In Their Own Words
I’m driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq . . . And I did.
And now, again, I feel God’s words coming to me, Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East. And by God I’m gonna do it.
Pres. George W. Bush
Jordan Summit 2003
Quoted by Nabil Shaath, Palestinian negotiator, BBC TV series,
Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs”
BBC, Oct. 7, 2005<</em>/p> Katrina is a consequence of the destruction of [Gaza’s] Gush Katif with America’s urging and encouragement.
Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Lewin
Executive Director
Rabbinic Congress for Peace
Village Voice
Sept. 21, 2005
President Bush said that God guided him in what he should do, and this guidance led him to go to Afghanistan to rid it of terrorism after 9/11 and led him to Iraq to fight tyranny. We understood that he was illustrating his strong faith and his belief that this is what God wanted.
Mahmoud Abbas
Palestinian leader
BBC Interview, Oct. 7, 2005
He’s never made such comments.
Scott McClellan
White House spokesman
BBC News, Oct. 6, 2005
It [Hurricane Katrina] was God’s retribution. God does not shortchange anyone. He [Bush] perpetrated the expulsion [from the Gaza Strip] . . . This is his punishment for what he did to Gush Katif, and everyone else who did as he told them, their time will come, too.
Rabbi Ovadia Josef
Former Chief Rabbi of Israel
Associated Press, Sept. 21, 2005
I’m raising the question [was God ‘purifying’ New Orleans?]. At some point, God will hold us accountable for our sins. They have devil worship. They advertise ‘Sin City’ tours. They celebrate Southern decadence.
Girls go wild in New Orleans. Sometimes God does not speak through natural phenomena. This may have nothing to do with God being offended by homosexuality. But possibly it does.
Rev. Dwight McKissic
Cornerstone Baptist Church Arlington, Texas
Texas Restoration Project speech
(sharing podium with Gov. Rick Perry)
EthicsDaily.com, Sept. 13, 2005
God is roaring to us in America! This time He is using Rita to get our attention. . . . We must end abortion now or suffer the ever increasing consequences.
Rev. Flip Benham
National Director
Operation Save America
Christian Comm. Network
This is one wicked city, OK? . . . There’s been a black spiritual cloud over New Orleans for years. They believe God is going to use that storm to bring revival.
Rev. Franklin Graham
Virginia speech
MSNBC, Oct. 5, 2005
New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast have always been known for gambling, sin and wickedness. It is the kind of behavior that ultimately brings the judgment of God.
State Sen. Hank Erwin, Ala.
Birmingham News
Sept. 28, 2005
I promise God and you that I will adopt the Qur’an as the constitution and Islam as the course, and that all my concerns will be to establish righteousness and justice.
King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia
Aug. 3 enthronement
Associated Press
Aug. 4, 2005
But I do know that it’s true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. . . .
[I’m] pointing out that abortion should not be opposed for economic reasons any more than racism . . . should be supported or opposed for economic reasons. Immoral policies are wrong because they are wrong, not because of an economic calculation.
William Bennett
Author,Book of Virtues
Fmr. Education Secretary
“Morning in America” Radio Show
Sept. 28, 2005
