via Eric
Interruptions – Kerry… not bad. Good Job, but yer no Jesus.
Kerry is still pretty dedicated to lethal violence as an acceptable option for solving problems, and like Bush, he puts “America’s interests” as too high a priority for me (or for Christians in general I’d hope). That being said, holy cow is he way more thoughtful about how he might go about using that force. Part of me wants to go vote for him just so America wouldn’t kill so many people, or have so many soldiers killed. Aside from that, I’m very on board with almost everything I’ve heard domestic policy wise. I’m going to enjoy watching the rest of the debates and see more.
All that being said… in the last debates (Bush vs. Gore) Bush said he didn’t like nation building or using force to make people do it “our way.” And seemed cautious about not leading the country so we are seen as the Ugly American. So I voted for that homeboy and he let me down.
Jesus rules.
GEORGE W BUSH IN NOT A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN!
There’s no account of him being baptized either in water or the Holy Spirit. The following is an account of his spiritual path:
1984 – Mark Leaverton (a founder of Midland’s Community Bible Study) … I think he probably came in 1984 to our Bible study that preceded Community Bible Study (CBS). He was the vice president’s son.
1984 – George W. Bush, the oilman I prayed with to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord on April 3, 1984 has gone on to become President of the United States of America. All glory to God. What to do Now! – Confess Christ Openly and Be Baptized. *THIS NEVER HAPPENED! – Arthur Blessit at:
http://www.blessitt.com/
1985 – From GWB: Reverend Graham planted a mustard seed in my soul, a seed that grew over the next year.
1985 – His heavy drinking was threatening his marriage so Bush began attending a community Bible study group in Midland. Before long, he was working on his father’s 1988 presidential campaign (where he was assigned to consult with leaders from the religious right) and turning an eye toward the governorship of Texas.
Don Poage (One of the group leaders in Midland’s Christian Bible Study): “… What I can talk about [is] .. I saw that transformative process beginning. Whether he was then quote, “saved” or not, or “born again” or not — he made a couple of comments in core group that would lead me to believe that he was.
1986 – At Bush’s 40th birthday party (July 6, 1986), with the wine flowing freely, he once again “couldn’t shut it off,” says Don Evans, Bush’s friend and campaign finance chairman. Karen Hughes, Bush’s spokeswomen said … He has said he gave up drinking the day after his 40th birthday.
CNN:Bush acknowledges 1976 DUI charge – November 2, 2000
Bush said, “I was able to share with some of the men and women here that I quit drinking in 1986 and haven’t had a drop since then.”
The Jesus Factor:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/interviews/wead.html
Doug Wead’s advise to GWB’s Dad in 1987 Presidential Race: “So, [in] my memorandum I was saying to him, “Look, Mr. Vice President, if you’re asked the question, “Are you a born-again Christian?” you can’t say no. You can say anything else, but you can’t say no.
US News Online, “George W. Bush: Running on His Faith”
GWB: “Would you call your experience born-again? I call it a renewal of faith. But I could say that. I would say that. But you’ve got to understand, a born-again experience connotes a moment. And I would say my experience was the planting of a seed, where something grew, grew quite rapidly. But I got back to Midland. I remember reading the Bible. The words in the Bible made–you know, the same words–I began to have a better understanding. And so I would call it a renewal, an acceptance of Christ.”
Interview with the Baptist Press, the national news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, August 31, 2000
GWB: “I would describe myself as a man who was raised a Christian, who sought redemption and found it in Jesus Christ. And that’s important [to admit the need for redemption] by the way, for someone running for public office. It’s a humbling experience to make that admission. I admit I’m a lowly sinner. It’s that admission that led me to redemption and led me to Christ. Without making that admission, I don’t think there’s such a thing as redemption.”
Town Meeting. Columbia, South Carolina, February 12, 2000
GWB: “Well, I appreciate that. As you know, during a debate, one of the debates in the public arena, I was asked about a philosopher who influenced my life. I didn’t spend much time thinking about an answer. It just came out, and I said it was Christ, and it was Christ. “What does that mean? Why?” he said. And I said, “Because he’s changed my heart.” And the man said, “Could you explain it further?” And basically what I said is it’s kind of hard to explain it in 30-second sound bytes. It’s hard to explain unless you have witnessed it yourself, and so it is hard to explain.”
Wead: “But with the son, it was just instant. In 1998, 1999, 2000, within five minutes of any meetings with evangelicals, within minutes, they instantly knew he’s a born-again Christian.”
Wead: “I remember him (GW) reviewing the memorandum on Texas, and he just lit up. He said, “Ah, you know, I could do this in Texas. I could make this work in Texas.” There was no secret he was talking about running for governor. But he’d see this, and said, “Whoa.” To me, it was like the missing piece for him. Now he had become an evangelical Christian himself. So he’s reading this strategy, and he’s thinking, “Whoa, this could certainly work for me.”
US News Online, “George W. Bush: Running on His Faith”
GWB on being an evangelical: “I’m not even sure what the characteristics of an evangelical are in common parlance. I think if someone prays– I pray. I do. I believe in the power of prayer. I can’t tell you how comforting it is to me to hear people say, “I pray for you.” And it happens a lot. It does. And I say, “Thank you.” I think an evangelical believes in the power of prayer.”
Wead: “We won the [election] in 1988 with the largest percentage of evangelical support ever in American history, more than Reagan got in 1984 when he had the landslide that carried every state in the nation but Minnesota — by far more than George W. Bush had in 2000.”
Wead: “I think it might’ve been 1997, before his re-election as governor — George W. Bush was going to meet with some evangelical leaders. I called him to warn him of this surprise question that they occasionally pop. I repeated the question, which is, “If you were to die and suddenly appear before the pearly gates, and Peter said, ‘Why should I let you in?’ what would your answer be?”
He cut me off. He interrupted me before I even finished the question, and said, “I know, I know, I know. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ and because of his death for my sins,” which is the argument evangelicals make — that no one can be good enough to go to heaven, that the death of Christ is a sacrifice for our sins and you accept it in faith. That’s the whole idea. So, no problem for him. I mean, he understood where evangelicals were coming from.”
Wead: “Well, my advice to George Bush Sr. was, “Signal early, signal often.” My advice to George W. Bush would be, “Signal early.” The reason George Bush Sr. needed to signal often was because he was not known as someone who had sympathies towards evangelicals, or even understood them. So he needed to drive that home. …”
GWB Signals toooo often to mention.
1999 – “Pastor Craig said that America is starved for honest leaders. He told the story of Moses, asked by God to lead his people to a land of milk and honey.” … “He was talking to you,” my mother later said. … “hearing this rousing sermon, to make most of every moment, during my inaugural church service, I gradually felt more comfortable with the prospect of a presidential campaign” Bush sees his presidency as willed by God.
GWB IS NO MOSES!
John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:1 – And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
1 John 2:4 – He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2 John 1:7 – For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
While President Bush continues to deny that his decision to go to war in Iraq was an egregious error, administration officials are revealing their true feelings for the war and conceding their mistakes. In a speech in Michigan yesterday, former CIA Director George Tenet admitted that the Iraq war was “wrong.” “I believed [Hussein] had weapons of mass destruction. He didn’t,” Tenet stated. President Bush’s mistakes and his administration’s manipulations include:
The rush to war in Iraq was not justified. The entire rationale for a rapid war in Iraq—the imminent threat of a major attack with weapons of mass destruction and the supposed Iraqi connection to 9/11—had no basis in reality. Beyond Tenet’s admission, a new investigation by the Senate Armed Services committee concludes that an “intelligence unit, run by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, shaded analytic judgments, ignored contrary evidence and sidestepped the CIA to present dubious findings to senior officials at the White House,” according to the L.A. Times. The Bush administration misled the American people and the world community.
Post-war security failures have left our troops in a chaotic environment. Top military officials and Paul Bremer, who served as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, have all stated that the administration did not supply enough troops and support to secure post-war Iraq. Consequently, our soldiers are caught-up in a rising insurgency, terrorists are pouring across the borders, and critical reconstruction efforts have been thwarted. Iraq is now a terrorist haven and training ground.
The wrong choices on Iraq have left the American people less secure and reduced our position as a trusted world leader. The ongoing strategic failures in Iraq have forced America down a dangerous path and left the U.S. taking 90 percent of the casualties and paying 90 percent of the cost. President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq – and refusal since to admit error – have left us isolated and less able to take the steps we need to take to protect our people.
While President Bush continues to deny that his decision to go to war in Iraq was an egregious error, administration officials are revealing their true feelings for the war and conceding their mistakes. In a speech in Michigan yesterday, former CIA Director George Tenet admitted that the Iraq war was “wrong.” “I believed [Hussein] had weapons of mass destruction. He didn’t,” Tenet stated. President Bush’s mistakes and his administration’s manipulations include:
The rush to war in Iraq was not justified. The entire rationale for a rapid war in Iraq—the imminent threat of a major attack with weapons of mass destruction and the supposed Iraqi connection to 9/11—had no basis in reality. Beyond Tenet’s admission, a new investigation by the Senate Armed Services committee concludes that an “intelligence unit, run by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, shaded analytic judgments, ignored contrary evidence and sidestepped the CIA to present dubious findings to senior officials at the White House,” according to the L.A. Times. The Bush administration misled the American people and the world community.
Post-war security failures have left our troops in a chaotic environment. Top military officials and Paul Bremer, who served as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, have all stated that the administration did not supply enough troops and support to secure post-war Iraq. Consequently, our soldiers are caught-up in a rising insurgency, terrorists are pouring across the borders, and critical reconstruction efforts have been thwarted. Iraq is now a terrorist haven and training ground.
The wrong choices on Iraq have left the American people less secure and reduced our position as a trusted world leader. The ongoing strategic failures in Iraq have forced America down a dangerous path and left the U.S. taking 90 percent of the casualties and paying 90 percent of the cost. President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq – and refusal since to admit error – have left us isolated and less able to take the steps we need to take to protect our people.
In your post you state, “There’s no account of him [GWB] being baptized either in water or the Holy Spirit.”
That may very well be true. GWB was reared as an Episcopalian and was most likely baptized as an infant as is the tradition in mainline Protestant churches. It is similar in my own Presbyterian tradition. Then at approximately the age of 12, one would be confirmed (accept Christ and become a full member of the church).
I don’t know what kind of spiritual awakening GWB had at age 40, but I believe it was more of a returning to the faith of his childhood as opposed to a “conversion” to Christianity. Once a person has been baptized (at which time the Holy Spirit in conferred) there is no need for a re-baptism.
I do want to go on record as saying that this is the first time I’ve ever defended President Bush, especially on a matter of faith. I am a Christian and a Democrat and certainly no fan of “W”.
I think however, that because most of what we hear about is the evangelical and/or fundamentalist movements in the US, that those like me who still are active members of mainline Protestant congregations need to speak up and make sure that our traditions are being recognized. I don’t think as many people are aware of the traditions of Christianity as they were 30 years ago; for heaven’s sake, churches don’t even resemble churches anymore and Christianity barely resembles itself either.
In your post you state, “There’s no account of him [GWB] being baptized either in water or the Holy Spirit.”
That may very well be true. GWB was reared as an Episcopalian and was most likely baptized as an infant as is the tradition in mainline Protestant churches. It is similar in my own Presbyterian tradition. Then at approximately the age of 12, one would be confirmed (accept Christ and become a full member of the church).
I don’t know what kind of spiritual awakening GWB had at age 40, but I believe it was more of a returning to the faith of his childhood as opposed to a “conversion” to Christianity. Once a person has been baptized (at which time the Holy Spirit in conferred) there is no need for a re-baptism.
I do want to go on record as saying that this is the first time I’ve ever defended President Bush, especially on a matter of faith. I am a Christian and a Democrat and certainly no fan of “W”.
I think however, that because most of what we hear about is the evangelical and/or fundamentalist movements in the US, that those like me who still are active members of mainline Protestant congregations need to speak up and make sure that our traditions are being recognized. I don’t think as many people are aware of the traditions of Christianity as they were 30 years ago; for heaven’s sake, churches don’t even resemble churches anymore and Christianity barely resembles itself either.