Bush Says to Pope: 'I love God, I've read all of his books'

                                                                   [Tribune de Genève, Switzerland]

Nachrichten, Switzerland

No Slap for Bush; Pope's Unspoken Endorsement of John McCain

"No one should believe that the Iraq War is really that high on the Pope's agenda. … McCain's talk of remaining in Iraq for even 10,000 years changes nothing. In the end, the fact is that this Pope by far prefers a Christian theocracy that fights bloody wars over a liberal, non-Christian democracy that avoids conflict."

By Patrik Etschmayer

Translated By Patrik Etschmayer

April 17, 2008

Switzerland - Nachrichten - Original Article (German)

The headlines looked to be rather promising for opponents of Bush: The Pope would give Bush a few verbal slaps in the face, unambiguously criticize him and perhaps the Pontiff would even administer a real beating. But one should not be deluded: Standing on the same foundation, these are two men that think reason and reality should take a back seat to belief in a world as one wishes it to be.

This unity stood out when George W. Bush integrated a core-belief of the Pope into his speech of welcome by stressing that it is important for the nation to heed "the dictatorship of relativism WATCH ." Ultimately, this means that both Bush and the Pope stand for an absolute belief in a God that accepts a diversity of faiths only in the sense that there are people left to convert.

It's perhaps a little ironic then, that the relativism both of these men fight so passionately against exists between themselves, as Bush is a member of a Methodist Church while the Pope is the world's top Catholic. As far as the Protestants, the Pope has already made his opinion quite clear: When he declared that the Protestant churches were in fact not real churches at all, it triggered considerable consternation among ecumenical [inter-church] organizations.

In this light, the Pope's criticism of George W. Bush's Iraq policy is doubly interesting and curious. It's probably too simplistic to use oil to explain Bush's drive to invade Iraq. This was certainly a major motivation but there might as well have been the hope of having his "Christian" army plant a flag of victory over the stylized Islamist fanaticism of Saddam Hussein, whose rhetoric certainly contained a religious component. Recall when Bush initially spoke of a crusade, it looked simply like a clumsy choice of words. But who today uses this expression in a military context? It's quite possible that he actually meant it in a literal sense. A man that continuously stresses doing the Lord's work will also be drawn into war for his master. 

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

And no one should believe that the Iraq War is really that high on the Pope's agenda. When it came time for the Holy See to endorse a candidate for the last presidential election, the then chief-inquisitor who became today's Pope found it more important to support the candidate who opposed the legality of abortion than the one who stood against the war. This meant that Bush garnered the support of about a million votes that otherwise would have gone to Kerry. Bush is President, so to speak, due to Benedict's grace.

Thus, both agree that secularism is probably the greatest threat to humanity, and indeed, by relating it to the evil influences of a secular lifestyle, the Pope has actually managed to relativize the child abuse by Catholic priests.

So the Pope's criticism of Bush was by no means the resounding slap in the face that so many - especially in the secular media - wanted to see. It was but a weak slap on the wrist that was so unspecific it could just as well have been interpreted as criticism of Bush's political adversaries. Especially if one considers the Pope's position on some of the hottest issues in the U.S. elections, such as abortion, same-sex-marriage and the general question of the candidates' liberal leanings.

As Benedict XVI is a Pope of restoration, when he visits the United States during an election year it symbolizes a policy that is anti-liberal and is a sign of support for the only conservative candidate: John McCain. McCain's talk of remaining in Iraq for even 10,000 years if need be changes nothing. In the end, the fact is that this Pope by far prefers a Christian theocracy that fights bloody wars over a liberal, non-Christian democracy that avoids conflict.

CLICK HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION

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[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US April 19, 1:35pm]