Bush: The First Catholic President?

[Antegin]

I’ve heard tales the John F. Kennedy was Catholic and so was the rest of the family. Which do you think is the tabloid rumour: JFK the Catholic or JFK the philanderer. Don’t even get me stated on Teddy, Michael, Joseph etc…

 

[TexCatholic4JMJ]

In an interview that I saw many years ago, President Bush was
in the living room (was it while they were waiting for the results
of the election? ) of the White House and there was a picture
of the Virgin on a table. Does anyone remember that? Ever
since then, I have felt that he would convert someday. He was
in El Paso at one point and attended Mass in the Cathedral.
I have met him a few times and have spoken to others who have
met him on a personal basis, we all feel that he is one of the
most “down to earth” and sincere people we have met.

 

[BamaRider]

His brother has converted, he reads the words of the Holy Father, and sees God in his eyes. He defends the unborn, and all pro life issues, and he loves his wife and daughters, and has surrounded himself with many Catholic advisers.

Don’t need a map to read THOSE tea leaves.

Now contrast what you saw today, with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and I’ll let it go at that.

I’ve heard tales the John F. Kennedy was Catholic and so was the rest of the family. Which do you think is the tabloid rumour: JFK the Catholic or JFK the philanderer. Don’t even get me stated on Teddy, Michael, Joseph etc…

I won’t, but I hear what you’re sayin.

 

[chicago]

But Bush is the first one who has let Catholic saocial teaching influence his views on social issues.

Um, no. Again, FDR just as one clear example of a President who had close ties to the Catholic leadership and was highly influenced by its direction, given, for want of votes.

Associating Bush with Catholics is a similar type of concept. Metaphysically he might not be a Catholic but they are making the claim that he is a closet Catholic. You might disagree with the association but there is no point saying it is wrong because JFK was actually the first, it misses the point.

Honestly, the “point” is that some people feel that JFK was a “no good Catholic.” They may be right. But neither is it accurate to call Bush the “First Catholic President” even metaphorically. Agreed, the concept is that he is (much more than previous Republican leaders) allowing some of Catholic social teaching (though, only as interpreted by certain advisers who prefer a certain take) more significantly than, say, his father, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, or Richard Nixon did. And he has effectively co-opted the Catholic right in a way that previous Republican leadership has not even attempted to do by appealing to a more Catholic sensibility. He has, certainly, grown the base beyond the Fundamentalists and the traditional WASPs. Indeed, it is clear that he has a lot of respect for the Catholic Church and it is even arguable that he has an interest in the faith. Perhaps it might be legitimately thought that he is in some ways a "closet Catholic. But in no way does any of this add up to him being legitimately considered the “First Catholic President”, even though it is a catchy concept.

 

[jimmy]

chicago, I wasn’t arguing for Bush being the first Catholic. I was arguing against the idea that the concept is wrong because JFK was already a Catholic. As I already said, you can disagree with the association but to bring up JFK is to miss the point.

 

[goofyjim]

Actually I heard somewhere that Reagan was born and raised an Irish Catholic but had to leave due to his divorce and remarriage. So if we’re going to compare and toss around this idea of the first Catholic president…

I simply disagree with the OP. There is no Catholic unless one professes the faith. All else is useless musing.

 

[Walt_Oliver]

Reminder:

---

Discussion of rumored coversions of public figures is a “thou shalt not” here.

 

[MH84]

My family supports most of his decisons, and we really liked him as president, my dad thinks that he should have just flatened Iraq and Afganistan, but we know that that would be too politically incorrect.

Am I reading this wrong or am I right in thinking that this such a racist and un-Catholic thing to say? I’m no saint, but what youve said should be deleted from this thread; its just wrong.

You’ve (or your dad) basically said that all Iraqis and Afgans should have been killed or at least that their houses and property should have been destroyed. Do us all a favour keep opinions like that to yourself. If someone said this about America, or wherever you are from, you (and many others here) would be all over him.

Btw, OP that was an interesting article.

 

[Ilroy]

Actually I heard somewhere that Reagan was born and raised an Irish Catholic but had to leave due to his divorce and remarriage. So if we’re going to compare and toss around this idea of the first Catholic president…

I simply disagree with the OP. There is no Catholic unless one professes the faith. All else is useless musing.

Nope…He was baptised and raised in the Disciples of Christ group (his mother’s religion) and later mostly attended the Presbyterian group, into and throughout his adult life. What you may have heard is that his father was a nominal Catholic.

 

[KatieD]

I am very impressed by the President’s respectful treatment of our Church - including his meeting the Pope at Andrews Air Force Base. How can one not be touched by that? And I will always be grateful to him for the justices he has nominated to the Supreme Court and his firmness on the issues of embyonic stem cell research and the partial birth abortion ban. You can criticize him if you like, but he has been a staunch defender of life, and that is our most basic right of all.

 

[rascal_one]

But, for all the talk, what has he done? What has he *accomplished *that Catholics can point to that shows GWB is Catholic at heart?

You mean like appointing not 1, but TWO Catholics to the Supreme Court and appointing one of them as Chief Justice? Alito and Roberts are Catholic.

Surely you remember the Democrats attacking their faith? And surely you remember the uproar that Democrats were complaining that 5 Catholics on the Supreme Court was too much?

Alito and Roberts also expected to be Pro-Life judges - I’d say that was a pretty big contribution to Catholics.

But no I dont think Bush is secretly a Catholic - but obviously he is a man of deep religious conviction.

And I forgot - Bush was terrific on Stem Cells - and ultimately right that science would find away around the embryonic issue.

 

[MrS]

You have know idea how much I loathe Bush.

And the principle of subsidiary is overrated – some people need a managerial state to survive.

I have a pretty good idea how much you “loathe” the President.

After all, you are so mature at 19, that you think George Soros is god.

.

 

[Adonis33]

Wasn’t JFK the first Catholic President?

 

[MugenOne]

I think Thomas is also Catholic.

 

[BamaRider]

Rascal pointed this out-

Surely you remember the Democrats attacking their faith? And surely you remember the uproar that Democrats were complaining that 5 Catholics on the Supreme Court was too much?

Thanks for that footnote, I wasn’t aware of that. I bet that does get under the skin of seculars. Too bad I say.

 

[IvanKaramozov]

JFK was Catholic in name only. I think GWB is much more Catholic than JFK ever was.

That makes no sense, hw was Baptised Catholic and received the sacraments of the Church, Bush is not Catholic, your claim is just utter non-sense

My family prays for him and we basically consider him Catholic. We are almost positive that he will become Catholic, just as his friend Blair did. Wouldn’t that be wonderful.

sure

My family supports most of his decisons, and we really liked him as president, my dad thinks that he should have just flatened Iraq and Afganistan, but we know that that would be too politically incorrect.

What a disgusting, horrid thing to say, that’s not political incorrectness, that’s mass murder, your father’s plan would be a horrificly immoral thing in the eye’s of the Church.

Perhapse you have the terms “Catholic” and “War Criminal” confused

 

[BamaRider]

That makes no sense, hw was Baptised Catholic and received the sacraments of the Church, Bush is not Catholic, your claim is just utter non-sense

sure

What a disgusting, horrid thing to say, that’s not political incorrectness, that’s mass murder, your father’s plan would be a horrificly immoral thing in the eye’s of the Church.

Perhapse you have the terms “Catholic” and “War Criminal” confused

C’mon Ivan, don’t ya think you’re being a little hard on the lady?

M’am I know you and your folks don’t want a genocide, I’m sure your dad didn’t mean it literally.

 

[goofyjim]

All this is speculation. He is not Catholic. He just agres with alot of Catholci principles.

 

[rlg94086]

All this is speculation. He is not Catholic. He just agrees with a lot of Catholic principles.

Actually Jim, you just summed up the entire point of the article.

The conjecture about Bush’s possible conversion was a side discussion, off-topic and against forum rules.

 

[Tim_c]

Wasn’t JFK the first Catholic President?

:banghead: