No less than the German president, French prime minister and Belgian foreign
minister have joined religious leaders in expressing concern about Bush's
beliefs and the place of religion in U.S. politics.
Media commentators, especially in northern European countries with Protestant
heritages, have branded Bush's evangelical views as Christian fundamentalism,
with some even comparing them to the Islamic fundamentalism of Osama bin Laden (news
- web
sites).
The discussion reflects both the widespread popular anti-war sentiment in
Europe and the deeper gulf between a continent where faith is on the wane and an
America where religious values probably play a more prominent political role
than ever before.
German President Johannes Rau, a Protestant preacher's son who makes no
secret of his own faith, reacted sharply this week on n-tv television to press
reports that Bush believed defeating Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was part of a divine plan.
"George Bush has got a completely one-sided message. I don't think a
people gets a sign from God to liberate another people," he said.
"Nowhere does the Bible call for crusades."
Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, a vocal critic of the war, said before
hostilities broke out last month that he saw Christian fundamentalism gaining
influence in Washington and added: "That is, of course, a dangerous point
of departure."
French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, asked about a U.S. weekly's cover
story on Bush and God, told Le Point magazine: "In no way can God be called
on for a vote of confidence."
UNEASE AT GOD TALK
Bush's firm faith, rooted in an evangelical Protestantism that reflects an
important voter bloc in his Republican party, has also prompted questions in
mainstream U.S. media about how much it colors his stand on Iraq (news
- web
sites) and his war on terror.
In his speeches, he has asked for guidance from "the loving God behind
all of life and all of history," hinted he believed there was a
"divine plan" for the world and warned Americans that "we are in
a conflict between good and evil."
These references may not seem so out of place in the United States, where all
presidents say "God bless America" and "In God We Trust" is
emblazoned on dollar bills.
But they stand out and sometimes even shock many Europeans who remember how
German soldiers trooped off to World War One with "Gott mit uns" (God
with us) stamped on their belt buckles.
"I believe George Bush's religious views are genuine," Cardinal
Karl Lehmann, head of the German Bishop's Conference, told the Catholic weekly
Rheinischer Merkur in an interview on Thursday. "But this careless way of
using religious language is not acceptable anymore in today's world."
In Sweden, invoking God in politics is so unusual that parliamentarian Hans
Lindqvist told Reuters: "I've never seen anything like this before."
Commentators in Britain, where Prime Minister Tony Blair (news
- web
sites)'s firm but discreet Christian beliefs have also aroused critical
attention, have described Bush as "chaplain in chief" and analyzed his
use of religious phrases and images in detail.
"For world-weary Europe, the presidential language evokes mirth and
queasiness in equal measure," The Independent wrote.
In France, where even practicing Catholic or Jewish politicians shrink from
mentioning religion, the daily Le Monde reacted sharply last week to the news
that the U.S. House of Representatives had called for a day of national prayer
and fasting to secure divine blessings for U.S. troops in Iraq.
"This bizarre approach shocks Europeans," it said in an editorial.
Its religion correspondent accused Bush and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein of
"gross misuse" of religion.
"One is tempted to say the destiny of America is in the hands of a small
group of Protestant bigots," Henri Tincq wrote.
The religious side of Bush's thinking has attracted much less public
attention in traditionally Catholic countries such as Ireland, Italy and Spain,
where the Roman church has lost most of the vast influence it used to wield in
secular affairs.
Media there have focused mostly on whether the Iraq conflict is a just war,
sometimes quoting the pronounced anti-war stand of Pope John Paul (news
- web
sites) II.
Russia, which in its old communist days might have churned out caustic
criticism about the White House and "the opium of the people," has
also shown little interest in Bush's beliefs.
"Politicians now routinely invoke God and Orthodoxy for all sorts of
things," one longtime foreign resident remarked. "You can't open a
billiard hall without an Orthodox priest present." (Additional reporting by
Bart Crols in Brussels, Andrew Hay in London, Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin, Patrick
McLoughlin in Stockholm, Ron Popeski in Moscow, Carlos Santamaria in Madrid,
Estelle Shirbon in Rome and Kevin Smith in Dublin)
