{"id":2281,"date":"2008-04-15T13:04:48","date_gmt":"2008-04-15T18:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/voxnova2.wordpress.com\/?p=2281"},"modified":"2008-04-15T13:04:48","modified_gmt":"2008-04-15T18:04:48","slug":"ewtn-interviews-bush-on-papal-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/voxnova\/2008\/04\/15\/ewtn-interviews-bush-on-papal-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"EWTN interviews Bush on Papal visit…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2026and of course, there is so much wrong with it<\/a>. I\u2019ll comment on a few points, and then leave you with Bush\u2019s final statement on being \u201cpro-life\u201d in order to generate discussion.<\/p>\n

Mr. President, this is the first head of state, Pope \t\t\t\t\tBenedict the XVI, you will ever greet on a tarmac. I was \t\t\t\t\tstunned to learn this. Why are you going and greeting him \t\t\t\t\tat an airstrip? Usually the heads of states come here.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

THE PRESIDENT: Because he is a really important figure in a \t\t\t\t\tlot of ways. One, he speaks for millions. Two, he doesn\u2019t \t\t\t\t\tcome as a politician; he comes as a man of faith. And, \t\t\t\t\tthree, that I so subscribe to his notion that there are \u2014 \t\t\t\t\tthere\u2019s right and wrong in life, that moral relativism has a \t\t\t\t\tdanger of undermining the capacity to have more hopeful and \t\t\t\t\tfree societies, that I want to honor his convictions, as \t\t\t\t\twell.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

First, no, he speaks for billions<\/em>. Secondly, to boil the Pope\u2019s convictions down to the \u201cnotion\u201d that \u201cthere\u2019s right and wrong in life\u201d may make EWTN watchers nod their heads in recognition of some vague agreement between Bush and the Pope, but is in fact a dangerous simplification. Of course there is \u201cright and wrong in life.\u201d The hard part is figuring out and committing to the particulars. On the particulars, Bush and Benedict hardly agree.<\/p>\n

\n

You read his book on Europe, I\u2019m told.<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I read parts of it, yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Bush\u2019s initial reply here was omitted from the video. Regarding relations between the U.S. and Europe, Bush went on to say<\/p>\n

\n

My main objective is to make sure our country is \t\t\t\t\tstrong and solid and remains in the lead. One of the tenets \t\t\t\t\tof my foreign policy is that there is an Almighty, and a \t\t\t\t\tgift of that Almighty to every man, woman and child is \t\t\t\t\tfreedom. And, you know, His Holiness speaks with that kind \t\t\t\t\tof clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here Bush juxtaposes a statement about the Pope\u2019s \u201cclarity of speech\u201d with a statement about how Bush\u2019s own objective is U.S. superiority, as if the Pope in any way shares this view. He, of course, does not.<\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019m also, as you know, a believer in the value of human life \t\t\t\t\tfor the \u2014 whether it\u2019s \u2014 you know, the most vulnerable \t\t\t\t\tamongst us. And he speaks clearly to that, as well. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Does this even require a comment?<\/p>\n

When asked about his recent trip to Africa, his administration\u2019s increase of aid and the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the interviewer asked<\/p>\n

\n

Is there a compulsion of faith here, personally with this aid?<\/span><\/p>\n

Absolutely. <\/span>Well, it\u2019s a combination of faith \t\t\t\t\tand practicality. From the practical perspective, \t\t\t\t\thopelessness is the only way for ideologues who murder the \t\t\t\t\tinnocent to be able to recruit their followers. No one \t\t\t\t\twho\u2019s got a vision as dark and dim as al Qaeda can \t\t\t\t\tpossibly say to somebody, follow me, my vision is hopeful or \t\t\t\t\tpositive. Its like, you\u2019re so hopeless, this is your only \t\t\t\t\tout. And therefore, dealing with disease and hunger and \t\t\t\t\tdespair helps defeat this \u2014 these bunch of ideologues.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then, secondly, I believe it\u2019s in our individual \t\t\t\t\tand collective interests to use our great blessings to help \t\t\t\t\tothers, whether it be at home or abroad. And so, \u201cto whom \t\t\t\t\tmuch is given, much is required\u201d is a part of my belief. \t\t\t\t\tAnd I say to people all the time that it\u2019s in our national \t\t\t\t\t\u2014 it\u2019s in our moral interests.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cFaith and practicality,\u201d he says, then goes on to say that actually, it\u2019s a matter of practicality and self-interest<\/em>, dropping a scripture quote as decoration on top. Correcting himself at the end of the quote, he changes \u201cit\u2019s in our national interest\u201d to the puzzling phrase \u201cit\u2019s in our moral interest<\/em>.\u201d Which means \u2014 what exactly?<\/p>\n

The interviewer then goes on to ask about Iraq, completely side-stepping the Pope\u2019s judgment of the war and his ongoing pleas for the war to end. Instead of focusing on that<\/em>, the interviewer says, the Pope will focus on the murder of Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. Bush appears relieved that the EWTN interviewer obviously does not share the Church\u2019s critical view of the war, and that this spokesman for a \u201cCatholic network\u201d does not wish to speak in any way for the majority of Catholics in the U.S. who in fact oppose the war.<\/p>\n

Apparently believing that Catholics are less intelligent than the rest of America, Bush then repeats the lie that Iraq attacked the U.S. on 9\/11:<\/p>\n

\n

Even here on Capitol Hill, we\u2019re hearing talk of \t\t\t\t\twithdrawals. They \t\t\t\t\twant this drawdown. General Petraeus is at this very \t\t\t\t\thour saying we shouldn\u2019t be doing this, we should have a \t\t\t\t\tpause. What is your take? Now, even members of your own \t\t\t\t\tadministration in the Defense Department are saying we might \t\t\t\t\tnot be able to respond to other events if we have our troops \t\t\t\t\tspread this thin.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I disagree with those people. \t\t\t\t\t There\u2019s nothing \u2014 the real threat for the 21st century is \t\t\t\t\tdealing with these thugs and killers. They\u2019re the ones who \t\t\t\t\tattacked us. We got to defeat them overseas so we don\u2019t \t\t\t\t\tface them here.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

EWTN\u2019s interviewer goes on to ask Bush about how his faith keeps him \u201cpositive and upbeat\u201d even in the midst of criticism and his decision to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in China (his stammering is amusing).<\/p>\n

Finally, Bush is asked about the future of American politics and whether he will ever see a pro-choice Republican run for president in his lifetime:<\/p>\n

\n

Do you think it\u2019s important, though, to have a \t\t\t\t\tpro-life President on the Republican ticket? What might be \t\t\t\t\tthe ramifications?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

THE PRESIDENT: I think it\u2019s important for people to \t\t\t\t\tunderstand that a culture of life is in our national \t\t\t\t\tinterests and that \u2014 it\u2019s also important to understand that \t\t\t\t\tthe politics of abortion isn\u2019t going to change until \t\t\t\t\tpeople\u2019s hearts change, and fully understand the meaning \t\t\t\t\tof life and what it means for a society to value life in all \t\t\t\t\tforms \u2014 whether it be the life of the unborn, or the life \t\t\t\t\tof the elderly; whether it be the life of the less fortunate \t\t\t\t\tamong us, or the life of the rich guy. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As he has done in the past, Bush co-opts the term \u201cculture of life\u201d without knowing or being committed to the fullness of what the means from a Catholic perspective. Indeed, for Bush, the promotion of a \u201cculture of life\u201d is in our national interests<\/em> rather than simply being right. Second, Bush\u2019s thinking on changing the \u201cpolitics of abortion\u201d by \u201cchanging people\u2019s hearts\u201d doesn\u2019t sound all that different from most of his pro-choice opponents, does it?<\/p>\n

Well, what else could we expect from EWTN? Your thoughts on the interview? Let the (combox) games begin.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2026and of course, there is so much wrong with it. I\u2019ll comment on a few points, and then leave you with Bush\u2019s final statement on being \u201cpro-life\u201d in order to generate discussion. Mr. President, this is the first head of state, Pope Benedict the XVI, you will ever greet on a tarmac. I was stunned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2944,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abortion","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nEWTN interviews Bush on Papal visit...<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"...and of course, there is so much wrong with it. 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