Bush, the Bible, His Beliefs and the Public Pulpit

[headscratcher4]

An interesting article from Today's Washington Post on Pres. Bush, his faith and the way it shapes his public pronouncements...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A16539-2003Feb2%20&notFound=true

[arcticpenguin]

I am wondering whether Bush and his writers deliberately restricted their Bible-thumping to the Old Testament, knowing that there was an Israeli on board.

(There was also an Indian-born atronaut on board, but I suspect W doesn't know the first thing about Hinduism)

[headscratcher4]

I suspect they rely on the old testament because while Jesus occasionally says harsh things, it is the old testament where the real fire from god destroying your enemies lies, IMO. He relates to the Old far better. I mean, you can quote all kinds of things from the Old Testament to justify going after Saddam, for example...lots of martial things...where as Jesus keeps introducing that turn the other cheek and forgiveness stuff...

I note that the New Testament didn't have much effect on Bush when applying the death penalty...retribution and revenge and active, vigorus punishment for sins and crimes of the Old Testament wins out over the love of good, forgiveness, compassion, etc. Just a thought...

[whitefork]

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" from the Bhagavad-Gita might have sounded a bit off-key given the circumstances.

[sir drinks-a-lot]

Anecdote about Kim Jong Il
Pyongyang, January 29 (KCNA) -- On June 5, Juche 91 (2002) Kim Jong Il visited the Komdok Mine and met workers of a mining work team. Among them were six heroes of labor and well-known miners. Conversing with them, he happened to know that they had worked hard to increase the ore production, eating and sleeping at their working face for days. He, afraid of their health, said they should not be allowed to sleep at the face.
That day he enjoyed with them a performance given by the traveling art instigation troupe of the mine.
After the performance, he told officials to invite them on his behalf to visit Pyongyang and have a vacation.
So, the miners enjoyed themselves in Pyongyang together with their families at a special invitation of the state leader.



Awwwwww.....he sounds like such a nice guy....

[headscratcher4]

Awwwwww.....he sounds like such a nice guy....

Yep, sort of a big, fuzzy teddy-bar of a totalitarian dictator/mass-murder. :)

[gmol]

Originally posted by whitefork
"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" from the Bhagavad-Gita might have sounded a bit off-key given the circumstances.

I feel guilty, but that was really funny.

To be fair though, that was not a perscriptive quote from the BG (not that there aren't a lot of crazy ones).

[whitefork]

Not really intended as a joke, but it is the only quote from the Gita that I know. (I bet it's one more than GWB does, though)

[headscratcher4]

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds"

As I recall, it was what Robert Oppenheimer was heard to say after witnessing the first A-Bomb test in New Mexico....

[arcticpenguin]

So W is a Bible-thumping moron - at least he hasn't boinked any willing young interns.

[whitefork]

Originally posted by headscratcher4


As I recall, it was what Robert Oppenheimer was heard to say after witnessing the first A-Bomb test in New Mexico....
Well, that's the only reason I know it.

[SpaceLord]

The complete passage from The Bhagavad Ghita is as follows.

"If the radiance of a thousand suns
Were to burst at once into the sky
That would be like the splendor of the Mighty one --
I am become Death,
The shatterer of Worlds."
-The Bhagavad Gita

Very interesting quote.

[gmol]

Originally posted by whitefork
Not really intended as a joke, but it is the only quote from the Gita that I know. (I bet it's one more than GWB does, though)

Irrespective of the current tragedy, just imagine tampering with GWB's cue-cards and getting him to say that at the opening of your average politcal speech....the mental picture was somehow very funny to me....

[whitefork]

Yeah, right up there with Reagan's "we have outlawed Russia" witticism.