Jerry Falwell Dead

[Elok]

I just learned today that Oral Roberts actually claimed in 1987 that God would kill him if he didn't reach a fundraising goal. I'd heard that before, but always assumed it was exaggerated or taken out of context. But no, he actually claimed that his Lord was, in effect, holding him for ransom. Fundies...

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Not really. There hasn't even been that much religious rhetoric.

The embrionic stem cell research ban, abstainence-only sex education and attacks on gay marriage have been largely due to Bush's religion. He's mentioned many times he just believes they're wrong. He's mentioned many God many times in speeches. While it's too far to say he's removed the secular nature of the state, he's certainly pushed a Christian agenda. Whereas Saddam pushed a secular agenda. The difference between the two is quite stark in this. Saddam did not push a Muslim agenda in Iraq, and he removed much of the Islamic influence in government.

So to go back to the original point, Saddam's execution has not been a recruitment video for terrorists, since he wasn't particularly liked by fundamentalist Muslims.

[Drake Tungsten]

The embrionic stem cell research ban, abstainence-only sex education and attacks on gay marriage have been largely due to Bush's religion.

Or they were just smart politics...

[Kuciwalker]

"were" is correct.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Assuming that 'were' only applies to time spans over 40 years, yes.

[Rommel2D]

Originally posted by Drogue
The embrionic stem cell research ban, abstainence-only sex education and attacks on gay marriage have been largely due to Bush's religion. He's mentioned many times he just believes they're wrong. He's mentioned many God many times in speeches. While it's too far to say he's removed the secular nature of the state, he's certainly pushed a Christian agenda. Whereas Saddam pushed a secular agenda. The difference between the two is quite stark in this. Saddam did not push a Muslim agenda in Iraq, and he removed much of the Islamic influence in government.

Bush also said he thought it was wrong to go into another country and interfere with their politics. He's an ideological tumbleweed. Both Bush and Saddam were tiny men trapped in a huge game of power. They were playing whatever religious roles were dictated to them by the demands of their giga-leadership positions. They both sold out on any opportunity to maintain a spiritual identity long ago.

So to go back to the original point, Saddam's execution has not been a recruitment video for terrorists, since he wasn't particularly liked by fundamentalist Muslims.

When I read the original post by Cort Haus, I thought of Saddam's death in a more general sense (with the whole issue of 'evil'), which for all intents and purposes was when the Bush administration decided to invade. Removing the leader of a prominant example of pan-Arabism by the pseudochristians under embarrassing pretext has made Osama look like an authentic prophet and doesn't leave much space for moderates among the population of the Arab/Muslim world.

I didn't pay much attention to the idiocy of the actual execution and didn't realize that's what Last Conformist was referring to...

[Rommel2D]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
I don't think that most Christians associate Bush with Christianity. I know that none I know do, and my (conservative) church actually has messages which are against the current administration.

I can't comment on you or your church but the general opinion shift against the administration stems from a mob mentality incited by the lingering military conflicts, not a national resolution against his unChristian-like behavior (which took place well before 2004).

[Jon Miller]

I ddin't go to church much for a while before 2006

I expect that different churchs in my denomination fall all over the political spectrum, with the ones that lean republican having the same blindness towards the administration that all republicans have seemed to share in the last 6 years

JM