Man of Faith

Rating:
Summary: Revealing Story of Our 43rd President
Review: Aikman has written an excellent book on George Bush's Christian faith - how he became a Christian, and how Christianity has positively impacted his life.

Indeed, while the president is a very polarizing figure (much like Clinton), one would have a hard time arguing the sincerity of his faith. Unfortunately, some people like the reviewer from Philadelphia have taken it upon themselves to judge whether George W is going to heaven or hell. Why can't they just stop judging and admit they don't like the man? While I do not agree with everything he has said and done, I cannot doubt the sincerity of his faith and the transformation he has experienced over the years.

Also to the reviewer from Philadelphia - please be very careful about quoting Scripture out of context:

1. Many people in the Bible were finanically well off - Abraham, Job, Matthew, Isaiah, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, etc. Yet God did not condemn them because of their riches.
2. Jesus rejected the power the Jews offered Him because they offered power apart from God's will. Over thousands of years God has elevated people to positions of power. Power in and of itself is not bad, it's what we do with it that counts! God will raise and lower those whom He pleases.

Among the areas of George W.'s life covered in the book are:

1. Early childhood, teenage, and college years at Yale and why he was turned off by the liberalism displayed on college campuses.
2. The strong marriage he has enjoyed with his wife Laura.
3. Active involvement in church over the years and how he has ministered to the less fortunate.
4. How he has cooperated with people of other denominations (although a Methodist, he has worked with Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcoplians, Pentacostals, and Catholics) and faiths (Jews, Muslims, etc.) over the years.
5. Close relationships he has enjoyed with ministers of different ethnic and denominational backgrounds (and who says conservatives can't work with others?) despite having differences of opinion on particular issues.
6. His involvement in politics (from working on his father's campaign to becoming governor and eventually president).
7. The uniques challenges he has faced as president (911, numerous UN Resolutions, faith-based iniatives, tax rebates, etc.).

I appreciated the author's sincerity in covering all aspects of George W.'s life - good and bad. Aikman does not gloss over Bush's struggles with the bottle, smoking, and foul language. Yet the author also quotes several sources close to the president who have seen great improvements in these areas over the years - yet another testimony to the power of the transforming grace of Jesus Christ working in and through a person's life!

Read, enjoy, and be encouraged by the faith of our 43rd president and do not concern yourself with those who wish to tear him down at all costs!

Rating:
Summary: Insightful look into the faith of George W. Bush
Review: Former Time correspondent David Aikman explores the faith and spiritual journey of President George W. Bush, who presides over one of the most faith based administrations in American history. Aikman launches the book with the "political bombshell" of then Governor Bush answering a question during a debate, "What political philosopher do you most identify with and why?" with the response, "Christ, because he changed my heart." In the chapters that follow, we learn of Bush's roots, beginning with his great-great-great grandfather Obadiah Bush all the way down to his father George H.W. Bush. We learn of his childhood, adolescence, college days, military service, marriage to Laura -which began his switch to Methodism after years of attending a Presbyterian church-, and his years as a businessman and owner of the Rangers. Aikman reveals how Bush's faith gradually began to take on a greater role in his life as we are introduced to many of the mentors who guided the future president, including Billy Graham and James Robison. Perhaps I read this book from a different perspective than most; I am a religious Jew. For a community that has historically tended to vote Democrat, significant numbers of American Jews are increasingly voting for conservative candidates. This can be attributed to many factors, including, the long overdue realization that liberalism is intrinsically opposed to traditional authentic Jewish values which are more accurately reflected by conservatism, coupled with the moral confusion and moral-relativism characterizing so much of the Left and the Democratic Party. That many Jews are becoming staunch Bush supporters becomes all the more understandable after reading David Aikman's A Man of Faith, where the reader learns, in chapter seven, of Bush's deep affinity for the land of Israel and the Jewish people, not to mention his personal friendship with Ariel Sharon. When Bush told the American Jewish Committee only months into his presidency, "A top foreign policy priority of my administration is the safety and security of Israel," this wasn't mere rhetoric. As Aikman chronicles, Bush is perhaps the greatest friend Israel has ever had in a United States president. Aikman writes, "Jewish leaders have also come away from meetings with George W. almost enraptured by the sense of commitment to the defense of Israel and the protection of Jews worldwide that George W. has often conveyed." In this chapter we also read of a rabbi who told Bush, "Mr. President, I didn't vote for you, but if you had been president in 1938, I now think the Holocaust might not have happened." When I read that first time around, I literally had chills, for I am one Jew, and a grandson of Holocaust survivors, who fully shares these sentiments of deep gratitude to our commander-in-chief. As this book discusses in great length, it is Bush's unabashed faith as a devout Methodist which animates his moral compass, his determination to actively identify and confront evil, and his resolve to uphold the traditional Judeo-Christian values that make America great- and which are currently being jeopardized on many fronts. G-d bless America, the president, and our troops!

Rating:
Summary: Great overall biography!
Review: I have finished the first half of the book and am amazed at what I did not know about George and Laura and the Senior Bushes. It really is very encouraging to see how W's faith grew through the years.

God has been pleased to grant our nation Christian leadership at this critical turning point in our history, and I can only say "Praise God from whom all blessings flow". I am in prayer for our nation every day!

Rating:
Summary: Who has actually read this book?
Review: There are some reviews here that appear to be written by those who plainly dislike Pres. Bush but did not read this book. I feel sorry for them, as this is a wonderful book going into the life and development of Bush as our President. The reviewer from New York, the non-Christian, appears to have little grasp on what Christianity is. The other from Crawford must assume that all church services are on Sundays. As many Baptist will say, church is not merely a place to worship. It is the culmination of worship and study. Aikman shows how Mr. Bush changed from a rambunctious young man into a respectable, admirable leader. He has his faults and makes no qualms against them. Aikman, an outsider to the family, took anecdotes and lessons from Mr. Bush's life through colleagues, friends and family. What you have here is the embodiment of those interviews. No, Mr. Bush has not been faultless in his Presidency, as no President ever has been faultless. (Clinton was a far-cry from faultless...the sworn liar.) But he has shown time and time again that he has a sincere heart to love and a God-driven will to serve the people for the betterment of the world. He earned more respect from me through this book, after reading of the years where he was not the most well-mannered or appropriately behaving person. However, he had a need to save himelf from his own destruction, and he chose God as the one to lead him out of his perils. He has followed God and Christ since those days and become an example of a renewed Christian. What could be a better testament to his life and his family than this book? Read it, whether you do not agree with his politics or not. I don't claim that it will change your political opinion of him, but I know it will give you more insight on why he does certain things or speak in certain ways. Just have an open mind when you begin this book. If anything, you will learn how he could easily have been one of your friends from your hometown, college or workplace. Give this book a try. Don't discount it automatically and ignorantly. David Aikman does a wonderful job in telling a story you may enjoy.