For quite awhile I thought that Bush just pretended to be religious to gather electoral support from the Christian right so he could be elected and advance his "real" agenda, which I believed was Corporatist.
Now, after much research, I believe the opposite is true. I think Bush's heart is really in the Christian Reconstructionist/Dominionist agenda. I came to this conclusion because of the tremendous amount of energy and attention to detail in the Bush Administrations policies and the way they are helping to entrench the Christian right.
From things like making sure a book on creationism is at the bookstore at the Grand Canyon (against the objections of the geologists in the Park Service) to targeting and defunding scientific research at NIH that has to do with AIDS that is not anti-gay abstinence oriented to aggressive audits of organizations that have agendas opposing the Christian agenda, all this evidence of massive activity seems like too much to attribute to mere "electoral base building".
I am convinced that Bush really does want to institute a Christian Theocracy. The version of Christianity endorsed by this movement, called Dominionism or Christian Reconstructionism, includes the belief that wealth is a sign of God's blessing and that poverty is a punishment for an immoral undisciplined lifestyle. It includes a moral justification for unrestrained capitalism, destruction of the social safety net, and military aggression.
Until this agenda and the social movement behind it is acknowledged and understood, I don't think progressives stand a chance of any future success, either electoral or on issue based reforms.
With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House
by Esther Kaplan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156...0990485-5823341
Full Version: The Religious Agenda is Bush's True Mission
The problem I have with believing Bush is truly religious is that he doesn't follow the scriptures he professes to believe in. He only uses it if it suits his personal gains. For example, in 2000 he wooed gays for votes, promised to help them etc., had the Log Cabin Republicans (a gay organization) to the White House afterwards for a dinner. Laura Bush last election stated she was pro-choice as they tried for those supporters of pro-choice votes. There are literally hundreds of examples of how he isn't following the Bible scriptures he claims to believe in, and in fact, he acts like he has little knowledge of it when he is questioned.
I think he is a hypocrit myself, plus a huge flip-flopper. He only wants power and control IMO. He is a VERY controlling man.
His actions are at odds with his statements.
I think he is a hypocrit myself, plus a huge flip-flopper. He only wants power and control IMO. He is a VERY controlling man.
His actions are at odds with his statements.
QUOTE(nolson @ Nov 18 2004, 04:54 PM)
For quite awhile I thought that Bush just pretended to be religious to gather electoral support from the Christian right so he could be elected and advance his "real" agenda, which I believed was Corporatist.
Now, after much research, I believe the opposite is true. I think Bush's heart is really in the Christian Reconstructionist/Dominionist agenda. I came to this conclusion because of the tremendous amount of energy and attention to detail in the Bush Administrations policies and the way they are helping to entrench the Christian right.
From things like making sure a book on creationism is at the bookstore at the Grand Canyon (against the objections of the geologists in the Park Service) to targeting and defunding scientific research at NIH that has to do with AIDS that is not anti-gay abstinence oriented to aggressive audits of organizations that have agendas opposing the Christian agenda, all this evidence of massive activity seems like too much to attribute to mere "electoral base building".
I am convinced that Bush really does want to institute a Christian Theocracy. The version of Christianity endorsed by this movement, called Dominionism or Christian Reconstructionism, includes the belief that wealth is a sign of God's blessing and that poverty is a punishment for an immoral undisciplined lifestyle. It includes a moral justification for unrestrained capitalism, destruction of the social safety net, and military aggression.
Until this agenda and the social movement behind it is acknowledged and understood, I don't think progressives stand a chance of any future success, either electoral or on issue based reforms.
With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House
by Esther Kaplan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156...0990485-5823341
Now, after much research, I believe the opposite is true. I think Bush's heart is really in the Christian Reconstructionist/Dominionist agenda. I came to this conclusion because of the tremendous amount of energy and attention to detail in the Bush Administrations policies and the way they are helping to entrench the Christian right.
From things like making sure a book on creationism is at the bookstore at the Grand Canyon (against the objections of the geologists in the Park Service) to targeting and defunding scientific research at NIH that has to do with AIDS that is not anti-gay abstinence oriented to aggressive audits of organizations that have agendas opposing the Christian agenda, all this evidence of massive activity seems like too much to attribute to mere "electoral base building".
I am convinced that Bush really does want to institute a Christian Theocracy. The version of Christianity endorsed by this movement, called Dominionism or Christian Reconstructionism, includes the belief that wealth is a sign of God's blessing and that poverty is a punishment for an immoral undisciplined lifestyle. It includes a moral justification for unrestrained capitalism, destruction of the social safety net, and military aggression.
Until this agenda and the social movement behind it is acknowledged and understood, I don't think progressives stand a chance of any future success, either electoral or on issue based reforms.
With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House
by Esther Kaplan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156...0990485-5823341
QUOTE(Mesmerize @ Nov 18 2004, 06:02 PM)
The problem I have with believing Bush is truly religious is that he doesn't follow the scriptures he professes to believe in. He only uses it if it suits his personal gains. For example, in 2000 he wooed gays for votes, promised to help them etc., had the Log Cabin Republicans (a gay organization) to the White House afterwards for a dinner. Laura Bush last election stated she was pro-choice as they tried for those supporters of pro-choice votes. There are literally hundreds of examples of how he isn't following the Bible scriptures he claims to believe in, and in fact, he acts like he has little knowledge of it when he is questioned.
I think he is a hypocrit myself, plus a huge flip-flopper. He only wants power and control IMO. He is a VERY controlling man.
His actions are at odds with his statements.
I think he is a hypocrit myself, plus a huge flip-flopper. He only wants power and control IMO. He is a VERY controlling man.
His actions are at odds with his statements.
If you look closely, as Ester Kaplan does in her book, you will see that his flip-flops and pandering are to moderates - his actually implementation of policy is for the radical Christian Theocratic agenda.
Any evidence of apparent hypocrisy is either campaign pandering or is only apparently in contradiction to Christianity. His understanding of Christianity (the Dominionist Movement) is NOT the same understanding of many moderate Christians
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