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Quotes - Dubya the Theologian (2006) (Blurring the line between president and preacher)
Secondly, it's really important, Pete, that people not think government is a loving entity. Government is law and justice. Love comes from the hearts of people that are able to impart love. And therefore, what Craig is doing is — he doesn't realize it — he's a social entrepreneur. He is inspiring others to continue to reach out to say to somebody who is lonely, I love you. And I'm afraid this requires a higher power than the federal government to cause somebody to love somebody.
Dubya explains "love" and the government's (non-)relationship to it, Chevy Chase, Maryland, Oct. 10, 2006 What a powerful statement to the world about the compassion of the American people that you're free to choose the religion you want in our country.
Actually, I think the guarantee of religious freedom has more to do with the Constitution than it does with something more nebulous like compassion, Washington, D.C., Sep. 29, 2006 The spirit of our people is the source of America's strength. And we go forward with trust in that spirit, confidence in our purpose, and faith in a loving God who made us to be free.
Dubya can't avoid the Christian overtones of his belief system in his address to the nation on the 5th anniversary of the Sep. 11 attacks, White House, Sep. 11, 2006 I believe government has an obligation to open its coffers for competitive bidding to faith-based and community-based groups in order to make sure America — America's souls are saved one person at a time.
Does he really think that the government should exercise a role in "saving America's souls"? Wow. Nashville, Tennessee, Aug. 30, 2006 The United States of America must understand that freedom is universal, that there is an Almighty, and the great gift of that Almighty to each man and woman in this world is the desire to be free.
The USA has to recognize the Almighty? Nashville, Tennessee, Aug. 30, 2006 Churches all across the country are reaching out — synagogues, people from different faiths understand that it makes sense to help their parishioners realize the benefits of this plan.
"Parishioners" of different faiths? Nice word choice. Sun City Center, Florida, May 9, 2006 I based a lot of my foreign policy decisions on some things that I think are true. One, I believe there's an Almighty, and secondly, I believe one of the great gifts of the Almighty is the desire in everybody's soul, regardless of what you look like or where you live, to be free.
Dubya doesn't hold back in explaining his faith-based foreign policy, Irvine, California, Apr. 24, 2006 I tell people all the time, you're equally American if you're a Christian, Jew, or Muslim. You're equally American if you believe in an Almighty or don't believe in an Almighty. That's a sacred freedom.
Dubya offers some unintentional irony by calling the freedom to be an atheist "sacred", Washington, D.C., Mar. 10, 2006 You know, I said — home ownership is valuable. We talked about home ownership here, how important it is — and somebody wakes up the next morning and their home's gone, and not only that, they ended up out in — somewhere else, you know? Good news is those people found love, which is a wonderful thing about our country. And I think about those kind of things, so to answer your question, I appreciate that, umm — first, I'm wise enough not to fall into your trap, because — there are some keen reporters payin' attention to every word I'm sayin'.
Love: Dubya's shorthand for Americans embodying the Christian ethic of loving one's neighbor as oneself. I guess it allows him to reduce the number of words he needs to say, but clearly that didn't make this come out any smoother. Tampa, Florida, Feb. 17, 2006 We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery.
Hmmm, so Dubya can claim with confidence that American compassion for HIV/AIDS sufferers is purely a facet of our religious convictions? Isn't that a tad presumptuous? 2006 State of the Union Address, Jan. 31, 2006 Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research. ...Human life is a gift from our Creator — and that gift should never be discarded, devalued or put up for sale.
Policy justified by religious conviction. I know I shouldn't be surprised... 2006 State of the Union Address, Jan. 31, 2006 I believe there's an Almighty, and I believe the Almighty's great gift to each man and woman in this world is the desire to be free. This isn't America's gift to the world, it is a universal gift to the world, and people want to be free.
In case you were wondering whether he had dropped this line... he hasn't. Manhattan, Kansas, Jan. 23, 2006 One of the most — I think one of the most important and interesting domestic initiatives, which I agree has created an interesting philosophical debate, is to allow faith-based programs and community-based programs to access federal money in order to achieve the results we all want. I mean, for example, if you're trying to encourage people to quit drinking, doesn't it make sense to give people somebody an alternative — he can maybe go to a government counselor? Or how about somebody who calls upon a higher being to help you quit drinking? All I care about is the results.
Separation of church and state? He doesn't care for it much. By the way, I always enjoy Dubya's usage of "interesting". Sterling, Virginia, Jan. 19, 2006
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