if a Muslim group was giving our soldiers cards urging them to pray to Allah. Nope. Allah is the God of the Bible, Allah being the Arabic word for “god.” Do you imagine that Spanish-speaking Christians pray to a different god because he is called _Dios_ or that Jews pray to a strange god because he is referred to as _Adonai_ or _Ha-Shem_? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/12 "2003-03-31T20:50:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hawthorne \* > \*\*It’s a pamphlet “produced by a group called In Touch Ministries”. I doubt it has any official status. \*\* The distribution channel is key. So long as it was distributed in the same manner as any other private contributions to the well-being of our troops, I’ve got no problem with its being there, even if I don’t happen to like what it says, which is a pretty safe bet. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/13 "2003-03-31T20:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Monday’s reads “Pray that the President and his advisers will be strong and courageous to do what is right regardless of critics”. I like the slanted language. It doesn’t quite come right out and say, “the President and his advisers have a far better idea of what is right than his critics do,” but it’s one smack-in-the-face of a subtext. **Sofa King** , I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read your comment. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/14 "2003-03-31T21:21:02Z")
I hear that Tuesday’s is, “pray for a repeat of that Sodom and Gomorrah thing.” ---
**Author:** ![Verminous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Verminous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Verminous)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/15 "2003-03-31T21:31:23Z")
It’s not like Bush’s life is on the line here. What, are they supposed to pray for George’s political career’s health? ---
**Author:** ![2Thick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a88e57/32.png) [@2Thick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Thick)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/16 "2003-04-01T06:04:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Nope. Allah is the God of the Bible, Allah being the Arabic word for “god.” Do you imagine that Spanish-speaking Christians pray to a different god because he is called _Dios_ or that Jews pray to a strange god because he is referred to as _Adonai_ or _Ha-Shem_? \*\* LOL, that is the idiot quote of the day. You should become a politician. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/17 "2003-04-01T14:52:36Z")
God, Bush is our president. Please help us. 🙂 ---
**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:** [April 1, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/18 "2003-04-01T15:24:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 2Thick \* > \*\*LOL, that is the idiot quote of the day. > > You should become a politician. \*\* What was “idiotic” about what **gobear** said? ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-troops-in-iraq-asked-to-pray-for-gwb/165468/19 "2003-04-01T15:45:04Z")
**2Thick** , I see you are trying to live up to your screen moniker. If you bother to read the Qu’ran, you would see that Muslims believe that the revelation to Mohammed is the completion of the revelations given to Abraham and Moses. Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet, but that he was not God because God is indivisible and unknowable. Regardless of Allah’s origin among the Arabian pre-Islamic religion, the fact is that Muslims identify Allah as their name for the god who spoke to the prophets of the Bible. Remember that Yahweh got his start as a Hebrew thunder god before they caught monotheism. Since this is GD, have a [cite](http://www.muslim-answers.org/a-bible.htm) with your plate of crow and humble pie. > [@](#): > > The images below, with the exception of the first image, were taken directly from a translation of The Holy Bible in Arabic. Referred to in Arabic as “al-Kitaab al-Muqadis” (i.e. The Holy Book), this is the scripture which is used by Arabic-speaking Christians (of which there are still about 15 to 20 million in the Middle East). So that those unfamiliar with Arabic script have something to compare these images with, the first image below is a verse from the Qur’an - which is the Muslim scripture. In the images, the Arabic word “Allah” is underlined in red so that it can be easily identified. Upon comparing the images, one should be able to clearly see that the word “Allah” appears in both the Qur’anic verses and Bible verses. Indeed, the word “Allah” appears throughout Arabic translations of the Bible, since it is simply the Arabic name for Almighty God.