Bush Renews Faith-Based Initiative Push

[goobergunch]

Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) -- In a speech replete with references to "miracles" and a "higher power bigger than people's problems," President Bush on Wednesday renewed his push to let religious groups compete for government money.

"The best way to help the addict ... is to change their heart," Bush said in a reference to how he stopped drinking at age 40. "See, if you change their heart, then they change their behavior.

"I know!" Bush said, thrusting a finger into the air.

Bush spoke to a packed auditorium at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship here where several hundred, mostly black, parishioners sang and swayed to gospel music and chanted "U.S.A. U.S.A." when the president walked in.

more...http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH?SITE=CODEN&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

:eyes: :crazy: :eyes:

[PartyPooper]

1. George W. Bush IS the Anti-Christ!

http://mirrors.meepzorp.com/geocities.com/george-bush-antichrist

:evilfrown:

[qanda]

4. You got that right

And Dr. Tony Evans, who I used to greatly admire and respect, should be ashamed of himself for having the anti-Christ at his church.

[teryang]

2. The same old tired ploys

Nicholas II and Louis XVI appealed to a higher power as well.

Hungry? Pray. Out of a job with kids to support? Pray. Intelligent high school grad wanting to go to college with no money, no grants, and no loans? Pray. Somebody in your family have hepatitis C and no health insurance? Pray. Because your not gonna get any help from this guy or his corporate supporters. Socialism for the rich, prayer and relentless taxation for everyone else.

[loudnclear]

3. Bush is "renewing" everything to divert attention away from the Iraq

castastrophe. Even resurrecting Medicare. Only problem is he knows damn well Congress will not fund any of these initiative so he know he's safe. He really doesn't want these programs anyway. Just another campaign slogan and PR.

[nomaco-10]

5. I brought this topic up...

a few weeks ago and it got very little response. I am deeply concerned about this and think it tramples the very constitution this country was founded on. It is obvious to me that the bush* agenda is hell bent on making fundamental christianity our "national religion", marginalizing many needy people in this country and setting into motion his agenda to ban all abortions, gay marriages and immigration laws for those pesky, pagan foreigners coming across our borders.
They're not even trying to hide their "vision" for America in the 21st century, it's an in your face, you're with us or your against us policy on all of their issues, foreign and domestic. I knew it was getting bad when a General feels bold enough to spew his particular brand of theology in a packed church while holding a position of active duty in the armed services. This would have never been tolerated under previous administrations, nor would a member of the armed services ever have considered such a statement at anytime in their career, it just wouldn't happen, only in the atmosphere of this administration is it possible. Be afraid, be very afraid...

[PurityOfEssence]

15. And yet, you can't stop Boykin

Stopping him would be anti-religious. The essence of this form of proselytizing fundymania is the subjugating of all dissent, yet as they hold sway and dominance, they claim that any impediment is discrimination.

The religious right is like a family of cannibals who've moved in next door and rage about unfairness because you don't let your children out in the yard when they're around.

They've largely succeeded in scaring any resistance with an abject fear that they'll be tarred anti-religious.

It is the duty of all of belief to stand up vocally and hound these predators into some form of coexistence.

Al Sharpton had it right "we gon' have a battle between the Christian right and the right Christians."

[bambo53]

6. 9-11 was a "Faith Based Initiative"

How's it working so far ?

[Djinn]

7. Bambo53 hits it on the head

To a hell of a lot of people outside the US - the constant ranting about God on every platform from Grammy awards to state of the nation addresses - gives lie to the claim that there is a seperation of church and state at all.

I'm not too sure of the difference between slaughtering americans for the glory of allah and slaughtering Afghans and Iraqis for the glory of god?

[leesa]

8. No difference same hate, same bigotry. It's the christian taliban.

It's a revival of the sounthern baptists who used to lynch blacks on saturday night and sing to the glory of god sunday morning. They rationalize their hate with religious verse.

[DBoon]

10. What's the difference?

In this country, we have wonder drugs like thorazine and haldol for cases like this. People who have god tell them to bomb countries have the option of proper medical care to correct this condition. Bush has willfully opposed this.

[MaineDem]

23. That sounds like a slogan for a sign

May I steal your words?

[WindRavenX]

9. He's so simple minded

He believes that the complex issues that we face today can be cured if people would just listen to Jesus...
Remember, he's the person who said those who were mentally challanged were "not praying hard enough". He cannot think outside the religious box...

[Katarina]

11. WTF!

he's the person who said those who were mentally challanged were "not praying hard enough"

He really said this??? What an ass he is! :mad: Obviously he's not praying hard enough either.

[PartyPooper]

12. Welcome to DU, Katarina! For the record, * only prays to / for himself!

'Nuff said.

:evilfrown:

[WindRavenX]

13. He did

It's in "Is Our Children Learning", a book by one of the hosts of Crossfire (the same guy who married a GOP strategist).
Trust me, I had a real tough time dealing with it.

[Djinn]

14. in that case

Bush has clearly NEVER gotten down on his knees - except for that time when his stash rolled under the desk

[Kinkistyle]

16. Jumped from one drug to another.

Yeah, Bush gave up his addiction to alcohol (and whatever else he was one) and switched over to the "opiate of the masses". One addiction for another. Man I am so cynical about this country of mine. I cannot imagine what will happen if he gets re-selected. I think it will be the turning point for the U.S. (downhill from thereon). Might be turning point for the world too. Folks like Bush, who believe in the crap he believes in WANT to bring about the End of the World ;(

[Matilda]

18. That is so true, I've seen it happen.

Some people just need a crutch, and for some people, that's all
religion is.

[cliss]

17. I agree, Nomaco

This is a very serious issue. The problem with it is that the fundamentalists are simply not happy to go about their daily lives in their "christian nirvana". They feel morally obligated, no, positively DRIVEN to push their religious beliefs on me.

They're just little hustlers for their churches, and I am not interested.

(jeez, the guy just doesn't ever give up does he?)

[sandnsea]

19. We have treatment and AA

because old-time religion didn't work. It rarely works to this day. I just want to bang my head against the wall. Maybe we should just close the hospitals and pray for all of those people too. WTF is WRONG with people!?!

[Malva Zebrina]

20. Few are going to refuse the money

even those churches that are aware of the dangers of the church and state becoming one. Here is part of a press release I got from Americans United--I think they are in this case, off base--the quote from Holland seems strong, but it is weak. This church and many many others will have their hands out to get taxpayer money to fund their religious based projects--note in this case the new 23 million dollar center that I am sure is going to be looking for faith based tax payer money. I am afraid this initiative is going to become the norm in the US--once out of the gate--and it looks to me as if the churches will all be elbowing each other out of the way, becoming Bush's sycophants without conscience or concern in order to get the money. Even the appearance of a president at a church to dedicate something seems unethical -- why not have religious leaders only there to dedicate something? Why the president? I think Lynn is wrong--they want the money he brings


President George W. Bush has chosen the wrong church to promote his “faith-based” initiative, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Bush is scheduled to appear today at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, a large congregation in Dallas, Texas. The occasion is the dedication of a $23-million education and recreation center at the church that will house Operation Turnaround, a program that offers job training, job placement, literacy classes and other social services.

Church officials, however, say the program takes no federal funds. La Fayette Holland, the project’s executive director, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the church would have to carefully examine the effect of accepting public money because faith is a component of the program.

“If it will prohibit anything we are doing,” Holland said, “we would have to turn it down.”

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, said the situation is a reminder that many religious groups are rightly wary of taking public funds.

“President Bush picked the wrong church for a photo op,” said Lynn. “This congregation doesn’t want government interference in their religious work, so they’ve chosen not to apply for public funds.

“Bush’s faith-based initiative would inevitably entangle government with religion,” Lynn continued. “That’s one reason that a broad cross-section of clergy have refused to support this initiative.”

Lynn noted that religious groups are also concerned about the Bush initiative’s support for hiring discrimination by publicly funded religious social service programs. Religiously affiliated groups could take federal funds and then discriminate on religious grounds in hiring staff for the taxpayer-supported programs.

“The Bush plan would roll back our nation’s progress on civil rights,” said Lynn. “That’s why the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Congressional Black Caucus and other major civil rights groups are opposing it.”

(press release, not article)

Here is the web site of this watchdog group headed by the Rev. Barry Lynn

www.au.org

[NashVegas]

21. Well This Pretty Much Says it All

However the story you've linked to has been replaced with something else.

[Malva Zebrina]

22. that pic is the most disgusting I have seen yet

there is no shame--none at all--this has happened so frequently that , like the mission accomplished banner, it is undeniably done on purpose by the photographer who probably got his instructions--and by now knows them by heart--it is absolutely horrendous. I am saving that one in my "photographs of evil" gallery.

--I linked to the AU web site--the press release I quoted in my post is not on there yet--I signed up to get e-mail press releases/alerts from AU- sorry if I did not make it clear