Here’s my scorecard on President Bush’s religious remarks over the weekend.
“We feel our reliance on the creator who made us.” – Reliance on any kind of higher power is important. +10 points
“We place our sorrows and cares before him, seeking God’s mercy.” – Implies that God will pull some levers about the bad stuff of our external world. -10 points
“We ask forgiveness for our failures, seeking the renewal he can bring.” – Personal failures are tied to doing something different — renewal. +10 points
“For those who observe Easter and Passover, faith brings confidence that failure is never final, and suffering is temporary, and the pains of the earth will be overcome.” – Implies the best way to deal with a crappy life on earth is to believe that heaven awaits. -10 points
“We can be confident, too, that evil may be present and it may be strong, but it will not prevail.” – Implies the devil is the cause of the world’s troubles, instead of the mistaken ideas of humans. -10 points
“Many good people practice no faith at all.” – Many bad people go through the motions, too, but this is an important acknowledgement to all the agnostics, atheists, and plain non-practicing folks . +10 points.
“In this season, we are assured that history is of moral design. Justice and cruelty have always been at war, and God is not neutral between them. His purposes are often defied, but never defeated.” – Implies that God is on our side in the war against terrorism, that the US knows what’s best. Not. -10 points.
“I hope that this holy season will bring renewal of faith to those who seek it, and comfort to those who need it.” – I agree. +10 points
Total score: zero. Much better than I expected.