Anyone notice that *'s statement on religion had alot to do with *.....

[kmla]

.... and less to do with how he practices his religion in relation to others?

From the transcripts:

<snip>

First, my faith plays a lot—a big part in my life. And that‘s, when I was answering that question, what I was really saying to the person was that I pray a lot. And I do.

And my faith is a very—it‘s very personal. I pray for strength. I pray for wisdom. I pray for our troops in harm‘s way. I pray for my family. I pray for my little girls.

But I‘m mindful in a free society that people can worship if they want to or not. You‘re equally an American if you choose to worship an almighty and if you choose not to.

If you‘re a Christian, Jew or Muslim, you‘re equally an American. That‘s the great thing about America, is the right to worship the way you see fit.

Prayer and religion sustain me. I receive calmness in the storms of the presidency.

I love the fact that people pray for me and my family all around the country. Somebody asked me one time, “Well, how do you know?” I said, “I just feel it.”

Religion is an important part. I never want to impose my religion on anybody else.

But when I make decisions, I stand on principle, and the principles are derived from who I am.

I believe we ought to love our neighbor like we love ourself, as manifested in public policy through the faith-based initiative where we‘ve unleashed the armies of compassion to help heal people who hurt.

I believe that God wants everybody to be free. That‘s what I believe.

And that‘s been part of my foreign policy. In Afghanistan, I believe that the freedom there is a gift from the Almighty. And I can‘t tell you how encouraged I am to see freedom on the march.

And so my principles that I make decisions on are a part of me, and religion is a part of me.

<SNIP>

********************************************
17 references to "I" in that statement.
********************************************

Whereas Senator Kerry's comments about faith was not only how he considered his faith a part of who he was, BUT HOW WE SHOULD TREAT OTHERS AS CHRISTIANS SHOULD.

i.e. - Do unto others as you would have them do untoward you..

<snip>

Well, I respect everything that the president has said and certainly respect his faith. I think it‘s important and I share it. I think that he just said that freedom is a gift from the Almighty.

Everything is a gift from the Almighty. And as I measure the words of the Bible—and we all do; different people measure different things—the Koran, the Torah, or, you know, Native Americans who gave me a blessing the other day had their own special sense of connectedness to a higher being. And people all find their ways to express it.

I was taught—I went to a church school and I was taught that the two greatest commandments are: Love the Lord, your God, with all your mind, your body and your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. And frankly, I think we have a lot more loving of our neighbor to do in this country and on this planet.

We have a separate and unequal school system in the United States of America. There‘s one for the people who have, and there‘s one for the people who don‘t have. And we‘re struggling with that today.

And the president and I have a difference of opinion about how we live out our sense of our faith.

I talked about it earlier when I talked about the works and faith without works being dead.

I think we‘ve got a lot more work to do. And as president, I will always respect everybody‘s right to practice religion as they choose—or not to practice—because that‘s part of America.

<SNIP>

Pretty telling of the mindset of the candidates, wouldn't you agree?

[LynzM]

1. Yup,

Once again, Bush doesn't answer the question, and doesn't 'walk the walk.' Kerry pretty swiftly pointed that out in both his reply, and his 'faith without deeds' reference. Very telling.

[DenverDem]

2. Narcissism=Worship of Self

Classic sciopathology.

"Gawd talks to me, therefore I am a crony of Gawd's, ie His equal."

I got news for you, junior. Those voices you hear are not God.

[kerryin2004]

3. It was a very good schooling..

In all three debates Kerry taught Bush a lesson, now Bush is probably too thick headed for any of it to have sunk in..To ask his supporters to comprehend the lessons is not likely because they are so similar to Bush..


BTW my fav line in all 3 debates was the OB/GYN comment where Kerry said OB/GYN's or brain surgeons should be able to practice freely.. That was the best dig at the presidunce!

[ismnotwasm]

4. Well bush, if you really do all that praying...

evidently it's supremely ineffective.

[Bill McBlueState]

5. conservative protestantism encourages that

Conservative Protestants like * are all about doing whatever it takes to get themselves "saved." It's a very self-centered religion. Contrast this with liberal Protestantism or Kerry's Catholicism, with their strong emphasis on responsibility to humanity and the environment.

A fundamentalist will give a poor man a Bible, while a progressive Christian will give him a meal.

[readmylips]

6. I founded odd that little bush said he prayed a lot....

I really do. Was he trying to reassure the audience or God? I think he was lying and the 'I really do' was for God, who knows bush is lying through his teeth. Besides, while he was talking about praying and religion he was blinking like a lying maniac.

[MsUnderstood]

7. excellent point

I was thinking about how Bush talked about how he prayed and Kerry said I live by the bible.

It is like Lincoln's quote about God being on our side. . .if someone can find it the quote it is very close to what is happening.

[meg]

8. He drove me nuts in the 2000 race because EVERYTHING

was always about HIM! Someone noted that when Karen Hughes went out of the White House to speak about 9/11 - Bush was still in Florida thinking about goats or flying all over the country - Karen said that she wanted us to know that the President was alright. The editorial writer said - we wanted to know that WE were alright and we wanted the president to tell us so.

It's all about him.