This reader confessed to me, "I just know that I am giving President Bush my full support, believing he is doing his absolute best to keep the United States of America a country that truly is the 'land of the free and the home of the brave', 'America the Beautiful'."

Later, she wrote again, to further reinforce her personal commitment to, and her absolute faith in, our nation's hard working earthly agent of the Deity.

"If He is not for us - we are all goners, and we might as well face it. We live in an EVIL world, under the persuasions of the EVIL ONE who is madly dashing to and fro seeking whom he can lie to, recruit, kill, destroy, cheat, deceive, etc, on earth, and for all eternity. It is more evident than ever before. There is no goodness in terrorism, and the terrorists get their orders from the evil one. But, we can chose to get our orders from God. And, He wins, goodness prevails, ultimately, once and for all. But, not without conflict, and battles!

"My hope and trust is, that as a man of God, Bush is making decisions, and getting his orders from God, as he seeks His wisdom and direction. And, 'if God be for us, who can be against us?'" I have corresponded with this poor woman repeatedly. She is not stupid. She is simply scared out of her wits.
(...)

Those of us who are old enough to have attics full of old birthday cards and National Geographics, might recall that we are about to observe the twenty-third anniversary of that dark day in history when nine hundred thirteen people, out of an entire California congregation of eleven hundred, relocated to a remote Peoples' Temple in Guyana and stood united before their blessed leader. They too suppressed their doubts and fears, putting their full faith in this "man of God" ... the Holy Reverend Jim Jones.
(...)

However, there are some obvious and disturbing parallels between Jonestown's pliant parishioners, and the large percentage of Americans who now seek emotional solace in blind and unquestioning obedience to a regime made up of some imperfect "men of God."

Those who read history need not be reminded of the correlation between periods of nearly unanimous "approval ratings" for powerful leaders, and the massive human tragedies that often followed. Such readers will take little comfort from recent popularity polls or from the unity those polls purport to represent.
[read more]

I'm not sure which is worse. Is Bush cynical in his war on evil? Is he taking advantage of people, like this woman, who are deluded in their simplistic view of the world? A view foisted on them by their religious leaders. It would be criminal if it were. That would be truly evil. Or does Bush really believe in what he is saying? Does he have the same view of the world as this woman? I find that much scarier.