God and George W. Bush: A Look at the Man and His Presidency

August 24, 2004

CBN.com – (CBN News) - Dr. Paul Kengor is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Grove City College, a private, four-year, liberal arts Christian college located in Pennsylvania. Dr. Kengor is the author of God and Ronald Reagan, which was a best-seller. Pat Robertson interviewed Kengor on the 700 Club about his newest book, God and George W. Bush, and about the role President Bush's faith plays in his life and in his presidency.

PAT ROBERTSON: With us from New York to talk about the president's faith is Paul Kengor. He is a professor of political science at Grove City College, and the author of a book called God and George W. Bush: The Spiritual Life. Paul, welcome back to the 700 Club.

PAUL KENGOR: Hi Pat, it's good to be back, thank you.

ROBERTSON: There seems to be visceral hate of Bush among certain radicals, and it has to do with his faith. Can you tell us about that?

KENGOR: Yes. The hatred for this guy -- I don't think there is anything like it since Richard Nixon.They detest this man and his faith has a lot to do with it. You know, Pat, the Left in particular, hated John Ashcroft even before there was a Patriot Act. It really galls them when a conservative Republican president talks his faith. And it's funny, because they don't feel that way when their own folks do it. Bill Clinton spoke in churches 21 times, as president. George W. Bush has spoken in churches three times. That excludes memorial services. But Clinton spoke in churches seven more times than Bush. By the way, over half of those 21 occasions were during election years. Clinton flat out asked for votes, did vote pushing in churches. The New York Times and the media did not complain or cry foul. They let it go. Quotes like this are common. This is Jesse Jackson just two weeks ago: Herod was a conservative, Jesus was a liberal. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) in Iowa a few months ago, said Jesus was a Democrat, I think. Now imagine if George W. Bush said something like that. I am sharing quotes now, and listeners are saying I don't remember those fellows saying those things. Well, they were not reported on. But when George W. Bush cites Jesus as his favorite philosopher, you have a collective coronary by the entire Washington press core.

ROBERTSON: Well, Jesse Jackson stood up and said God has more for me to do, and everybody cheers. Clinton said God has a purpose for me. What is the difference? It is a double standard.

KENGOR: It is a total double standard. You have in the book, People from the American Way and Separation of Church and State groups, and some of them can see that, yes, there is, in fact, a glaring double standard. And then they'll say, but you know, Republicans are not as inclusive in their faith. Actually with George W. Bush, that's not the case at all. As you know, it is difficult to find an American politician in all of American history who spoke as glowingly of Islam as George W. Bush has. George W. Bush believes we are all God's children, and God has implanted the desire for freedom in the heart of all human beings, Christian, Jews, and Muslims. He really abides by that. And if anything, his is one of the most tolerant faiths that I have ever come across.

ROBERTSON: He was pretty much a party boy and near-alcoholic, by his own terms. Just lived a wild life. And suddenly he had this encounter with Jesus. Tell us about what happened to change his life.

KENGOR: Yes, you really have to look at George W. Bush's faith experience as not a single incident, but really over his entire lifetime. In fact, I start the book by focusing on something with Bush that I think has been completely neglected. Not completely, but certainly not quite connected as it should have been to his faith experience. That is the death of his baby sister Robin, who came down with leukemia when she was only three years old. George W. Bush was seven years old, and within months, this little girl died. He never forgot about it. There is an incident a few months after her death where the family is at a football game, they are trying to put this behind them, trying to get on with life. And Little George W. Bush is in the stands, and he says out loud, among all of the friends and family, 'Dad, I wish I was Robin." And his father said, 'George, why would you say something like that?' He said, 'Because I can't see over everybody's heads, and Robin is in heaven, and if I was up there with her, she has the best seat in the house and I could see like Robin.' George W. Bush woke up screaming sometimes at night, with nightmares after his sister's death. This first connected him to faith. When they were at Saint Anne's by the Sea, a church they attended in Kennebunkport, Maine, Bush one day was staring at a stained glass window, and there was a picture of Jesus with a little girl walking to His arms. And he said to his mother, 'That makes me think of Robin.' That began it, the encounter with Billy Graham in 1985 solidified it, and he really becomes the deep devout Christian that he is now in the late 80s and early 90s.

ROBERTSON: There are prayer meetings and Bible studies throughout the White House. There are people who criticize him for that. Tell us about those.

KENGOR: There are a number of Bible studies. By the way, the Clinton administration had a Bible study as well, which was never criticized, and Hillary Rodham Clinton said she had what she called 'prayer partners,' and a prayer group in the White House, and that was never criticized. But this White House does, in fact, have a number of prayer groups and Bible studies, and George W. Bush himself wakes up every morning, and reads the Bible and reads a devotional. His favorite devotional is Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest." He has, Bush, pretty much reads through the Bible every two to three years. He's very disciplined. He makes sure he blocks out five, 10, 15 minutes at least each day, to read the devotional and some type of Scripture verses. One of the most disciplined presidents that I have ever seen in terms of that. Ronald Reagan, who had a deep faith, I found no evidence that Reagan read the Bible every morning while he was president. Bush makes the time for it.

ROBERTSON: Thank you for this very well-researched and interesting book. Ladies and gentlemen, this book is available right now. It is called "God and George W. Bush: The Spiritual Life." He wrote a spiritual life of Ronald Reagan. You will find fascinating things in here. It is available at CBN.com, or I'm sure wherever books are sold. It is out now and just released, and Paul, once again, thank you very much.

KENGOR: Thank you, Pat.

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