Wednesday, November 10, 2004


Flocking to Bush
It is estimated that in the 2000 Presidential election, 40% of the votes cast in favor of George W. Bush came from the Evangelical Christian movement. Bush had worked carefully to cultivate a base of support within this movement, to expand upon it and to retain it. Correctly, Bush advisers saw this movement as George W’s political salvation.

What was it about Bush which drew right wing Christians to his pulpit? Certainly the ticket of Albert Gore and Joseph Lieberman, stained with the legacy of Bill Clinton’s peccadilloes, was not an option for Bible-believing Christians. More importantly though, George Bush was one of them. On his 40th birthday, Bush forswore alcohol and the party life to discover Jesus and become born again. His conversion came at the hands of none other than the Reverend Billy Graham.

This is a familiar pattern among those who become born again. They seem to find God the same way that they found other altars in their lives such as alcohol, drugs or gambling. They tried alcohol and they were hooked. They tried drugs and they were hooked. They tried gambling and they were hooked. They tried the Bible and they were hooked.

Nothing else is quite as important. Evangelical ministers are the father figures they had been missing in life – the men who would guide these lost sheep into the flock and direct their every move thereafter. This is one of the main appeals of born again life. It really requires no thought and no introspection. For individuals who never could take responsibility for their lives, this pitch offers the perfect solution. Just follow the rule book and everything will be fine....