G1223, on Aug 12 2004, 06:27 AM, said:
What was he suppose to say to the country. The speech that so upset you is a prayer for the people who lost family on 9/11.
FDR ended his famous Dec. 7th Speech with the words "so help me God."
The Shuttle disaster under Regan had a religious ending for the souls of those men and women lost. The recent one also did.
Basically people at a time of death turn to their faith for strength and comfort. I did after my mother's death.
Sad to say when the president is making such a speech he is not saying that your grief for the dead is wrong,but that he is trying to reach us all. Yes everyone knows someone will not be reached that is the part as good people we reach out to those missed and bring them comfort.
If the President was wician and called on the Lord and Lady he would need to explain what he was doing. If he called upon Kali he would need to as well. But that use of the bible told a majority of us that we had to have faith that those who had died were with God and suffered no more.
That was actually comforting to a lot of people.
Have other presidents invoked their religious beliefs on occasion? Sure. I wish they'd cut it out, too.
I'm not trying to deny Christians, or anyone else, the right to find comfort where they can. I don't want to belittle what anyone finds comforting. I'd just like for the leader of my country to lead all of us, not just Christians. Is that really too much to ask?