What Religion Does George Bush Practice ?
George W. Bush is linked by a historical oddity. He lost the popular vote, yet won the presidency after a contested dispute over balloting in Florida. When Bush was inaugurated as president, he became the third Methodist to assume the nation's highest office. |
You might think the election of another Methodist would be a reason of pride for the United Methodist Church. But in a remarkable display of candor, the United Methodist News Service instead detailed the president-elect's political differences with the denomination, even pointing out that Bush's political views have often been compared to those of a rival denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention.
"Having a United Methodist in office does not mean the president's policies will reflect those of the church," said the statement from the United Methodist News Service. The Methodists officially confront capital punishment and handgun ownership; Bush supports both. And the list of disagreements goes on: termination of pregnancy rights, gays in the military, school vouchers, even Social Security policy.
The religious sect is strongest in the southeast; in New England, a territory with 13.5 million residents, the church has just 111,000 members. Though he was raised in Presbyterian churches, Bush has been an active Methodist since quitting alcohol and discovering God in 1985; he and his wife have taught Sunday school at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, and since taking office as governor of Texas, Bush has worshiped at the Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin.
Bush has frequently spoken about religion in terms infrequently associated with members of mainline Protestant denominations in New England: He says he was born again after talking to Billy Graham; he has named Jesus as his favorite political philosopher and has questioned whether non-Christians can go to heaven. But such talk would be quite common to Methodists in Texas and other parts of the south, church officials say.
More Articles :
|
