more on (time for alternative views) Religious leaders worry about Bush's use of religion to justify war

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Munro, Neil" <nmunro () nationaljournal com>
Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 11:16:32 -0500
To: "'dave () farber net'" <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Religious leaders worry about Bush's use of religion to
justify war



First, despite its tone, the article makes plain that Bush is not sectarian.
For example, he wants to make all religions eligible for community grants.
One can't be sectarians if one is promoting such a non-denominational plan.

The crux of the matter is Bush's belief that the religious world-view is at
least as equal as a secularist world-view -- and it is this claim that the
secularists dislike.

Secularists do describe Saddam as a meglomaniac, suffering from a bad
childhood, paranoid, etc. Fair enough -- these are certainly true. But Bush
adds an much-older explanation -- that Saddam has choosen to side with evil.
This has the merit of being obviously true, if one accepts the notion of
evil. 

Many Americans do embrace such a notion, partly because it makes it much
easier for the average person to govern himelf or herself, and the community
around them. 

The notion of evil is wrapped up in religion, but -- again -- it is not a
sectarian concept. It is in any religion worth its name, including Islam.

Bush's opponents oppose his use of the notion, even if used alongside their
secular medical & social explanations, because Bush's use of 'evil' is a
challenge to their secular world. The secularists -- aided by the National
Council of Churches (last time they were in the news, they were ushering
Elian back to the Castro's un-democratic Cuba) would rather see religion
(and its populist world view) relegated to inferior intellectual status, and
largely barred from government recognition.

This notion of evil so obviously applies to Saddam that secularists who
choose to argue against it under these circumstances are choosing their
intellectual battle on very disadvantageous ground. Moreover, the battle
will be decided by the voters, not by the intellectual class, when they
judge Bush's performance in these crises.



------ End of Forwarded Message

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