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Bush on Religion and Heaven

In an interview with ABC News President Bush explains his view of religion and the path to heaven [hat tip: WorldMagBlog].

While the president often refers to God during public addresses to his supporters, Bush's religious convictions don't always seem to reflect those of the conservative Christians who make up his political base.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, Bush said he believes that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

"I think we do. We have different routes of getting to the Almighty," Bush said. "But I want you to understand, I want your listeners to understand, I don't get to get decide who goes to heaven. The Almighty God decides who goes to heaven and I am on my personal walk," he said. [more]

Bush’s well crafted position should not be a surprise to anyone although the interview is certainly helpful to the president from a political standpoint. He appeals to the nominally religious mainstream with a feel-good message and shows he is not the "religious extremist" that his detractors make him out to be. At the same time, he is not the conservative evangelical that many of his Christian supporters suggest. He is a successful politician and his beliefs, at times, appear to be inconsistent and carefully tailored to the desired perception of the public. I recall a similar opinion expressed during the Frontline special on Bush's Faith. Doug Wead, a Bush family friend, stated,

"There's no question that the presiden't faith is real, genuine, and there's no question that it's calculated. I know that sounds like a contradiction. But that will always be the case for a public figure, regardless of their faith, whether they're Islamic, or Jewish or Christian."

Will this cause many of Bush's Christian supporters consternation? It should. Bush’s remarks could lead one to believe that he is a universalist. The same cannot be said of Jesus, who stated, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

Update: Bush Said What? from the American Family Association blog.

Posted by tim at October 27, 2004 7:18 AM

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Comments

I've suspected something like this for a while; it's probably hard to be elected president if you don't believe something like this (i.e., it's pretty unpopular to say that you believe everyone who isn't a Christian is going to hell). But I don't like it one bit, since (as you point out) it's a rejection of the clear teaching of the Bible.

I'd still rather have Bush in office than Kerry. But I agree with a friend of mine, who said something to the effect of, "We're going the same place no matter who wins the election. We'll just get there faster if Kerry wins." His point was our country has basically rejected the Bible in essentially every way (the majority of our country, that is), and Bush isn't exactly going to be able to stop that trend.

Fortunately, we can trust in God. I think it's just a reminder to me: sharing the good news with those around me is a much more effective way to make a positive difference than politics.

Posted by: David M. at October 27, 2004 4:19 PM