Dear FRONTLINE,

I applaud the President's courage to stand up for his beliefs. When others stand up for themselves, i.e. gay rights or pro-choice activists it is labeled "freedom of speech."

I believe that the moral and social decline of this country, indeed the world, is due to a lack of faith in and obedience to a higher being (whatever people choose to call it). I am not an Evangelicalist but I do agree with their moral standards and am grateful for their voices.

Ginger C.
Dayton, OH

Dear FRONTLINE,

I don't understand why there is not a calling out for someone to remind the President that separation of church and state was fundemental to the birth and the success of this country. The degree to which he has overstepped this line is staggering. The gentleman in the program who repeatedly said that GWB was practicing "bad theology" would have done well to add that GWB is practicing bad democracy as well.

Brian Sullivan
Braintree, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am glad to have a man in the White House who believes in God and in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. I am glad President Bush is a man of conviction and is not timid about acting on those deeply held convictions. I believe that God has blessed our President and will continue to guide and protect him and give him the wisdom and insight needed to lead our country. I don't believe for a moment that President Bush has not genuinely agonized over the loss of every American life as well as the lives of patriots from other countries in the Middle East war. Somebody has to make the really tough decisions and take responsibility for doing so. I am glad to have a decisive leader with a strong moral compass.

Carolyn Morley
Nacogdoches, TX

Dear FRONTLINE,

A man's religious faith and views are his choice for whatever reason(s). But the President of the United States should not be preaching as from a pulpit. If Pres Bush wants to be a preacher of the gospel according to his particular faith, then he should become an ordained minister and go get his own church. If he wants to remain President of this country, he should keep the Office secular.

There are many other persons who follow different faiths and there are agnostics and atheists who are loyal and patriotic citizens of this country who don't wish to have forced upon them via the U.S. Government the ideas and theology of the 70 million evangelical conservative Christians of which Pres Bush is one. We do not want this administration, or any future one, to become a theocratic dictatorship.
contrary comes out of the mouths of the White House and current administration.

Donald B. Olmsted
Albertville, Minnesota

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for having the courage to produce a show on this subject. I found it telling that Muslim and Jewish organizations have yet to receive money from Bu$hís ìfaith basedî initiative program.

Of course, that you dared point this and other, similar facts out, Iím sure many ìborn againsî will claim that this is yet another example of Christian bashing. Yawn. My eyes canít help but roll.

Kelly Dowhower
Omaha, Nebraska

Dear FRONTLINE,

Many people believe they speak for God and are God's agents in this world. Several of them flew airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It's not the basis of George W. Bush's beliefs that concern me, it's his arrogance that I find deeply disturbing.

The Bible says, "Pride goeth before desruction and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoils with the proud." (Proverbs 16:18-19 KJV)

Thank you, Frontline, for continuing to try to present a balanced account of the world.

Gwen Claassen
Lawrence, KS

Dear FRONTLINE,

George Bush has the right to his own religious beliefs, but I am frightened by the idea that beliefs other than his are brushed aside when he makes political decisions.

I think that Bush is a terrible leader, in part because he speaks in simplistic terms about "good guys and bad guys" in his war on terror. Perhaps it is his rigid religious view which causes him to think in this way. No issue is really black and white.

The "bad guys" that we are fighting in Iraq and elsewhere also warp and abuse religion, as Bush does. Neither side seems to see that they are using the same tactics. Religious values should not be used to justify war and promote hatred. With such leaders in power, how can there ever be peace and understanding in this world?

Jill Bode
Minneapolis, MN

Dear FRONTLINE,

There is nothing wrong with a political figure being guided by his faith. The problem is, as your program illustrated, that men in political power begin to get the two confused. One can easily develop the Messianic complex, believing that they speak for God or Jesus. For example, Roman Catholic Popes ruled as kings and waged war in the name of Christ. Did Christ do these things? And, it begs the question which God or which Jesus, for there are many. When George W. Bush tells the Muslims that they and he worship the same god, as he has done, does he mean that they are Christian or that he is a Muslim? It is manifestly obvious that the Muslims do not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or it would suffice for them to be Jews or Christians. Just ask any Muslim whether or not he worships the God of the Jews and you will have your answer. I do not recall Jesus waiving the flag of the nation of Israel or supporting the ruling power of Rome. "Render unto God the things that are God's; and render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar." By that same token, the government of the United States belongs to all citizens of the United States, whether or not they believe in God. By way of illustration, I am a Christian and therefore diametrically opposed to homosexuality, but I believe that homosexuals should enjoy all of the rights extended to any other American citizen. When Christians engage in politics to promote their religeous agenda, they are on a slippery slope leading to perdition. When you cannot distinguish the two in your mind, you do not know either one.

John Stephens
Ayer, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a Christian I want to acknowledge that many wrongs have been done in the name of Christ, but letís also not be naÔve in our thinking that only Christians have failed.

I admire President Bush for the strength and balance of his convictions. I am in complete agreement with the President on the stands he has taken concerning abortion, stem cell research, and banning same-sex marriage, in addition to greater aid to African nations.

I think it was unfair of your program to characterize Bushís comments on ëfighting evilí as the starting point of the saber rattling. Let us remember it was the terrorists who attacked us on September 11th.

Warren Caulton
East Longmeadow, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

It is rare in today's world to find a leader who leads because of the convictions that are in his soul and not simply to craft an appearance that will please the people who support him. Your program has revealed George W. Bush to be of the camp of men who have defined our world; men who have obeyed their hearts and moved the course of history. I applaud his initiative to seek the best interest of the people he serves and not that of his own.

The clear example of the victory over hardship and depression that the President has experienced in his life through his conversion to Christianity is inspiring. It is something everyone in this country and this world is looking for whether they realize it or not.

Josh Cramer
Iowa City, IA

Dear FRONTLINE,

It has been quite a long time since I have seen a mainstream news program portray a favorable and clear view on what Evangelical Christianity is about. Most "Jesus" programs will pull a majority of the interviews from more Liberal theologians (i.e. Those who believe the Bible is not literal).

Although George Bush did take a stand on his statement that there is only one true way to heaven, he has never stated that everything else is "evil." At no point does he even make a slight reference to any other religion as being evil, but to those who are constantly doing harm to others for no other reason but to punish those who don't believe as they do. Meaning terroris"ts, not Muslims, not Jews, or any other "religion.

It's about time that there has been someone standing tall in America for what they believe in, no matter what faith it may be.

Paul Podraza
Birmingham, AL

Dear FRONTLINE,

An excellent, unbiased presentation of the subject. As a quiet examination of the role faith plays in Bush's policies, with no partisan axe to grind, the program was all the more frightening in portraying how Bush is trying to take this country into the darkness of superstition and irrationality. It would have been valuable though, if the program had looked more closely at the close-mindedness, inflexibility, and intolerance of ambiguity that comes with religious fundamentalism, and how those are manifested in public policy. These characteristics inevitably lead religion-driven policy to produce real suffering, and occasional disaster, when faith clashes with reality. Furthermore, it seems that Bush, like most (but not all) evangelicals, is truly blind to the divisive and exclusionary effects of taking his faith from the private to the public realm. It simply does not register with them that those who don't share their beliefs are not in need of redemption.

Eric Shienbrood
Sudbury, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I never cease to be amazed at how often anyone that openly expresses their faith is portrayed as an extremist. In political circles, Christian Conservatives don't seem to have minds of their own - their strings are constantly being pulled by God, or Billy Graham, or Wall Street, or Rush Limbaugh - anything which would portray them as mindless people without any ability to make decisions and value judgments on their own. George Bush is clearly motivated by his faith, as am I. Neither of us are mind-numbed robots and both of us deserve better than the inane insults and portrayals to the contrary. The sad fact is that its becoming increasingly more difficult to hear you at all.

Robert Haines
North Fort Myers, Florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was grew up in England and I understand and appreciate Christianity but I don't identitify Fundamentalist, Evangelical of Born-again American Christians as being true Christians. Christians do not support violence (war, death penalty) and they can't be rich. Jesus had a message of love and charity and didn't value material things. It's very perplexing that people like George Bush, Billy Graham and Pat Robertson can get away with claiming to being Christians when they are really business men, hungry for power and wealth. True Christians are humble, self-critical and leave the judgement of others to God; do such people exist in the US and if they do what has happened to their voices?

Barrie Taylor
Miami, Florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for having the guts to attempt an objective look at President Bush and his "religion." The truth is, Christianity is not a religion, it's a faith - a belief in Jesus Christ as God's son, sacrifice for our sins, and reconciliation to our creator. Religion is manmade. Faith is imparted by God.

I thank God that George Bush is a man of faith. I pray that God will give him wisdom, and all leaders/decision-makers in this country, wisdom to do what is right in all things. It's not easy to abide by faith, and in fact it is humanly impossible. But with God, all things are possible.

Yes, the differing views, beliefs, nonbeliefs, and opinions are a "hornet's nest." That's fine. God loves us all - the whole world. Ultimately, it is his hand, indeed, that authors history. It's bigger than all of us. Let's all just pray, to whomever or whatever we hold in our hearts (or minds) as our source of wisdom, help and protection.

Myra Hunter
Birmingham, Alabama