Assistant Professor of Government Yael Aronoff wrote an opinion piece examining how presidents Bush and Carter used their religious beliefs to determine foreign policy. "Same God, Different Outcomes" was published in the Syracuse Post-Standard. (April 23, 2003.)
Excerpt:
President Bush's religiously inspired drive to eradicate evil, stimulated by a deep born-again Christian faith, is leading the nation down a perilous path. The danger lies in the emotional fervor that has threatened rational decision-making.
Religion's influence on presidential decision-making is not a new phenomenon. This is not in of itself cause for concern. The critical issue, however, is that religion not blind a leader to issues not within the purview of that faith.
Presidents Carter and Bush are both born-again Christians who began their presidencies with little foreign policy experience. To a greater extent than most, Carter once relied and Bush continues to rely on advisors to shape their views. Co-mingled with their religious views, this advice has been incorporated into frameworks of good versus evil, the constructs through which they interpret world affairs.
... With God on his side, Bush's emphasis on evil may have led him to war based on worst-case scenarios of Saddam's capabilities, while envisioning best-case scenarios for its outcome. With this kind of faith, the president's approach to foreign affairs may prove to be more expensive and painful than ever anticipated.
