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CNN Live Today
Bush's Religious Journey
Aired March 05, 2003 - 10:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington this afternoon, President Bush is go to be meeting with a papal envoy to discuss the prospect of war with Iraq. The Catholic Church has argued that there is no moral justification for conflict in Iraq, but the White House, as you know, disagrees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president thinks the most immoral act of all would be if Saddam Hussein were somehow transferred his weapons to terrorists who could use them against us. So the president does view the use of force as a matter of legality, as a matter of morality and as a matter of protecting the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, it's long been said that President Bush is guided by his own sense of moral clarity and an unwavering religious faith. Some say it could be his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. For more on the connect between God and country in the Bush presidency, we're joined this morning by Christian evangelist Franklin Graham, a man who knows the president quite.
Thank you for your time. Good to have you with us, sir. How are you?
FRANKLIN GRAHAM, PRESIDENT, SAMARITAN'S PURSE: I'm fine, thank you. Good morning, Leon.
HARRIS: I want to ask you this, because I've read so much about how close your family has been with the Bush family, and I know you've known the president for some time now. What comes to mind after reading all of the press this week about how President Bush is committed to this idea, and he believes it's a moral issue, from what you know about the way he thinks, does he think that he is on a mission from God?
GRAHAM: First of all, Leon, let me say as a minister of a gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray for our president that God would give him wisdom. He is the president of all Americans. Regardless of their faith, he's our president.
And I'm glad to see that we have a president that is willing to turn to God and ask for help. And I think we need to pray that God would guide him and direct him, and lead him in these decisions because the decisions that he makes is going to affect all of our lives for years to come.
HARRIS: Do you believe he believes this is a mission he's getting from God directly?
GRAHAM: Well, listen, I think all of us are against war. As a minister of the gospel, I hate war. I was in Lebanon during the war. I've been in the Sudan just a couple of weeks ago in the middle of war. I hate war. None of us look for war. None of us push for war. But yet, our country was attacked. I think the president, as the leader of this nation, has the moral obligation to protect all of us, and not just for today, but for generations to come.
And so I support my president, I pray for him, and I pray that God will lead him according to God's will.
HARRIS: Have you talked with him about this?
GRAHAM: I haven't talked to him about this, no.
HARRIS: Would you?
GRAHAM: Sure, I would talk to him, but I would pray him.
HARRIS: What would you say?
GRAHAM: I would say, Mr. President, I'm praying for you that God would guide and direct you, that the decisions that you make would be according to his will, and plan and purpose.
HARRIS: Do you have any idea at all what may take place in the White House today when he has this conversation with the Cardinal Laghi (ph) who is coming in? And we understand Cardinal Laghi (ph) is a longtime family friend of the Bushes as well, and he's being sent by the pope to talk to President Bush.
And one would think if the pope is sending someone close to the family, and we know the pope is dead set against the war, it would seem the pope's intention is to really try to sway Bush away from the plan that he's planning on following up right now.
What are your thoughts about this meeting today?
GRAHAM: Well, Leon, I think all clergy, whether we're Catholic or Protestant, are against war. Jesus Christ was a man of peace, and he came to this Earth, and he gave his life to save mankind. He's died for you and me on a cross 2,000 years ago and for all of us.
Yes, he's a man of peace who came to Redeem man back to god, and so I'm sure the Catholic Church is going to do all it can to reassure the president of its position as a faith of peace.
But yet at the same time, the president is faced with some very serious issues, and that's why god, we must pray that God will help him and direct him as he makes these decisions. I like "Newsweek" this week, where they put God back on the cover, and I'm glad to see this country is looking to God again. HARRIS: That magazine and the others that have been out this past week are what generated this discussion.
But there's one last question I've just got to ask you, because this goes along with the "Newsweek" and "Time" magazine and other articles that have come out this week about God and the presidency and everything. And it's also a discussion that's been waged on talk radio in a number of places that I've listened to in the past week or so. I want to know what you think about the current landscape, the characters involved, the events that are taking place around the world, and whether or not you think there's any connection there with what you read in the book of Revelations?
GRAHAM: Leon, I read the scripture, and I see a lot today that looks as though it came from revelations. We're living in a very difficult time, Leon. This is probably the most dangerous time, I believe, maybe in the history of this nation. And we've got to have God's help, Leon, as we go forward. It's a very dangerous world in which we're living, and I pray not only for his president, but I pray for our men and women in uniform, and I pray for the people of Iraq, and the people that are going to be affected by this possible conflict, that God will reach down from heaven and protect not only his people, but protect and guide and direct all others.
HARRIS: We will certainly be watching to see what he does. Thank you very much for your advice and your words today, Reverend Franklin Graham.
All the best to you. Take care.
GRAHAM: God bless you, Leon.
HARRIS: Thank you, sir. Same to you.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 5, 2003 - 10:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington this afternoon, President Bush is go to be meeting with a papal envoy to discuss the prospect of war with Iraq. The Catholic Church has argued that there is no moral justification for conflict in Iraq, but the White House, as you know, disagrees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president thinks the most immoral act of all would be if Saddam Hussein were somehow transferred his weapons to terrorists who could use them against us. So the president does view the use of force as a matter of legality, as a matter of morality and as a matter of protecting the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, it's long been said that President Bush is guided by his own sense of moral clarity and an unwavering religious faith. Some say it could be his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. For more on the connect between God and country in the Bush presidency, we're joined this morning by Christian evangelist Franklin Graham, a man who knows the president quite.
Thank you for your time. Good to have you with us, sir. How are you?
FRANKLIN GRAHAM, PRESIDENT, SAMARITAN'S PURSE: I'm fine, thank you. Good morning, Leon.
HARRIS: I want to ask you this, because I've read so much about how close your family has been with the Bush family, and I know you've known the president for some time now. What comes to mind after reading all of the press this week about how President Bush is committed to this idea, and he believes it's a moral issue, from what you know about the way he thinks, does he think that he is on a mission from God?
GRAHAM: First of all, Leon, let me say as a minister of a gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray for our president that God would give him wisdom. He is the president of all Americans. Regardless of their faith, he's our president.
And I'm glad to see that we have a president that is willing to turn to God and ask for help. And I think we need to pray that God would guide him and direct him, and lead him in these decisions because the decisions that he makes is going to affect all of our lives for years to come.
HARRIS: Do you believe he believes this is a mission he's getting from God directly?
GRAHAM: Well, listen, I think all of us are against war. As a minister of the gospel, I hate war. I was in Lebanon during the war. I've been in the Sudan just a couple of weeks ago in the middle of war. I hate war. None of us look for war. None of us push for war. But yet, our country was attacked. I think the president, as the leader of this nation, has the moral obligation to protect all of us, and not just for today, but for generations to come.
And so I support my president, I pray for him, and I pray that God will lead him according to God's will.
HARRIS: Have you talked with him about this?
GRAHAM: I haven't talked to him about this, no.
HARRIS: Would you?
GRAHAM: Sure, I would talk to him, but I would pray him.
HARRIS: What would you say?
GRAHAM: I would say, Mr. President, I'm praying for you that God would guide and direct you, that the decisions that you make would be according to his will, and plan and purpose.
HARRIS: Do you have any idea at all what may take place in the White House today when he has this conversation with the Cardinal Laghi (ph) who is coming in? And we understand Cardinal Laghi (ph) is a longtime family friend of the Bushes as well, and he's being sent by the pope to talk to President Bush.
And one would think if the pope is sending someone close to the family, and we know the pope is dead set against the war, it would seem the pope's intention is to really try to sway Bush away from the plan that he's planning on following up right now.
What are your thoughts about this meeting today?
GRAHAM: Well, Leon, I think all clergy, whether we're Catholic or Protestant, are against war. Jesus Christ was a man of peace, and he came to this Earth, and he gave his life to save mankind. He's died for you and me on a cross 2,000 years ago and for all of us.
Yes, he's a man of peace who came to Redeem man back to god, and so I'm sure the Catholic Church is going to do all it can to reassure the president of its position as a faith of peace.
But yet at the same time, the president is faced with some very serious issues, and that's why god, we must pray that God will help him and direct him as he makes these decisions. I like "Newsweek" this week, where they put God back on the cover, and I'm glad to see this country is looking to God again. HARRIS: That magazine and the others that have been out this past week are what generated this discussion.
But there's one last question I've just got to ask you, because this goes along with the "Newsweek" and "Time" magazine and other articles that have come out this week about God and the presidency and everything. And it's also a discussion that's been waged on talk radio in a number of places that I've listened to in the past week or so. I want to know what you think about the current landscape, the characters involved, the events that are taking place around the world, and whether or not you think there's any connection there with what you read in the book of Revelations?
GRAHAM: Leon, I read the scripture, and I see a lot today that looks as though it came from revelations. We're living in a very difficult time, Leon. This is probably the most dangerous time, I believe, maybe in the history of this nation. And we've got to have God's help, Leon, as we go forward. It's a very dangerous world in which we're living, and I pray not only for his president, but I pray for our men and women in uniform, and I pray for the people of Iraq, and the people that are going to be affected by this possible conflict, that God will reach down from heaven and protect not only his people, but protect and guide and direct all others.
HARRIS: We will certainly be watching to see what he does. Thank you very much for your advice and your words today, Reverend Franklin Graham.
All the best to you. Take care.
GRAHAM: God bless you, Leon.
HARRIS: Thank you, sir. Same to you.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
