According to this transparently pro-Bush documentary, never since Abraham Lincoln has a sitting American President talked so much about God.

Watching this documentary convinced me that President Bush sincerely professes a personal faith in Jesus Christ, and that his ascension to power as President of the United States can largely be attributed to the changes brought about in his life by that decision. Consequently, George W. Bush has undoubtedly become the emergent hero of the Religious Right in America.

Embarrassed by the much-publicised infidelity of the previous President, Bill Clinton, American Christians today feel proud that ‘their man’ is in the White House and feel that he stands as the defender of 'truth, justice and the American way'. But this President has also been one of the most divisive in American history. He came to power by the slimmest majority, and the decision to invade Iraq bitterly split the country and strained relationships with long-term allies. Long serving American diplomats around the world resigned in protest as years of diplomatic efforts were flushed down the toilet by an Administration determined to go to war, despite the lack of evidence for the alleged WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) in Iraq. This documentary, available in a Christian bookstore near you, glaringly fails to mention these details.

Many argue today that the path that took America to war in Iraq was not a righteous path at all, but one that was devised in the policy rooms of the previous (Bush senior) Administration. The Republican’s Pax Americana foreign policy document lay locked away gathering dust throughout the Clinton years, but already had outlined a new and aggressive policy for the Middle East, redefining America’s role in the world and clearly advocating America’s use of its military and economic power to advance its interests abroad. It even acknowledged that such a plan would be unlikely to win the support of the American people until such time as a major terrorist attack took place on American soil: an attack on home soil would be needed to reshape domestic attitudes and galvanise support for such a bold plan. Then soon after George W came to power, the events of 9/11 achieved exactly that, fuelling speculation of covert government agendas and numerous conspiracy theories.

Regardless of the lack of evidence to support the theory that Saddam
Hussein was behind the 9/11 attacks, most Americans, shell-shocked by the events of 9/11, patriotically backed the initiative to invade Afghanistan and Iraq under the banner of a War on Terror. Allies were intimidated into co-operation with the Americans by George Bush's "You're either with us or against us" rhetoric. Despite advice to the contrary by the best academic minds in the world, the invasion was launched and the rest is now history. Three years later Iraq is a mess - a quagmire of dissidents and Islamic insurgents bent on destabilising the country. Apparently the critics were right. Civilian casualties stand at more than 33,000 souls. The Iraqi government is in deadlock and many analysts believe that Iraq stands on the brink of civil war.

So was George W. Bush a man appointed by God ‘for such as time as this’? Or is he merely a tool in the hands of clever Republicans who realised the importance of capturing the Christian vote in America? There is no doubt that George W. professes a sincere belief in Jesus Christ as his personal savior - that fact is not under dispute - but do the policies of the Bush Administration really reflect the values of Jesus Christ? Does George W. Bush even determine America's foreign policy or has he become a puppet President for those with a more sinister and calculated agenda? Is George W. being used by God, or is he being used by others? Have the American people been duped into embracing an evangelical President at the cost of endorsing an aggressive and ambitiously expanding military machine?

In a fear-racked post-9/11 America, it has made the American people feel more secure that ‘a man of God’ occupies the chair of the Commander in Chief. But that sense of security may very well be short-lived. The foreign policy of the United States since 9/11 has done little to impress the citizens of allied nations, much less win friends and influence among its enemies. As the body bags keep coming home from Iraq, America is again immersed in some deep soul-searching about whether it really places its trust in God... or the mere man who occupies the most powerful position on earth.

Ignoring all of the above, George W Bush: Faith in the White House is a superficial documentary which is transparently slanted to a pro-Bush agenda. It professes to be 'independent' yet interviews only President Bush's closest friends, supporters and advisers, whilst giving little consideration to the views of his Christian critics. It advances the questionable notion that one President's private faith is of greater importance than the overall morality of the foreign and domestic policies which his government advances. What this documentary does achieve, however, is to stress the importance of prayer for our political leaders. George W. Bush has the most difficult job on earth and is surrounded by people who want to capture his influence to advance their own agendas. He has publicly and humbly acknowledged his dependence upon God to fulfill his role as President and he certainly needs our prayers.

Allan Weatherall
Publisher, Worldview Interactive