"Do I think faith will be an important part of being a good president? Yes, I do"
About this Quote
Bush treats faith not as a private embellishment but as a governing instrument, a source of moral orientation, discipline, and empathy. Coming from a candidate who often spoke of a personal religious awakening, sobriety, and accountability to a higher authority, the line signals that character and conviction are not separable from policy or leadership style. It also aligns with his brand of compassionate conservatism, which cast government not as the sole problem-solver but as a partner to families, churches, and civic groups in addressing social needs.
The political and institutional context reinforces the point. Early in his presidency he created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, arguing that religious organizations often reach people whom bureaucracies miss. That move, praised by supporters as pragmatic and humane, drew constitutional scrutiny from critics wary of church-state entanglement. The tension highlights a central American dilemma: the nation expects its presidents to speak in moral terms grounded in faith traditions, even as it guards legal boundaries between religion and government.
After September 11, Bushs reliance on faith inflected his language of moral clarity and good versus evil. To admirers, that steadiness steadied a shaken country; to detractors, it shaded into certitude that narrowed debate, especially as the administration moved toward war in Iraq. He tried to reconcile conviction with pluralism by insisting that the United States was not at war with Islam and by visiting a mosque, gestures that acknowledged a religiously diverse public square.
There is also the electoral dimension. Speaking openly about faith energized a large evangelical constituency without being out of step with long American traditions of presidential piety, from Lincoln to Carter to Reagan. Ultimately the statement outlines a philosophy of leadership: faith as a compass that cultivates humility, perseverance, and a concern for the vulnerable. Its promise is moral purpose anchored beyond expediency; its risk is mistaking moral confidence for infallibility in a democracy that depends on doubt, reason, and debate.
The political and institutional context reinforces the point. Early in his presidency he created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, arguing that religious organizations often reach people whom bureaucracies miss. That move, praised by supporters as pragmatic and humane, drew constitutional scrutiny from critics wary of church-state entanglement. The tension highlights a central American dilemma: the nation expects its presidents to speak in moral terms grounded in faith traditions, even as it guards legal boundaries between religion and government.
After September 11, Bushs reliance on faith inflected his language of moral clarity and good versus evil. To admirers, that steadiness steadied a shaken country; to detractors, it shaded into certitude that narrowed debate, especially as the administration moved toward war in Iraq. He tried to reconcile conviction with pluralism by insisting that the United States was not at war with Islam and by visiting a mosque, gestures that acknowledged a religiously diverse public square.
There is also the electoral dimension. Speaking openly about faith energized a large evangelical constituency without being out of step with long American traditions of presidential piety, from Lincoln to Carter to Reagan. Ultimately the statement outlines a philosophy of leadership: faith as a compass that cultivates humility, perseverance, and a concern for the vulnerable. Its promise is moral purpose anchored beyond expediency; its risk is mistaking moral confidence for infallibility in a democracy that depends on doubt, reason, and debate.
Quote Details
| Topic | Faith |
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