To every non christian in the US?

Question

I'm from Britain and several months ago we were 'informed' that President Bush had stated that God had spoken to him and told him to invade Iraq. Do American's believe this to be true and to all non christians do you find it offensive that he has taken the country to war in the name of something you do not believe in?

I feel that faith should be separate from issues of government because not everyone believes the same thing. After a few months into the war the news reported that Bush stated he went to war because god told him to. It seems a radical claim but then for those of us not in the war we must rely on what sources we have, even if they aren't always reliable.

Answer 1

I actually never heard about that and if Bush said that I'm appalled. The US is supposed to be a country with separation of Church and State yet it seems that Church seems to be getting a pretty strong foothold in Government.

I doubt that many people would believe that God told Bush to invade Iraq, but then again I'm not religious, and yes if that was the true reason that he actually went to war that would outrage me.

The problem with this question though is that there are too many open ends. If Bush actually said that why did he say it? What is the true reason that our country went to war? Does the President of the US truly have as much power as it seems or is he a figure head that is controlled by others?

Ahhh, too much for me to think about. Thank you for bringing this to my attention though I'm going to have to look into that.

Answer 2

Oh Goodness, don't listen to him, that President of ours says all kinds of dumb stuff.

Seriously, though,

I think that when you are a non-christian living in the US you get very used to having politicians say that God or the Bible guides their policies, and you get used to people trying to pass laws based on what the Bible says, and you get used to churches lobbying the government for certain policies or laws. It's not right but it's the way it happens.

That being said, the fact that GW Bush said that doesn't really surprise me, nor am I surprised that it wasn't really reported here at all, since that sort of thing is viewed by a lot of Americans (apparently) as a pretty good reason to go to war. I find it offensive that he took us to war based on lies about Weapons of Mass Destruction most of all, so I feel relatively less offended that he is now using God as his excuse now that he can't find any. I do think that in a country that has a hypothetical separation of church of state, we shouldn't go to war because on person's god apparently said we should.

I don't like, and I am offended that people say this, that it is claimed that the US was always a Christian country. It's true the people who wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were Christians (although there are those "John Hancock was an atheist" rumors that I hold so near and dear), but the country was founded on humanist, secular, enlightenment ideas, one of which was freedom of worship, so I do wish our policies weren't so geared towards one and only one religion.

Oh, I feel bad that I've become so cynical about the US, I want to end by saying that I really do love it here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but there's just not a lot in the government right now that I can get behind at all. Maybe two years from now I'll feel a little better.

Answer 3

I find it VERY offensive that he used religion as a means to justify his murderous actions. First of all, I don't think he thinks God spoke to him at all. I think he just made that up because what are we going to do? Prove that God didn't tell him anything? Second, if there was a just and loving God, he wouldn't tell Bush to go to war, he just wouldn't.

All the intelligent Americans I know do not believe this to be true. In fact, it's Americans like George Bush that are an embarrassment to this country.

Blessed be.

Answer 4

I have not read anywhere where Bush said we went to Iraq because God told him too. He dispatched troops on the assumption there were WMD in Iraq, whether that was true or not. President Bush is a christian and he does mention this several times during his terms of office, however, I don't believe he ever blamed God for Iraq.

Answer 5

No, I don't beleive it to be true, especially since there is no God. I'm a non-Christian, but, no I don't think it's offensive, because that's part of what living in a democracy is all about. Majority rules and a majority of the American people re-elected Bush. I didn't vote for him, I think he's an absolute idiot. But that's the way it works.
Are you offended, because Blair, and Britain, followed Bush to Iraq like a blind puppy?

Answer 6

No matter how hard the White House tries to hide it, or change public perception, I believe most people in the US figured out long ago that Bush is, at best, delusional and an ignoramus; at worst, he's delusional, an ignoramus, and a war criminal.

I find holy wars offensive no matter who instigates them. It's a bitter pill to swallow that it is the leader of my country who started this one, and is funding another. Guess I was a bit delusional too. Plainly, America didn't stand for what I thought it did. Maybe we will again, but the damage to our honor has been done.

As to Bush's claim that God spoke to him--well, who knows. Maybe he did some harder drugs than cocaine at some point. Maybe he's insane. Or both.

Answer 7

Bush did not say that, but he quotes (and often misquotes) from the bible to support his actions. This frightens and angers me as the president of the united sates is supposed to represent ALL of the people in the US and he is sworn to defend the Constitution - which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Which means that the government cannot legally give prescience to ANY religion over any other or lack thereof. His public statements using the bible as justification are breaking the law of the land - but that doesn't seem to bother anyone who wouldn't mind treating non-Christians as second class people.

I believe that all people should be given the same rights under the law - unfortunately there are a LOT of people who don't understand the right to freedom of religion and want THEIR religion made law.

Answer 8

Non-Christians experience threatened in the present day by Christians who trust their faith entitles them to significant rights and privileges. Christians have a good better megaphone to denounce non-Christians, so non-Christians experience it is honest to strike decrease back. i'm no longer Christian and under no circumstances anti-Christian, yet i don't like the perception of the U. S. being a 'Christian us of a', the declare that our founding fathers were fundamentalist Christians who did not choose separation of church and state, and the perception of non-Christians being placed at a disadvantage. In (some) Christian rhetoric lately there is an theory purely below the exterior that non-Christians are immoral, that they could't be relied on with public place of work or although. Non-Christians hear this and it bothers them. are you able to blame them? by all ability communicate with Christians and non-Christians alike. attempt to be somewhat smooth to non-Christians and also you've a lot less danger of insulting them. some will be insulted besides, purely as some Christians are. you purely might want to do the proper you could.

Answer 9

First off I think Bush is an idiot. I believe his dad had spoke to him and said to invade Iraq. I don't believe in God. There should be a seperation of church and state.

Answer 10

It was widely reported (not just by the so-called liberal media) that in a conversation with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath, Bush said 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq... And I did.'

The White House spokespeople denied this.

It chills me.