George W. Bush a United Methodist?!?

[shackleton]

I just found this out, maybe everyone else already knew this. I was always hearing about how G.W. was "evangelical" so I naturally assumed he was Baptist or something of that strain.

I don't know if I would call the United Methodist chruch "evangelical." I wonder how many Baptist, Dispensational, revivalist types know that their beloved political hero is a Methodist.

Go to google, type in George Bush and United Methodist it is all over the place.

 

[DMcFadden]

I just found this out, maybe everyone else already knew this. I was always hearing about how G.W. was "evangelical" so I naturally assumed he was Baptist or something of that strain.

I don't know if I would call the United Methodist chruch "evangelical." I wonder how many Baptist, Dispensational, revivalist types know that their beloved political hero is a Methodist.

Go to google, type in George Bush and United Methodist it is all over the place.

Actually, Mrs. Bush's commitment to the Methodists is greater than that of W. But, he does read his Bible daily and pray (even though it made Tony Blair think he was a "nutter"). And, in Texas, there actually are evangelical UMC congregations. In my experience, different denoms have their pockets of liberal and conservative congregations (e.g., the ABC is ultra lib in MA and the So.Cal folks were so conservative, we separated from the national body). A few of the national bodies have their most conservative churches in the southern belt.

 

[Simply_Nikki]

Is President Bush still claiming that Christians, Muslims and Jews worship the same God? If so.. i'm not so sure I worship the same god as Mr. Bush.

 

[bookslover]

I think Hillary is a UM, also. Go figure...

 

[Devin]

I think Hillary is a UM, also. Go figure...

How ironic.

 

[etexas]

I just found this out, maybe everyone else already knew this. I was always hearing about how G.W. was "evangelical" so I naturally assumed he was Baptist or something of that strain.

I don't know if I would call the United Methodist chruch "evangelical." I wonder how many Baptist, Dispensational, revivalist types know that their beloved political hero is a Methodist.

Go to google, type in George Bush and United Methodist it is all over the place.

Actually, Mrs. Bush's commitment to the Methodists is greater than that of W. But, he does read his Bible daily and pray (even though it made Tony Blair think he was a "nutter"). And, in Texas, there actually are evangelical UMC congregations. In my experience, different denoms have their pockets of liberal and conservative congregations (e.g., the ABC is ultra lib in MA and the So.Cal folks were so conservative, we separated from the national body). A few of the national bodies have their most conservative churches in the southern belt.

Very good point, here in what some call the belt-buckle of the Bible belt there are a number of fairly Biblical UMC Churches, my mom goes to one, and while not Reformed (of course), I WILL give this particular body credit for at least being pretty serious about Scripture!

 

[Zenas]

Mr. Bush says he worships the same God has Hindus. Mr. Bush and I do worship different deities then. I worship Yaweh.

 

[Theoretical]

Yes, he is United Methodist. When he was part-owner of the Texas Rangers, he went to my old church (Highland Park UMC).

 

[shackleton]

Here where live the UMC is very liberal. Made up of a lot of feminists who embrace or take the good parts from all religions. Brian Mclaren is a popular author and they are noted for saying that the other religions are our brothers.

 

[dswatts]

United Methodists

Yes, I knew he was United Methodist. And while most probably would not characterize the denomination as whole as evangelical, there most certainly are individual congregations that are. This is no different than the Aglical community that has evangelicals as well as Anglo-Catholics.

 

[Ivan]

I think Hillary is a UM, also. Go figure...

She is.

 

[Theoretical]

Yes, he is United Methodist. When he was part-owner of the Texas Rangers, he went to my old church (Highland Park UMC).

Well, HPUMC is a mega-church (13,000+ members) that is a grab bag of conservatives (basically broad evangelicals working for "reform", whatever that means), traditionalists (the aged, only - and not always doctrinally great either), old-guard Peale and Fosdick-type liberals, and plenty of the latest and trendiest stuff from the Perkins Seminary crew at SMU's campus.

 

[DMcFadden]

Yes, he is United Methodist. When he was part-owner of the Texas Rangers, he went to my old church (Highland Park UMC).

Well, HPUMC is a mega-church (13,000+ members) that is a grab bag of conservatives (basically broad evangelicals working for "reform", whatever that means), traditionalists (the aged, only - and not always doctrinally great either), old-guard Peale and Fosdick-type liberals, and plenty of the latest and trendiest stuff from the Perkins Seminary crew at SMU's campus.

So. pretty much just like your current church, heh?

 

[Theoretical]

Yes, he is United Methodist. When he was part-owner of the Texas Rangers, he went to my old church (Highland Park UMC).

Well, HPUMC is a mega-church (13,000+ members) that is a grab bag of conservatives (basically broad evangelicals working for "reform", whatever that means), traditionalists (the aged, only - and not always doctrinally great either), old-guard Peale and Fosdick-type liberals, and plenty of the latest and trendiest stuff from the Perkins Seminary crew at SMU's campus.

So. pretty much just like your current church, heh?

Wow, I'm talking and responding to myself in these posts. Ok, it's been a long week.

No, my current church is definitely not HPUMC and I would never hope to go back there again.

 

[danmpem]

I read in a Presidential book a year or two ago that Bush attended a Presbyterian church and that Laura Bush was a UM (scandalous!)

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

Mr.Bush may yet be a believer, even if he has been duped by the Arminian universalism that by its natural conclusion suggests God to be universal diety that pleads for salvation for all it doesn't mean he doesn't have a regenerate heart and deny that one must come to Christ alone for reconciliation and sanctification.

I recollect an article back in 2000 that ran in Newsweek that spoke of how then Governor Bush had unwittingly insulted a Jewish reporter in Austin by saying Christ was the only path to God and paradise, reportedly he offered the Jewish media member no apology when he learned of his Judaism, just a confident smile.

Tony Blair on the other hand just became an outright Papist, the pandering Mr.Bush does to political correctness is part of the presidency regrettably and I wouldn't hold it against him too much.

 

[BJClark]

Theoretical;

thank you I needed this laugh...

I shared it with my daughter who also enjoyed the laugh..and she was sharing how her grandma sent her daughter an e-mail, the daughter responded and left her mom's comments in the reply...and when her mom recieved the e-mail back from her daughter..she only read her orginal e-mail and not her daughters response, and responded BACK to her own comments..

One of the orginal comments was that she had gone to the doctor's that morning at nine. and then in reading the e-mail--she was like "You were at the doctors at Nine this morning too? I wonder how we missed each other."

I'm assuming she was tired as well...or on some really good prescription drugs..

 

[Zenas]

I think it is a neccessary conclusion that if one is a universalist, then one denies the exclusivity of Christ's Sacrifice and Ressurection. Mr. Bush would seem to be a universalist.

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

I think it is a neccessary conclusion that if one is a universalist, then one denies the exclusivity of Christ's Sacrifice and Ressurection. Mr. Bush would seem to be a universalist.

You don't know that, that is conjecture to speak for him, he may be a Christian while still falling for the PC/ Arminian idea that God loves everyone but will save none outside of Christ.

 

[DMcFadden]

My guess is that we are all answering questions for Mr. Bush without adequate data.

1. We know that his faith is real and meaningful to him.
2. We know that he professes to be a born-again Christian.
3. We know that he reads his Bible daily and prays.
4. We know that he has gotten bashed by the P.C. police for stating his faith in public (e.g., complaints of exclusivity and insensitivity to Muslims).

Beyond this, what do we know???

Since we are all reading his mind, my . . .
The man is probably a sincere but not terribly well informed Christian who holds views that are probably somewhat contradictory at points. His soteriology would appear to be evangelical in the Billy Graham sense (prior to his more recent comments!). I bet he believes in the exclusivity of Christianity but has been coached to speak only in the most inclusive and namby-pamby ways publicly.

It has been a long time since our only ordained minister in the White House (Garfield). Bush is certainly no theologian and would not do well on the PB with this crop of scholars. However, it would be unfair to lump him in with the universalists based on his poorly chosen and frankly unimpressive public statements about Islam. Jimmy Carter, on the other hand, HAS studied Christianity a good deal. His more inclusive comments seem quite sincere and accurately reflect a heterodox view of soteriology.

 

[tellville]

I am currently a youth pastor in a Korean church which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. I've never been in a church that was more evangelical, more hardcore, and more passionate for the faith. Also, my Reformed beliefs are accepted (though obviously not everyone shares them) and we just brought in another Reformed pastor for the English Young Adults.

So I am not sure about the "white" branch of the church, but the Korean UMC is definitely Evangelical. Denominations don't really seem to play a big deal with Koreans anyway as Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists seem to cross over all the time within the Korean community.

 

[Zenas]

I think it is a neccessary conclusion that if one is a universalist, then one denies the exclusivity of Christ's Sacrifice and Ressurection. Mr. Bush would seem to be a universalist.

You don't know that, that is conjecture to speak for him, he may be a Christian while still falling for the PC/ Arminian idea that God loves everyone but will save none outside of Christ.

Yet ther will be those who cry out to Christ on the last day and Christ will turn them away saying He never knew them. They have to either A. Go to Hell, proving universalism wrong or, B. Be saved in some other way, outside of Christ.

If one is a Universalist, one necessarily chooses option B. The fact that he claims that he and a Hindu worship the same God pretty much does it for me. Lipservice.

 

[etexas]

Yes, he is United Methodist. When he was part-owner of the Texas Rangers, he went to my old church (Highland Park UMC).

Well, HPUMC is a mega-church (13,000+ members) that is a grab bag of conservatives (basically broad evangelicals working for "reform", whatever that means), traditionalists (the aged, only - and not always doctrinally great either), old-guard Peale and Fosdick-type liberals, and plenty of the latest and trendiest stuff from the Perkins Seminary crew at SMU's campus.

So. pretty much just like your current church, heh?

Brutal!

 

[Blueridge Believer]

Chuck Baldwin -- The Worst Tragedy Of The Bush Presidency

With all of that said, however, the worst tragedy of the Bush presidency lies with something even deeper and more permanent (if that is possible). The worst tragedy of the Bush presidency is the damage he has done to the image and influence of Christianity. It is no hyperbole to say that George W. Bush has done more to demean and mitigate the positive influence of genuine Christianity than any single person in American history. And I do not say that lightly.

Because George W. Bush successfully portrayed himself as the ultimate Christian president, his life and policies are indelibly linked to the very definition of what it means to be a Christian in public office. The Religious Right also share in this perception, as they almost universally and totally gave their allegiance to Bush. Hence, as far as most Americans are concerned, George W. Bush is a Christian, and, therefore, his philosophies and ideas are assumed to be Christian as well. THIS IS A TRAGEDY OF UTMOST PROPORTIONS!

 

[Pilgrim]

Is President Bush still claiming that Christians, Muslims and Jews worship the same God? If so.. i'm not so sure I worship the same god as Mr. Bush.

I was raised in the UMC and can tell you that this is right in line with what I was taught. I have heard for years that there are many "evangelicals" in the UMC, but an evangelical presence was cold comfort to Machen, McIntire, et. al. in the old PCUSA in the 1930's, wasn't it? I'm sure there are indeed many evangelicals in that denomination but how many embrace things like open theism, etc?

 

[Pilgrim]

I think Hillary is a UM, also. Go figure...

How ironic.

Cheney is too.

 

[Pilgrim]

I read in a Presidential book a year or two ago that Bush attended a Presbyterian church and that Laura Bush was a UM (scandalous!)

I don't think this is correct. If I recall correctly GWB's grandfather Prescott Bush was Presbyterian and George Herbert Walker Bush Episcopalian.

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

I think it is a neccessary conclusion that if one is a universalist, then one denies the exclusivity of Christ's Sacrifice and Ressurection. Mr. Bush would seem to be a universalist.

You don't know that, that is conjecture to speak for him, he may be a Christian while still falling for the PC/ Arminian idea that God loves everyone but will save none outside of Christ.

Yet ther will be those who cry out to Christ on the last day and Christ will turn them away saying He never knew them. They have to either A. Go to Hell, proving universalism wrong or, B. Be saved in some other way, outside of Christ.

If one is a Universalist, one necessarily chooses option B. The fact that he claims that he and a Hindu worship the same God pretty much does it for me. Lipservice.

Well you are not his final judge and the fact you qualify your argument as "it pretty much does it for me" sums up your position nicely, fact is you don't know and calling him a universalist is a straw man of your own creation.