What is more ominous and what should alarm him (and Carl Rove) is that most polls reveal that a majority of Americans no longer believe he is trustworthy. What seemed to be his stongest trump card, is now in tatters. Why? Is his belief in faith to blame?
Can a born again fundamentalist realy understand what it means to be honest? Honesty demands a world view that places a high value on objectivity and as much as possible recognizing and eliminating personal biases -- on questioning everything. Fundamentalists do not prize self examination because that could lead to penatrating questions their faith leaders would not welcome. Can anyone seriously imagine Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson leading a Socratic search for the truth about, say evolution?
Instead, fundamentalists preach loyalty to the dogma contained in their holy text. They believe they answer to a "higher power" and the dictates of this higher power are all spelled out for them. They just need to choose the right verses from their holy text and they can justify their position on anything or answer any question big or small. No honest person would say this is the attitude of an objective human being. What is more, this reliance on dogma all but guarantees you cannot hold an honest discussion with a fundamentalist. They already have all the answers -- no need for tedious debate.
President Bush cannot claim he is a "straight shooter" and we should not believe him. Will his reliance on dogma be his undoing? He is a very dangerous man.
Sincerely,
Richard Collins
San Diego, CA