Andrew decides to revisit his remarks regarding the President and faith that we discussed in detail yesterday, and given extra time to think (drink?), he gets it wrong again:
Did I over-react? It’s worth looking at the full quote as produced by the Washington Times:
“I fully understand that the job of the president is and must always be protecting the great right of people to worship or not worship as they see fit. That’s what distinguishes us from the Taliban. The greatest freedom we have or one of the greatest freedoms is the right to worship the way you see fit. On the other hand, I don’t see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord.”
Now notice that Bush is explicitly qualifying his defense of religious freedom (or the freedom to have no religion at all) by saying that the presidency, in his view, should nevertheless be reserved for people with a relationship of a personal nature with “the Lord.” He isn’t simply saying that he doesn’t see how he could have endured the presidency without faith; he is asserting that he cannot see how anyone could be president without a “relationship with the Lord.” Now I can see how this might be simply a slip of the tongue: just a projection of his own experience with nothing more to be inferred from it. But given how this administration has consciously eroded the distinction between church and state – fusing the two with federal funds, using religious groups as its political base, incorporating religious leaders into policy-making, and defending public policy decisions on purely religious grounds (calling civil marriage licenses “sacred,” for example) – this is worrying. To put it bluntly, on the separation of church and state, I don’t trust these guys.
The President stated three things in that remark:
1.) He has a very strong relationship with his Lord.
2.) He believes a chief responsibility of the President is to protect the right to worship freely
3.) He does not understand how someone can be president without a deep faith.
He did not, as the jackass Sullivan asserts:
1.) Explicitly qualify his defense of religious freedom. He made it clear that the role of the President is to defend all those who wish to worship, and in whatever manner. Just a blatant lie on your part, Sullivan.
2.) He did not make a slip of the tongue, he meant what he said- from his perspective, he does not understand how anyone could be President without having a similar deep faith. He did not say they couldn’t or shouldn’t be allowed to, he said “I don’t see how you can be president.” Words mean thing, you silly Brit.
It all boils down to this, the only honest thing Sullivan has stated in several weeks regarding the President and this administration:
To put it bluntly, on the separation of church and state, I don’t trust these guys.
Which is why you are willfully misinterpreting this quote. Goodness, you have fallen.
bg
I do thik Sullivan’s overreacting (which is why i stopped reading him over a year ago), but I don’t appreciate Bush’s remarks.
I interpret them as saying he doesn’t think you can be Pres. w/o faith. I disagree with that strongly, but most Americans think that and I can’t do much but not like it.
Joey
Have we reached the point where a president expressing his personal opinion about his own experiences in the White House is equivalent to endorsing an official state religion?
If we have, then I’m moving to Mexico.
HH
If I were to say “I don’t understand how you can be president without sleeping 8 hours a night,” it doesn’t mean that all people who sleep less than that should not be allowed as president. What Bush was saying is clear as a bell.
Sandi
-bq
Sullivan didn’t appreciate Bush’s remarks either, but didn’t say he didn’t have a right to say it. I am trying to understand where you dissagree with Sullivan with whom you say is over reacting.
???
bg
Sullivan said Bush said, “the presidency, in his view, should nevertheless be reserved for people with a relationship of a personal nature with “the Lord.””
But he didn’t. Bush said he doesn’t “see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord,”
Please keep in mind I’m not talking about anyone’s rights. I’m saying I strongly disagree with Bush.
slickvguy
Sullivan is SUCH a poor thinker. Why does anyone read the drivel that he writes. How can he possibly be one of the most popular bloggers?
Let’s face it, the novelty of him pretending to be conservative while at the same time being GAY, is has contributed greatly to his popularity. The token conservative faggot. How charming.
slickvguy
“should be reserved for”.
How in the world does Sullivan dream this up? There is NOTHING in Bush’s words to make one even suspect such a thing.
In Bush’s eyes, the job of POTUS is AWESOME, that he can’t imagine being able to perform it w/o a relationship with God or Jesus or…
Why is this such a big deal? I’m not religious int he leaast, and yet, I find it comforting that Bush is a man of faith. At least he BELIEVES in something (i.e. has principles), which is quite a contrast to the average greedy SOB politican that acts purely out of self-interest.
I like the fact that he thinks God will judge him – rather than thinking he is God himself. ;)
Al Maviva
Andy Sullivan is giving hysterical, incoherent gay dudes a bad name.
All Bush was saying is he doesn’t see how anybody could be president, and bear that burden, without having a strong personal faith to rely on.
If from that your draw the conclusion that he plans on starting the 30 years war… well, then you’d probably better put down the hookah, and back away slowly.
CadillaqJaq
Shifting to the lowest common denominator: I personally don’t see how any human with a brain can endure life without some faith in a power greater than themselves.
bg
You’re right, CJag, it’s rough. But so is life.
Kimmitt
Goodness, you have fallen.
Again, he’s the same guy. He’s just saying things you happen to disagree with now. Back when he was all over the left, his thinking was just as shoddy, I promise.