www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Why does President Bush not attend Church on Sunday?

In the past every US president attended church EVERY Sunday, what happened? Supposedly the people who attend church most often voted for him, yet he wasn't one himself? I'm not trying to be partisan. I'm just curious what anyone thinks of this. Can things really be this bad...I like to be optimistic.

this article is what prompted it: http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20041011&s=sullivan101104

Once again I repeat I am not trying to be partisan. Just sociological.

Criostoir,

Since I am decidedly NOT a subscriber to TNR, I was unable to read the full article in the link you provided.

For all we know, the President and Mrs. Bush may have private services in the White House on Sunday. He may feel that his presence at a church would either be a great distraction to the services or a real security risk given the times we live in.

Why is it any of our business?

Liberals went wild with Republicans asking questions about Clinton's romps with interns in the White House, saying it was intruding on his private life. Yet here we have a man in the White House who knows how to treat interns and his wife, never confusing the two, and because he provides no post-service photo-op clutching bible in hand like Bill and Hillary, we should be concerned?

Honestly.

If President Bush went to church, no doubt TNR would castigate him for pushing the talking points of the last Sunday sermon on the American people. For this President, it's a lose, lose proposition with liberals.

Gordo

Criostoir, Christ is Risen!

I believe your reference about every president attending church every Sunday is inaccurate. From my understanding, President Reagan seldomly attended church during his second term. I do not know if this is true for his first term, but I remember the observation was made by the media towards the close of his administration.

In the Risen Christ,
Father Anthony+

Father Anthony,

I recall the same observation being made. Do you know if the White House has a chapel?

Criostoir, forgive me if it appeared that my criticisms were aimed at you for posting your question. I was taking issue with TNR (what I could read of it), not you.

Gordo

Gordo, Christ is Risen!

No, the White House does not have a chapel. But that really does not matter for Evangelical Protestant worship. Any place would do.

I hope this helps.

In the Risen Christ,
Father Anthony+

Indeed He is Risen!

True enough...isn't Bush a Methodist though? I thought Methodists still maintained some semblance of liturgical life and ministry.

Carson, your thoughts?

God bless,

Gordo

Gordo, Christ is Risen!

I believe, and Dan can correct me, all you would need is a few hymnals, a small table and a lectern. the rest could be brought in. So if he wanted to have services in the White House, it could be possible. BTW, this can be all cleared up by going to the White House website and looking at the published schedule for a Sunday.

In the Risen Christ,
Father Anthony+

Did the Byzantine Emperors attend church every Sunday?

Ray

I�m not a subscriber to TNR so I can�t read the article.

From what I have seen in the local (Washington, DC) press over the past six years it seems that President Bush does indeed attend Church on Sundays. He does spend most weekends at Camp David and the news reports often include the line �went to Church with the First Lady and their daughters� in the Sunday news. I don�t know if Camp David has a formal chapel but I do know that it has regularly scheduled religious services, including a Roman Catholic Mass on Sundays and holydays.

President Reagan attended Church less often after the assassination attempt. Several biographers note that this was not because he was less religious but because he disliked putting other worshippers through the screening process. He once joked that when he attended Church it bothered him that he and not the Lord seemed to be the center of attention.

Just a guess on my part, but the logistics of screening the faithful seems much easier for those already inside Camp David than it would be to a regular parish Church in Washington, DC. Maybe that is part of why the current president usually worships there. Or maybe he just enjoys Camp David so much he doesn�t want to return so early on a Sunday. It would be interesting to read the full story and then to do the legwork to find out if any of the claims are true.

Ah, yes, I see my name. I have no clue as to when the President goes to Church. I have no access to the article. Perhaps Criostoir could copy and paste the actual evidence from the article. Since I don't know I have no opinion on that.

Indeed, a Methodist service can take place under a tree without any vestments, or hymn books, or anything at all except a preacher and two other people. If the people know some songs and the preacher knows the scripture passage he wishes to use neither song sheets nor Bible are necessary. In some ways that makes it alot easier to move behind enemy lines and fewer excuses for not evangelizing...hint, hint. On the other hand it is an open invitation for not knowing anything about worship on the Methodists part when this kind of sloppiness becomes standard.

CDL

Dan, Christ is Risen!

I thought so, but you are more the expert on Methodist "liturgics" than I .

In the Risen Christ,
Father Anthony+

Dear Friends,

I believe your current President is Episcopalian - and his brother, the Governor of Florida is an RC by marriage . . .

The President, however, likes to visit churches on Sundays of various denominations, including the Methodists.

I like the Methodists myself!

Especially John Wesley and Francis Asbury . . .

Alex

Alex,

I do think that GW is a Methodist. His mom and Dad are Episcopalians. I could well be wrong.

CDL, still waiting for Criostoir's copy and paste

Dear Christoir,

Well at one time the rotunda of our Capital, (I believe that's what it is called), was used for religious services. No doubt Episcopalian...the church of the 'elite'. So don't ever let anyone tell you that a separation of Church and state ever existed in the way that it is presented by the liberals. :rolleyes:

That a separation is mentioned in the Constitution is only to ensure that 'one' denomination will not be imposed on the rest of the populace in any way. Actually, many states at that time were still connected to the denominations that established them. They certainly did not want a Federal government religion superceding them.

As for Pres. Bush, I believe he attends a Methodist Church. I don't doubt his family was Episcopalian, but there was a time when Episcopalian and Methodist was sort of interchangeable. One was 'high', and the other 'low'...or so I think. (Did you know when I was young, some girls would not dance in gym. I was told they were Methodists).

I doubt though that the President was very devout in his youth, (he was quite a party goer). He became 'born again in the Spirit' after marrying his wife...a Methodist. It's highly doubtful that it was for political expediency since he was quite a drinker. More than likely, it gave him the spiritual and moral strength to stop drinking. (Hey maybe Clinton could have used that for his problem). Just joking here! :p

As for John Wesley, I recall listening to a priest on EWTN read some of his hymns. He ended it with one that was basically about the Eucharist and it sounded very much like the Body and Blood of our Lord.

I think we have to separate what the founders of these faiths believed in, (after all they were raised in a sacramental Church), and what was later discounted by church leaders because of an 'oppositional' theology to the Catholic faith.

Zenovia

Dear Professor Dan,

Well, I know the religion of MY head of state!

So you are suggesting that there is "Methodism to his madness?"



Alex