Dear FRONTLINE,

I found this program to be frightening. It appears our president believes he's on a mission from God---domestically, internationally and politically.

Mark Twain said it best. "Man is a religious animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion--several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight.

He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother's path to happiness and heaven..."
Amen.

Joann Glawe
New Berlin, WI

Dear FRONTLINE,

I thought the portrayal of President Bush's faith was right on the mark and the most unbiased I have seen to date. Those that don't share the President's views have no need to fear. His Faith Based Initiative grows from a deeply held desire to help the most unfortunate among us through organizations that have proven to successfully comfort and aid them, most often sacrificially. Does anyone doubt the great work of the Salvation Army, as one example?

Religious oriented organizations bring the most benefit with the least cost, as most are voluntary organizations, being staffed by unpaid and part-time personnel. If a religious-based homeless shelter is already in existence and is helping those in most need, why should they be discriminated against? Why should only secular organizations be allowed to compete for the allocated resources? No one is ever forced to go to a faith-based organization; they can choose where they go. Where else does one have a greater hope of receiving love and assistance, than by those who love God, and are helping others because He gave His life for us?

Also, I find the view of him as a warmonger to be totally unjustified. Terrorists started this war, and he has taken it to them. Do we want to live like the Israelis? 9-11 is the terrorist version of Pearl Harbor in WWII, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in WWI, and Hitler's military buildup leading to WWII. Should Wilson have sat out WWI? Should Churchill not have called his country to vigilance with his warnings during the buildup, while England and France did nothing to enforce the treaty requirements of WWI? Should Roosevelt not have thrown the entire weight of our country in defeating imperialist Japan? Should Reagan not have looked Russia in the face and defeat them by using our industrial might to build better weapons and drive them into bankruptcy? And should not Bush have enforced the myriad of security sanctions against Iraq and defeat the Taliban?

Eric Kaelin
Malaga, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am GLAD we have a man in the President's chair who earnestly seeks God's will BEFORE he acts, and I don't care if he's Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or a New Age Guru. I WANT a President who, in addition to searching for all the facts and listening to the wisest of counselors, also humbly kneels and prays for direction, rather than just arrogantly assumes he has the wisdom to make these decisions alone.

There was once a Rebbe traveling with his followers from Minsk to Pinsk. They had arranged for a man to transport them in his cart. However, about halfway to Pinsk, as they passed through a village, the Rebbe asked the man to stop. "I have changed my mind. We will not be going to Pinsk. Here is the full payment, since we did make an agreement with you," and he then paid the man. "What shall we do now, Rebbe?" ask the followers. "Why, we must find transportation to Pinsk, of course." "What do you mean?! You just got rid of that man who was perfectly willing to take us their, and you sent him off with money as well." The Rebbe explained, "As we drove through the center of the village, we passed by a church, and he did not cross himself. I knew then that he was not a religious man. It is wiser to do business with a religous man."

Grace Harris
Pasadena, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Overall the program is eye opening,

It really makes you ask your self the question. Which is the most important document in his life....the Bible or the U.S. Constitution??

John Bayone

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for ìThe Jesus Factor.î As I viewed your evenhanded and well-presented program, I was reminded of my own experience. Raised in a devout evangelical Pentecostal family and strongly committed to the cause of building a Christocracy on Earth, I graduated from a Pentecostal Bible college and did graduate work at a non-denominational evangelical theological school, I know the language of Christian evangelicals and what it is to live within the oppressive climate of a theocracy.

However, with the shocking discovery that there is no authentic archeological or historical evidence that a human Jesus of Nazareth ever lived, I came to see Iíd been sold a bill of goods by well-meaning, but ignorant and gullible family members and professors. Consequently, I left Christianity for a cosmological faith based primarily on an infinite Source which continually reveals Itself through a creative and evolving integral natural science.

George W. Bush has also been sold a bill of goods which he is now pressuring the citizens of the world to buy. While he has every right to his religious beliefs, he does not have the right to swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and then ignore our rights as citizens to fair and balanced judges. He does not have the right to arbitrarily use our tax dollars to support his pet evangelical faith-based programs and ignore those of other faiths. He does not have the right to lie to us about WMD in Iraq to justify a war, and to roll back environmental protection laws.

Robert Johnston
Sunderland, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Why is it that when President Bush makes reference to the importance of faith in his life, his critics respond with various degrees of outrage. Yet, when President Clinton made use of the Biblical term "New Covenant" to describe what his administration was going to be like in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1992 - and even took great and creative liberties with scripture with his "...eyes have not yet seen, nor our ears heard, nor our minds imagined what we can build" (I Corinthians 2:9 - sort of) those that find President Bush's demonstration of personal belief were missing in action.

Or, the critics didn't howl in disgust when President Carter based his administration on the passage from Micah 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man what is good ; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to walk humbly with thy God?" during his Inaugural Address in 1977.

The truth is that faith in God is a most important matter in this country and we should be encouraged when presidents affirm this reality in their lives. Such sincere affirmations bless all of us.

Mount Holly, NJ

Deacon James L. Casa
Mount Holly, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for bringing another extremely informative program to the airwaves.
As a Texan, I'm fully aware of W's agenda for the nation. Frankly, I have no problem with christian fanaticism as long as it doesn't take the place of reason and common sense.

Unfortunatly in this day and age, it does.

JD Sitter
San Marcos, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

I do not understand how having some sort of "moral" guidance in your decision making should be an issue.

Bill Clinton had prayer meetings with Jesse Jackson and other religous leaders. No one questioned his openess of faith while he was in office.

I don't understand how Frontline could only hold a U.S. leader's belief's to the fire and suggest how it offends the international community. Myself and many others are offended by the Islamic proclaimations that denounce homosexuality, Islamic laws that are oppressive women, and violence towards the western world.

Benji Gonzalez
New Orleans, Louisiana

Dear FRONTLINE,

Wonderfully done. I love the way the bit was placed together, unlike all National news, you can tell the angle that the piece is coming from.

This was informative, and objective. It was truly something to see the arrogance and the drive that these people have, whoever they are. I can see both sides being equally happy with the just the facts way in which is was done. Congrats.
Now I know Bush must go!
Keep God out of the White House.

Mike boland
Detroit, Michigan

Dear FRONTLINE,

Frontline will never let me down. Now, I want to say something.

A man can exercise his own religious beliefs without hindrance or objection. However, the major problem I see in President Bush's case is the way he is imposing his beliefs in the legal system of this country. Laws are ethically inspired, which doesn't mean they cannot have a religious basis of some kind; however, when the president of any given country takes advantage of his situation to favor a particular group at the expense of others, as his Faith Based Initiative does to secular organizations, this should be considered as the corruption of religion and values. Neither are electoral booty, nor are they for sale or auction.

There's very little difference between providing governmental support for churches or providing business associates with special grants and legal loopholes.

Francisco Solares-Larrave
DeKalb, IL

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for your unbiased presentation of "The Jesus Factor". I knew President Bush was a Godly man but your program was refreshing with the details of his past experiences.

How refreshing to know is is real. He was right in that if you haven't experienced Jesus it's hard to understand. I understood him completely!! May God continue to bless him as he leads our nation another four years!!

Mary Turner
Middletown, OH

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was so happy to see that Frontline didn't just produce some left leaning attack against President Bush. The program showed how Religion and Government can work together. And that positive results are born from such cooperation.

Our country was founded by religious conservatives. It owes it's very greatness to those people, and the principles they set forth. For way to long the country has been sliding away from our Christian roots. Thank God that we have a great man like President Bush in the white house.

Michael Brown
San Antonio, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

Once again Frontline has tackled an important and often unaddressed issue in an open non-judgmental way. While I am truly concerned about the mission of this administration, I am much more concerned regarding the ignorance of the people in this country regarding both our history and the history of other countries. In that maybe we do have a president that reflects the majority of individuals in this country.

This broadcast aired at the same time as many NPR shows have focused on the anniversary of the end of apartheid - how interesting that a nation was saved by returning a sense of humanity to the overall culture.

What stood out for me in this documentary was how far this administration has moved our national spirit from experiencing our neighors as fellow humans to people as either all good or evil.

Marlene Elisens
Wilmington, DE

Dear FRONTLINE,

This program did indeed capture him perfectly. On inauguration he sweared to uphold the constition, not his own religious beliefs.

I have no problem with his beliefs, but they don't belong in the political arena for a specific political agenda.

No president before has ever made this great country so hated and disrepected. Not only by our enemies, but what we call our allies also.

Bret Graham
Scottsdale, AZ

Dear FRONTLINE,

If one would step back and look at this issue for what it really is, it would be apparent that the free exercise of religion is applicable only so long as one holds the same views as Mr. Bush; in other words, it's all about control, the ultimate political tool. It's as if the evagelicals are saying: "if you are not like us, our principles do not apply to you". This rationale justifies personal attacks against detractors with a smug self-righteousness that dehumanizes anyone with a differing point of view. I should know, as I was raised in a southern white church and have seen it firsthand. How is this compassionate??

The most disturbing revelation was the part about his believing God wanted him to be President of the US. I studied theology for four years and found that in almost every situation wherein a leader asserted a claim to divine guidance as a justification for his actions, that catastrophe for the people being led was not a distant result.

Bottom line? None of our opinions really matter, as Mr. Bush will do as he pleases, anyway, but at least we don't have to buy into his agenda. I do not think history will be kind to him.

Rod Covington
Napa, CA