Where theism intersects public policy

[justaman]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

The US has had a pro-Israeli foreign policy for a long time now over many different administrations. Does it make any difference if end of times nonsense is involved in the decision or whether it's just the usual Israel is the only democracy in the middle east etc. rationale? How do you go about separating people's motivations from the state anyway?

Well for instance Kerry was pro-choice in principle but pro-life in practice. I don't know if this is exactly what you mean though.

I seriously doubt even the Bush administration would go entirely against its own self-interest in the name of Revelations. It seems more likely to me that any belief in the myth gives them mental reinforcement for what they'd do anyway.

Possibly. But I mean this is a group of individuals who had compulsary Bible Study groups. This is a President who went onto a televangelists TV show when he was Governer and talked about being born again. I mean I forget his name now (I'm trying to remember it as well, this is really annoying) but a famous high-level U.S. general (not Schwarzkopf) did a talk at a Christian congregation where he showed a photo taken in Somalia, I believe. In the photo is a black smudge. The general assures the congregation that the photo was not doctored, what they were seeing was real. It was, he says, a demonic apparition (or the devil himself, again this is a while ago I saw this stupid thing). It was a high level spy plane.

It sounds absurd to think that foreign policy could be dictated by religious belief, but I just can't put it past these guys given how demonstrably fanatical they are. I take on board what you say about the policy being in place and it being considered the only democracy in the middle-east and it's fair enough, but it doesn't really excuse this being used as an apparent justification for how international relations are conducted. It's icky.