I've been watching at GW Bush's speech after the Columbia tragedy. A very surprising speech to my European ears. The first part was OK, but when he started quoting the Bible I could not believe my ears.

". In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.

May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America."

In Europe, no leader would even dare make such a speech. Have the USA becomen a religious state ? Or is it normal ? Do you think Clinton or Bush senior would have said something similar ? Please tell me !

Bush is very very religious and it showes in his speach.
I don't remember another pres speaking of God as deep and often as he does.

If he wants to be as religious as he is, fine. The word doesn't live by the laws of the same bible. Some don't live by a bible at all. I know of several people that don't believe in God and didn't like that speach.

I hope we don't become a religious state. I want to belive what I want, not as Bush does.

EGAWDS! And here I was thinking that his speech writers had been watching too much Star Trek.

Well, that's a common political maneuver here necessary due to a new election once per four years. There's a strong fundamentalist voting block that'll support whoever prays and uses the word "God" in their speeches the most. Even Clinton made plenty of public appearences at protestant churchs, and I'd be suprised if he is religious at all in his personal life.

But Little Bush exploits this block more than any other president I've seen. I would guess he makes his strongest appeal to Christian, elderly people.

Btw, it's interesting to hear a European perspective. Thanks for posting yours.

Remember that some presidential candidates used the religion card even more heavily than Bush has. Some of those candidates lost votes for being considered TOO religious. It's a fine line that political leaders in American walk, when mixing religion and politics. It's considered to show good moral characters when you model some religious behavior, but when a leader demonstrates too much, he/she's regarded as being too extremist.

Originally posted by Karankawa
Remember that some presidential candidates used the religion card even more heavily than Bush has. Some of those candidates lost votes for being considered TOO religious. It's a fine line that political leaders in American walk, when mixing religion and politics. It's considered to show good moral characters when you model some religious behavior, but when a leader demonstrates too much, he/she's regarded as being too extremist.

Could you give an example of who please. Im trying to think of some but can't.:confused:

I know Jimmy Carter was very religious but he didn't let it show as much in his speeches.

Nor can I recall any who have. B-u-s-h-i-t-l-e-r is the only one, to my knowledge, who almost daily runs the con on the gullible Christians.

Most recently, Pat Buchanon.

Pat, who worked in the Reagan Administration, is intensely religious. He spoke from his convictions, not to keep a con game going as does Bush.