Faithful Bush calls on God's blessings

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President Bush mixed images of the Almighty as a just ruler, as a judge, and as a freedom-loving deity in a speech that surpassed his 2001 inaugural address in references to God.

Barely one minute into the 21-minute discourse, he said, "every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of heaven and earth."

A few minutes later, he addressed dictators with a quote from Abraham Lincoln: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it."

Four years ago, Mr. Bush, a born-again Methodist, had referred to God in vaguer terms as a "higher power" and "author"; used such words as "democratic faith"; and referred to a saying by Mother Teresa and the parable of the good Samaritan to bolster his doctrine of "compassionate conservatism."

This time, he called Americans to the kind of character necessary in wartime and according to high standards of greatness and morality set by God.

Last week, in an Oval Office interview with editors and reporters of The Washington Times, he made it clear that his would continue to be a faith-based presidency. He said he couldn't see "how you can be president, at least from my perspective ... without a relationship with the Lord."

That quote has become popular among Mr. Bush's evangelical base. For example, it was displayed on two large screens Wednesday night at a Christian Inaugural Eve Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, according to Newhouse News Service.

Although he steered clear of sectarianism yesterday, the president gave the nod to monotheistic religions in a reference to American character, which, he said, is based "on integrity, and tolerance toward others."

Not only is such character sustained by families and "communities with standards," he added, but also "by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people."

Mr. Bush included a reference to Islam four years ago when he mentioned "church [and] synagogue and mosque" in his first inaugural speech. Yesterday's ceremonies coincided with Eid al Adha, an important Islamic holiday commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, who Muslims believe was Ishmael.