George W. Bush, from man of God to devil incarnate

George W. Bush’s road to the White House: Evangelical Christians showed him the way in 1984.

Now, the year is 2007 and many Christians can’t stomach the sight of the President. President Bush has turned his back on the people, the faith, and the Christian way.

The catastrophic train wreck of a Presidency that George W. Bush would steer into the heart of America, was put on its tracks in 1984. What was so significant about the year 1984? Aside from George Orwell’s famed book that perfectly predicts (albeit prematurely) America’s democracy would end at the hands of Fascism, another major event was taking place. In 1984 George W. Bush decided he wanted to ‘know more about Jesus.’

He was about to turn 37, not long after his personal struggle with Cocaine. I have no evidence on the timing, but the math tells me the magical event happened 23 years ago, which means he was around 36 when he turned to Jesus Christ to be saved. It isn’t uncommon for people to turn to religion when they’ve hit rock bottom. Usually, when this happens, people with their backs against the wall are afraid, they feel helpless and believe they have nowhere else to turn.

If you’re familiar with the process, you know for many people, this is a desperate time in their lives. George W. Bush, like most Americans, needed validation and hope. He wanted life to have meaning and needed to hear everything was going to be OK.

George W. Bush, son of Vice President Bush, wanted to know Jesus

Below is an excerpt from an Arthur Blessitt (quite a name) website.

It details his experience and meeting with George W. Bush, a time when the President wanted to get to know Jesus. I had not heard of Arthur Blessitt much, but apparently he went through some very interesting tribulations to show love and support for God and the result was a life of Evangelism, fame, and perhaps a small fortune.

Arthur Blessitt, Evangelical Promotions

Midland, Texas - Permian Basin - April 1, 1984

“Hear Arthur Blessitt, world evangelist who has carried a 12 foot cross in 60 countries on six continents. Now 300 nations, island groups and territories on all 7 continents, over 36,067 miles. ‘The world’s longest walk according to the Guinness Book of Records.

In unity many churches, organizations and individuals support “Decision ‘84” with the sincere prayer that we might experience the love of God, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

from Arthur Blessit’s website:
The day I prayed with George to receive Jesus

George W. Bush looked at me, direct in the eyes with a calm steady look:

“Arthur, I did not feel comfortable attending the meeting, but I want talk to you about how to know Jesus Christ and how to follow Him.”

I was quite shocked at his direct and sincere approach. Few people just bring up that type subject themselves and especially within only two or three minutes of our meeting. I had been praying for him since last night when I heard he wanted to talk. My friend Jim and I had also prayed for Mr. Bush. Now I whispered a silent prayer:

“Oh Jesus put your words in my mouth and lead him to understand and be saved.”

I leaned forward, lifted the Bible that was in my hand and began to speak.
I’ve modified this part for readability:

Arthur Blessitt: “What is your relationship with Jesus”?
George W. Bush: “I’m not sure”.

Arthur Blessitt: “Let me ask you this. If you died this moment do you have assurance that you would go to heaven?”
George W. Bush: “No” he replied.

Arthur Blessitt: “Then let me explain to you how you can have that assurance and know for sure that you are saved.”

George W. Bush: “I like that.”

Those words took place in 1984. Fast forward to 2007 and we’re hearing a different tune from the President and Christians who were fooled by him.

President Bush believes Christians are ‘useful idiots’

President Bush and those he surrounds himself with on a regular basis frequently take time to mock and make fun of Christians, especially Evangelicals.David Kuo, former deputy director of the White House office of faith-based initiatives, quotes Karl Rove as saying Evangelicals are “nuts.”

Bush, staff and friends frequently referred to Christians, especially Evangelicals, as useful idiots. Kuo makes these claims in his new book entitled “Tempting Faith”.

Harper’s Magazine published an article on the Christian backlash against Bush and the neoconservative machine.

Neoconservatives have a long history of allegedly mocking Christians. It was, after all, the pro-Israel lobby that coined the term “useful idiots” - their term to describe pro-Israel Christians. Christians, they maintain, are good for money, votes and soldiers - but that’s about it.

Christians are not to be taken seriously. Bush has surrounded himself with such neocons, helping them every step of the way to implement their sinister agenda. Bush lied about WMDs in Iraq, and he still utilizes the “useful idiots” (Christians) as canon fodder on the battlefields of Iraq.

With every passing day, new revelations are made about our Bush Administration. Even then, it is difficult for me to imagine George W. Bush matching wits with a simpleton, much less pulling the wool over an educated and highly influential Christian collective. The President proved me wrong. His ability to deceive is beyond measure, and he’d later dupe the entire nation into supporting his War in Iraq as well as reelecting him in 2004.

the Great American Hoax

Seven years after the great illusion Bush pulled over America’s eyes, I remain bitter and downright furious with the Evangelical Christian movement that made President Bush’s Presidency possible.

I remember very clearly, how the Christian faith warned that the world would come to an end very soon. Jerry Falwell, a hero that pushed the movement beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, was warning of the rapture and insisted it was important to fight anyone who threatened the Christian way of life. This included, of course.. Democrats and non-Evangelical Christians, including Catholics and of course, the nation of Islam.

If you listened to the Reverend Jerry Falwell, the year 2000 should have been the end of the world as we knew it. To a certain extent, he was right, President Bush would change our lives and the world as we knew it, maybe forever. Christian’s strong faith in biblical prophets and “the Word” allowed politicians to con them into believing the great American hoax.

President Bush promised to do what no other President could do, mostly because of a little known document called “the Constitution.” President Bush and his bandwagon filled with neo-conservative die hards could and would change America’s ways, he promised, you just vote for me and we’ll show YOU the way.

Candidate George W. Bush, 1999, running for President

George W. Bush, in addition to campaigning as a ‘peaceful President’ – unlike war-monger Bill Clinton who wasted time chasing boogie men like Osama Bin Laden — took part in this great manipulation of American society and the Christian faithful. As a Candidate, President Bush promised to make America a more Christian friendly nation. He made promises of setting aside millions of dollars to help Christian organizations flourish.

It wasn’t uncommon to hear the President make promises to end abortion and they’d go so far as asserting they’d make unconstitutional laws, constitutional. These politicians insisted that government sponsored prayer should and would be allowed in public places! (if not for baby killing Democrats who would sooner worship the Devil than see our public schools or courtrooms used as a tool of God!) What most Americans don’t understand about our country is that it is very complicated to pass certain policies and make law that would reverse precedent on certain issues.

President Bush did do one thing that may help Christians feel more ‘comfortable’ in this atheist State. He promoted some very strong conservatives into the Supreme Court and the high federal courts that ‘interpret’ American law. So at least for a year or two, we’ll see nice reversals on Affirmative Action and Roe v. Wade precedent, at least until the next swing of the pendulum that represents American politics.

America and Christians must now face the consequences, together

The consequences of riding rhetoric, for Christians, is that our country is ripped apart from the inside. We’re destroying what it means to be American, sending off “the troops” to fight a war that isn’t ours to fight, we’re killing a half million innocent civilians in the middle east and too dense and arrogant to understand why the world hates us. It would be wise to remember the ‘minor’ mishaps like forgetting to chase down Osama Bin Laden, helping Katrina victims, vetoing child health care legislation, and blunder after blunder on immigration, foreign policy, military strategy,.. the list goes on.

The end result is a failed presidency, a Democracy on the verge of collapse, and the only explanation that Evangelical Christians are putting forth is that “President George W. Bush must be the anti-Christ”. I hope as we approach 2008, more Americans will stand up against the injustice happening in American politics that has ruined political discourse, tainted our Democracy, crippled our Election system, and pitted Americans against one another in a major power grab by both political parties that dominate our country.

Fred Soto is an Attorney and Entrepreneur from the Silicon Valley.
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