Here is an excerpt from a recent interview of George W. Bush, conducted by Sheryl Henderson Blunt, posted on Christianity Today(05/28/04).
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/121/51.0.html
SHB: Do you believe there is anything inherently evil in the way some practice Islam that stands in the way of the pursuit of democracy and freedom?
GWB:I think what we're dealing with are people—extreme, radical people—who've got a deep desire to spread an ideology that is anti-women, anti-free thought, anti- art and science, you know, that couch their language in religious terms. But that doesn't make them religious people. I think they conveniently use religion to kill. The religion I know is not one that encourages killing. I think that they want to drive us out of parts of the world so they're better able to have a base from which to operate. I think it's very much more like an … "ism" than a group with territorial ambition.
SHB:More like a what?
GWB:An "ism" like Communism that knows no boundaries, as opposed to a power that takes land for gold or land for oil or whatever it might be. I don't see their ambition as territorial. I see their ambition as seeking safe haven. And I know they want to create power vacuums into which they are able to flow.
SHB:To what final end? The expansion of Islam?
GWB:No, I think the expansion of their view of Islam, which would be I guess a fanatical version that—you know, you're trying to lure me down a road [where] … I'm incapable of winning the debate. But I'm smart enough to understand when I'm about to get nuanced out. No, I think they have a perverted view of what religion should be, and it is not based upon peace and love and compassion—quite the opposite. These are people that will kill at the drop of a hat, and they will kill anybody, which means there are no rules. And that is not, at least, my view of religion. And I don't think it's the view of any other scholar's view of religion either.
This attitude of religious intolerence has been a common trait in many recent figures in history. It is not unexpected that the U.S. president would encourage others to feel this same bigotry for another culture. It is a way to gather support for his deviant causes. And he is not alone. He has support from a many people simply because he is pro-life and anti-homosexual. Beliefs that many Christians hold dear.
In a 2002 survey http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1010-02.htm
Some 69 percent of conservative Christians favored military action against Baghdad; 10 percentage points more than the U.S. adult population as a whole.
And almost two-thirds of evangelical Christians said they support Israeli actions towards ''Palestinian terrorism'', compared with 54 percent of the general population, according to the survey, which was released by Stand For Israel, a six-month-old spin-off of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ).
Our president and these men and women are not to be trusted with making decisions for other peoples lives. It is obvious that they have no faith or knowledge of the religion that they abuse. If they abided by the teachings of the Bible they most certainly should have read St. Matthews chapter 5 verses 38 and 39 in which it says "Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." This is a verse asking for nonviolence, even in the face of violence.
In that same chapter, in the book of Matthew, verses 43 and 44 it says "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" These verses speak for themselves and so do hundreds more throughout the "good book".
The leader of the free world is not a Christian. He is a reckless business man lying for the greed of money and power. These things he says about Islam are incredible. It is Mr. Bush and the vast majority of conservative Christians who "conveniently use religion to kill","that have a perverted view of what religion should be". Mr. Bush and his cabinet are the people who "will kill at the drop of a hat, and they will kill anyone". Our president is a terrorist preying off of your fears. These are his 120,000 soldiers occupying Iraq for oil and and other financial gain. These same soldiers, Christian or otherwise, were raiding 200 poor Iraqi civilians homes a week. I ask you, are we less secure because of a handful of Islamic terrorists or because our country (with the most wealth and military might) is lead by a man who lies about his spirituality.
I ask Christians to love their fellow man, be brave, and open their arms and hearts even if it means economic change or an unsure tommorrow. If you believe in god and the words of the Bible than you know that God will certainly help you to remain strong as you act and speak against war and violence.