Mmmmm... Sacrelicious.

Sic 'em, Madeline!

Albright critical of Bush's religious absolutism
LONDON (Reuters) - President Bush has alienated Muslims around the world by using absolutist Christian rhetoric to discuss foreign policy issues, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says.

"I worked for two presidents who were men of faith, and they did not make their religious views part of American policy," she said, referring to Jimmy Carter and
Bill Clinton, both Democrats and Christians.

"President Bush's certitude about what he believes in, and the division between good and evil, is, I think, different," said Albright, who has just published a book on religion and world affairs. "The absolute truth is what makes Bush so worrying to some of us."

[...]

She quotes from his speech to his party convention of 2004, when he told Republicans: "We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom."

"Some of his language is really quite over the top," Albright told Reuters on Sunday during a trip to London to promote her book. "When he says 'God is on our side', it's very different from (former U.S. President Abraham) Lincoln saying 'We have to be on God's side'."

"From beyond the stars." Good lord. Someone really needs to keep a close eye on Prezint Second Coming; he's listening to The Great Gazoo.

This is exactly what freaks me out about Bush's religious fervor. He doesn't just use it as a means of enhancing his life or a moral compass... he's not even simply using it as a tool anymore. The guy thinks he talks to God, for chrissakes. It's bad enough when he's flinging his beliefs around to alter policy in this country; Albright is right, all this Jesus talk is making the rest of the world very nervous. And that makes me nervous. No wonder I haven't had a good night's sleep in almost two weeks.

Be ready for the inevitable right-wing smear; I'm sure they'll be using this quote quite a bit:

Asked about her own beliefs, Albright said she had "a very confused religious background."

Out of context, that's gold, baby!

These days, she describes herself as "an Episcopalian (U.S. Anglican) with a Catholic background," recalling how she used to pray to the Virgin Mary as a child and still does.

"I know I believe in God but I have doubts, and doubt is part of faith," she said.

Damn right it is. But Bush and the Religious Right have changed the meaning of faith to "absolute, unquestioning obedience." No wonder they want everyone to think of Bush as the second coming.

(Here's the cross-post, here's the steeple...)