Unbelievable. Bush is using religious right leaders to push the danger of Islam, Iran. .

[madfloridian]

I heard this earlier on State of Belief with Rev. Welton Gaddy. The show was on AAR tonight, and you can hear it online at the Interfaith Alliance website.

http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/pp.asp?c=8dJIIWM...

Gaddy said that James Dobson and other leaders had been summoned to meet with George Bush about radical Islam, apparently as it pertains to the dangers posed by Iran. Then Dobson had 5 shows about it.

Pro-Family leaders discussed Iraq, Iran with Bush

You can link to Dobson's site from this link, and the audio is available.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and about a dozen other pro-family leaders met privately with President Bush recently about Iraq, Iran and the war on terror. As reported first by Max Blumenthal at The Raw Story, Dobson described a series of meetings in Washington on Monday's Focus on the Family radio show, the first in a weeklong series of broadcasts devoted to "radical Islam's impact on America."

"I was invited to go to Washington, D.C., and meet with President Bush in the White House, along with 12 or 13 other leaders of the pro-family movement, and the topic of the discussion that day was Iraq, Iran and international terrorism," Dobson said. "We were together for 90 minutes, and it was very enlightening and in some ways very disturbing, too. In a roundabout way, that led to today."

Dobson described the president as "upbeat" and not beaten down by political battles, as well as "determined and convinced that his mission is to protect this great nation from those who have threatened us, and to let history be his judge for the way he has dealt with the crisis in the Middle East."

Dobson said he isn't at liberty to quote the president directly but could "report the general tenor and tone" of the White House meeting. "I saw again how we're living in very perilous times, and the future generations of Americans depends on how we rise to that challenge today," Dobson said. "I'm absolutely convinced of that."

"Iran has promised to blow Israel off the face of the earth, and they've made no bones about that, and then they plan to come after us," Dobson said. "They've said it repeatedly. They don't care if they die in the process.

Do you understand that? The so-called president of our country doesn't need foreign policy advisors....he just calls in the leaders of the religious right. Then they spread the word about the dangers we face from the Middle East.

Has this ever before happened in our country?

More about other religious right leaders gearing up to help our glorious leader make the case for more war with the Middle East.

Are conservative Christian evangelicals gearing up to join the attack-Iran brigade?

As the launching of the Iraq War marked its fourth anniversary on March 19, it is worth remembering that during the lead up to the invasion a number of conservative evangelicals voiced their support for the war: Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, maintained that Bush's action met criteria for a just war; the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents several dozen denominations encompassing more than 30 million American evangelical Christians, openly supported the war; Mike Evans, who heads the aggressively pro-Israeli Jerusalem Prayer Team, pointed out that war with Iraq could be a "dress rehearsal for Armageddon," the fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy.

...."Hagee Leading the Charge

Pastor John Hagee
On Sunday March 11, Pastor John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, received a rousing reception during his address at the opening dinner plenary of the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference.

Hagee warned the crowd that "Iran poses a nuclear threat to the State of Israel that promises nothing less than a nuclear Holocaust." Hagee claimed that the situation is like 1938, only "Iran is Germany and Ahmedinejad is the new Hitler."

Hagee added: "We must stop Iran's nuclear threat and stop it now and stand boldly Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East."

Also mentioned is Joel Rosenberg.

There is an article by Dana Milbank from 2001 that everyone needs to read. Most of here know about this creeping and strange relation of the WH and religious groups...but Milbank laid a lot of it out back in 01.

Religious Right Finds Its Center in Oval Office

For the first time since religious conservatives became a modern political movement, the president of the United States has become the movement's de facto leader -- a status even Ronald Reagan, though admired by religious conservatives, never earned. Christian publications, radio and television shower Bush with praise, while preachers from the pulpit treat his leadership as an act of providence. A procession of religious leaders who have met with him testify to his faith, while Web sites encourage people to fast and pray for the president.

No wonder we felt so out of place in our Southern Baptist church and had to leave it. They were part of this movement.

Bush is using many in the Christian community to fan the flames of hatred and fear. This is unconscionable.

[illinoisprogressive]

1. I am very worried about the stupid duo in the w.h. and trying to have war with

the whole world. they will go to war with Iran on their own and everyone else be damned. they are crazy. and they may do it to call national emergency so they can claim dictatoral powers (remember the little presidential decree a few weeks ago) and stay in power forever.
I know they are up to something very evil.

[Lord Balto]

37. Maybe this time somebody will bloody the little bully's nose...

and he'll go crying home to his mommy. I almost have to wonder if these yahoos aren't being manipulated by someone who wants the US to get so far in over our heads we'll never be a threat to anyone again. Any guesses on who has programmed this little Manchurian Chimp?

Hmmm... great slogan there: George: The Manchurian Chimp.

[dmsx64]

38. Thank God! About time

Yep, I know. But still better than Bill consulting Monica while puffing a cigar from her humidor.

[Skip Intro]

2. I don't consdier people who preach hate and fear and violence to be Christian

in any way.

I don't know how people can follow such hypocrites.

As for bush getting policy advice/instructions from the kooks, little surprises me anymore. For all I know, they are trying to bring about the Biblical "end times" armageddon.

I hope we can survive the next year and a half and keep these twisted f***s from destroying mordern society.

[Nunyabiz]

23. Actually that is as Christian as you can get

BTW there are 33,800 different sects of Christianity most of them are hate filled cults.
People need to wake up to factual reality and crawl out of the pre dark ages.

[dmsx64]

40. The evidence indicates someone is terribly deceived

and does not know Christ. Knowing Christ is as Christian as you get.

[Nunyabiz]

43. Ummm NO, "knowing christ"

is as delusional as you can get. Cant "have a personal relationship" with an entity that exist only in the mind.

[blues90]

3. well , here we are once again ,

This Iran topic does concern me , more now than before because it just seems to keep boiling closer and closer to over boil .

It has has been going on long enough to make it become a reality , other wise it would go away . It's much like before Iraq now .

It's no joke as some may seem to feel , these people are out of their minds and have proven they do not care for the people in this country at all .

[madfloridian]

5. No, it is no joke when the president is talking policy with religous leaders.

It is scary.

[Frustratedlady]

4. What happened to the separation of church and state?

They can't preach that from their pulpits, can they? I thought that if they were non-profit, they could not engage in political rhetoric from the pulpit or to their parishioners at any church function. Have I been under the wrong understanding? If they want to do this, take their non-profit status away and that will stop that problem.

[madfloridian]

6. Huffington Post has more by Chris Kelly

I posted this article in GDP earlier.

One Hitler Per Customer

It's Hitler season in Washington, and that's a bad sign. Because stopping Hitler is what we say lately whenever we're getting ready to invade somewhere, torture people, and put them in camps. It's a good thing our boogeyman isn't Dracula, or we'd fight him by drinking blood.

Monday, on his "Focus on the Family" radio show, James Dobson talked about a long meeting he'd had with President Bush, and how we have to attack Iran because Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is like Hitler and "if we didn't stand up to Hitler, we'd be speaking German today."

(Which must have pushed all the right buttons for his listeners, because who wants to learn anything, let alone a language? Iran comes over here, starts teaching Farsi in our schools, pretty soon it'll be evolution and sex ed.)

Wednesday, in Britain's Daily Telegraph, John Bolton said we had to bomb Iran, and soon, because, "I think you're at a Hitler marching into the Rhineland point." And if you replace "Hitler" with "Ahmadinejad" and "marching" with "enriching" and "the Rhineland" with "uranium" you can see he makes a pretty impressive argument.

These folks scare me to death. And to think we just gave Little Boots 100 billion with no oversight.

[muntrv]

7. I say make these talibornagain leaders part of the Iraqi surge.

[pepperbear]

8. Is anyone really that surprised? Aren't they about the only base who'll believe that now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjPs3bFQxKo

[rasputin1952]

9. Since the days after Jesus was crucified, people have been

predicting Armageddon. If it comes, it comes, but there should be no reason to start the damn thing!

If these people were truly Christian, they would realize that standing before God on Judgment Day and saying, "hey, we killed all of those people for YOU!", probably won't earn them any points...

Interesting that several years ago, Falwell said he would witness Armageddon, well, I guess in a very personal way he did, but as usual he and these others are wrong about so much.

These people are fools, and I truly feel sympathy for those who follow them down this road. Any religion that preaches hate for anyone or anything, has lost what credibility it had.

[Solly Mack]

10. Religion is often used as a weapon

One religion against another works well to stir people into a fit of hate and fear...

No surprises there

[madfloridian]

11. We know it, but it needs publicity. The president is using religious leaders to spread fear.

and perhaps start a war.

I knew it, you knew it, but I don't see it anywhere in the news. I did a search at blogs, and found something at Raw Story.

Our party should be shouting this from the rooftops. But we don't hear a peep from them.

Sometimes it is good to post things that we here know, but that need to see the light of day....like the post I did about 8000 losing Medicare here. I knew it, but did not realize the extent.

I did not know that Bush called in these religious leaders to the WH until I heard it on AAR.

[Solly Mack]

13. Yes, it needs publicity. Never suggested otherwise

The more publicity the better...

Just said I wasn't surprised.

[madfloridian]

14. Me either. Not surprised, that is. Many churches here are involved.

Our area is filled with fundamentalistic churches, 4 bible colleges, maybe another..plus Southeastern University which considers Hannity a great speaker and a coup for them.

It is discouraging.

[Solly Mack]

15. Downright scary

Dobson gets the air of legitimacy conferred on him by Bush - "I spoke with the president on these matters"

How followers think "The President seeks Dobson out, so it must be so"

and as they already believe the BS coming from Bush, it's now reinforced

At this stage Bush and Dobson can tell any lie they want about anything and anyone and those followers are now primed for the attack

[dmsx64]

41. Roughed up a bit from sexual orientation?

I'll bet. God (not to be confused with religion) loves you as much as me.
The only surprise here is where many choose to place their faith.

[Solly Mack]

42. LMAO you're an idiot

[Cha]

12. Yeah, jim dobson, history's

gonna judge bush and you for the way you've handled dividing the USA and the world with your hate.

And you better watch out cause history is coming real soon.

Recommend~

[pansypoo53219]

16. georgie said it

welcome to his crusade.

[madfloridian]

19. He really did mean that word "crusade".

I know some in my family who were his supporters earlier are catching on to him. I hope others are.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

17. Heckuva job, Dobby! *

"Juz amember, no badmouthin' the Saudis, they're our kind of Islamian Dictaterz!!"



*Disclaimer- No House Elves were harmed during the typing of this post

[madfloridian]

18. Two other blogs can't believe Bush called religious leaders to pump his war.

Interesting stuff.

From Crooks and Liars:

Bush’s Dobson meeting is not a good sign

First, the fact that Bush is talking about a possible confrontation with Iran at all is discomforting, to put it mildly. Second, I guess it’s too much to ask, but how about some scrutiny on the White House over the fact that the president is meeting with a nut like Dobson in the first place?

Amen to that.

And from a blog called Shuck and Jive:

This blog lays it out, links to the audio, says we should listen.

James Dobson and his 90 Minutes of Fame

Got your drum? Beat it to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers. The right-wing Christians will be leading it. Iran is next. Saddam was Hitler. But Hitler has now been reincarnated into the president of Iran. I haven't listened to Dobson's program before. But I listened to the whole thing tonight. It is amazing how politically active Focus on the Family is in government. It is not politics alone. It is religion as well. Dobson quotes the Bible as prophecy. His program is filled with apocalyptic language of evil. According to Dobson, we are in the last days. Nothing in his program about diplomacy, negotiation, or conversation of any kind. It is all black and white. They are evil and we are good. It is all planned out in the Bible.

Ok Democrats, you gave Bush the money for four more months. Are you aware of this?

[Erika]

20. Bush is totally insane as is Dobson

who brags about beating a puppy into submission.

I know there are good religious people out there but w seeks his own kind, the nuts.

[Swamp Rat]

21. "Iran is Germany?!?"

"Iran is Germany?!?"

[OHdem10]

22. How do you think Bush stays at 30% in the POLLS

Thus is his base?

I monitor the Teleevangelists. For months they have been
beating war Drums against Iran. Hagee's Followers believe
Ahmadinajahd is the Anti-Christ. They call themselves
Shristian Zionists. For almost a year he has been battling
Iran on the air.

[madfloridian]

25. I have never heard Hagee. I think I saw he is on Dish Network sometimes.

Maybe I need to start watching. This is getting out of control

[FloridaJudy]

24. Conservative Christians

Are so knowledgeable about Islam.

That might explain why when Bush was told that Iraq was populated by Sunni's and Shia's he puzzled "But I thought that they were Moslem". Hey, George. Nothing like having real experts explain Middle East politics to you.

[young_at_heart]

26. Notice that religion and policy making are seldom mentioned by the media

The Bush/Evangelical connection is so important that one would think we'd hear about it a lot, but no, seldom to we hear a word about his base and his use of his base. Time to wake up!

[Duppers]

27. over a year ago I emailed info to various Southern Baptist Churches..

..including the one my mother attends. The news articles I sent directly countered the lies these churches were espousing.

I got the most visceral reply from my mother's church, essentially telling me to leave them alone. To quote 'em exactly:
"Please avoid blasting us with all this information. Our Church is aware and do not need the spam that you have flooded our web contacts with. Have a blessed day and God will take care of this."

I replied back:"Alright. But does God vote? You guide your membership and should know these things."


And this reminds me of a WaPo article from '05:

Evangelicals Building a Base in Iraq Evangelicals Building a Base in Iraq
Newcomers Raise Worry Among Traditional Church Leaders
By Caryle Murphy
Thursday, June 23, 2005

BAGHDAD -- ...National is Iraq's first Baptist congregation and one of at least seven new Christian evangelical churches established in Baghdad in the past two years.
..."The way the preachers arrived here . . . with soldiers . . . was not a good thing," said Baghdad's Roman Catholic archbishop, Jean Sleiman. "I think they had the intention that they could convert Muslims, though Christians didn't do it here for 2,000 years."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...




Democracy is not a spectator sport!

[Usrename]

28. If he can get religious control of the military, the world is toast.

A few good generals are all that stand in the way of launching a nuclear first-strike.

I wonder what the religious beliefs of his new "war czar" are about. I wonder if it has anything to do with his selection and if it is a part of a plan to circumvent the Joint Chiefs.

Do I need this: ?

[madfloridian]

49. Whatever happened to Boykin? "The religious warrior of Abu Ghraib"

Remember him?

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0520-03.htm

[cgrindley]

29. I don't think you know what "unbelievable" means (nt)

[madfloridian]

30. I don't have any idea what that statement means.

Not sure if its agreement, disapproval. It is far too cryptic to try to understand.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

31. I think they mean "On the contrary, it's VERY believable". Which was going to be MY reply.

[cgrindley]

32. Yep. I was thinking "par for the course"

I actually don't know how much more in character it could be for Chimpy. You gotta hand it to the guy, he's really consistent.

[shenmue]

33. I'm tired of these people calling themselves "pro-family"

They're only "pro" people like themselves.

[madfloridian]

34. When Monica Goodling said that she was more comfortable...

around people who believed like she does...it blew my mind. It was the little girl voice in which she said it, and it should not have fooled anyone. Taking over our government piece by piece.

[Cobalt-60]

35. Fundies are the only ones stupid enough to listen to him

[demoleft]

36. It's a worldwide crusade...

...with real "assaults" against abortion and women rights, gay rights, unmarried people, scientific research, darwinism and evolution theory.

A brand new saint is next to be shown up in Rome? Yeah, perhaps someone with dubious attitude towards fascism and some very ancient ideas about the jews. A former Pope. Career is granted, among the rightists...

It's turning dark.

You're better off than us in Italy, Madfloridian! At least in the USA religious leaders have to meet Bush.
In Italy they do politics almost directly!

PS: Iran and Syria were on the agenda. So I think Bush will try everything - and when I say everything, the worst comes on my mind - and when the worst comes on my mind I got the vision of some churches leaders, Mr. Putin and Mr. Sarkozy quietly sitting at a nice long table for a business lunch with Bush and Mrs Rice.
I hope it's just the wine I had at dinner...

ciao!

[madfloridian]

39. Great post, my friend from Italy. I do think it is worldwide.

When did this start, and who did the coordinating to get it started?

It seems like, as you say...it has been turning dark since 2000 when we actually had a coup here instead of an election.

I wish I could say it was just wine, demoleft...probably not.

[demoleft]

45. If even science supports religion

An interesting article in The Guardian Unlimited, 29 May 2007, titled Scientists divided over alliance with religion at http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2089946,00.h...

"If we give the impression that science is hostile to even mainstream religion, it will be more difficult to combat the kinds of anti-science sentiments that are really important." This statement is by Martin Rees, Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society.

Yesterday a debate took place at the Guardian Hay festival and two evolutionists, Richard Dawkins and Steve Jones, disagreed with Rees.

"If we are too friendly to nice, decent bishops, we run the risk of buying into the fiction that there's something virtuous about believing things because of faith rather than because of evidence. We run the risk of betraying scientific enlightenment", said Dawkins.

Mr.Jones talks of the problems arising when teaching students with Islamic backgrounds.
The reaction to part of the teaching, he says, demonstrates that "in their early lives, they have been told deliberate lies by people who, I'm sure, know they are deliberate lies. I don't care how charming they are, I don't care how pleasant they are, these people are evil."

Mr. Jones goes as far as to say that "what's true for imams is, more or less, true for bishops."

And if we take into account the common instrumental use of religion for political and military purpose, the question today appears rather a serious one in the western world.

The last great attempt to join science and religion in the name of unity was in XVI and XVII century with people like Giordano Bruno and Francesco Giorgi among the others. Shakepeare too is full of references to the religion struggles of the time and the attempts philosophy and politics made to solve them.
It's well known how it ended up.
And it's clear today: there are many religious leaders who don't want any unity and any peace. Joined to bad politicians they can produce damages lasting for years and years.

[CJCRANE]

44. The religious right are a tool of the Wahabbis

but they'll never know it.

Bush-Cheney use the christian fundies hatred of Islam to drum up support for attacks on shi'ite or secular countries in the ME (Iraq, Iran, Syria). Bush-Cheney will never lift a finger against the arab monarchies in SA and UAE who are their primary business partners. It's all a very clever divide and conquer strategy and so counter-intuitive that very few seem to see what's really going on.

[bettyellen]

46. mf, you should check their site for podcasts of previous episodes

they have been working towards a takeover of protestant churches as well, SOB did a great show on it- i want to say 4-5 months ago. if you're interested i can search for it later.

[madfloridian]

50. I remember that broadcast.

I have known they were trying to do this for ages, but I was stunned that Bush called them in for so recent a meeting.

I will look up the broadcast...it was be on the Interfaith Alliance site I think

[blm]

47. They've been doing this since right after 9-11 and I posted about it many times

from 2002-2004. This has been a steady march to persuade the faithful that we are in a life and death struggle with Islam. They succeeded in radicalizing many Christians as much as the manipulative Ayatollahs have done to Muslims.

[Nunyabiz]

48. Which is why religion is so dangerous

it deceives the simple minded making them believe total absurdities and justifies violence, hatred & Genocide in the name of whatever mythical god of their choosing.