Is Karl Rove an Atheist? Part II

In a previous post, I quoted Christopher Hitchens saying (essentially) that Karl Rove is an atheist. In today's post, I quote President Bush (41). I know I'm crossing over from one Bush administration to another, but so have most senior advisers...

At a press conference in Chicago on August 27, 1987, Vice President George HW Bush said the following:

No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

Of course, 41 wasn't just saying this out of the blue. He had been asked a provocative question by a reporter from a journal with an atheist bent. Here's the lead-up (the reporter is Robert I. Sherman).

Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?

Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.

Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?

Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

I don't want to make more of this than there might be. Specifically, I'm not interested in making some case that the Bush family are hypocrites or liars or whatever. For one thing, I have a hard time believing it to be true. The Bush family seem like perfectly normal people to me--basically good; have their own quirks; want to help people; want to be well thought of; etc. (Or maybe there's something wrong with me and/or the way I see other people.)

My view of this is that George HW Bush was being hyperbolic--and probably intentionally misleading. I don't think it's any more than what we all do on a regular basis. I know, someone more righteous than me will say, "That doesn't make it right...." But my own behavior makes me feel as if (1) it really isn't that big of a deal and (2) I certainly have no right to throw that particular stone.

For me, 41's statements are interesting because of their delicious irony, given Karl Rove's prominence in 43's administration.