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Religion

Divine instruction, or mortal misquote?

By WES ALLISON
Published January 16, 2005

President Bush's statement in the Amish country of Pennsylvania this summer confirmed what his critics long suspected he believes: "God speaks through me."

But whether he really said that isn't nearly as clear.

The statement was reported in July in the Lancaster (Pa.) New Era after Bush met privately with a group of Old Order Amish.

It was an impromptu meeting, hastily arranged after a local Old Order Amish woman gave the president a quilt during a campaign stop, and Bush asked if he could meet her family. About 60 adults and children attended.

After the 20-minute meeting, Sam Stoltzfus, an Old Order historian and writer, interviewed several attendees, then gave his report to Jack Brubaker, author of a New Era column called "The Scribbler."

Stoltzfus, who wasn't at the meeting, told him that Bush had asked about the Old Order Amish farms and the men's straw hats. He tried on a hat and thanked them for their prayers.

"At the end of the session, Bush reportedly told the group, "I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job,"' Brubaker wrote in the paper's July 16 edition.

The fallout was fierce. Democrats said the comment showed Bush believes himself infallible and that his policies are of divine direction. The White House said the president did discuss how faith sustains him but did not say, "God speaks through me."

Bush has said he tries to do God's will, but theologically the notions are world's apart.

"The Scribbler" returned to the topic the following week. Brubaker explained that Stoltzfus had interviewed four people and "received different wording on that quote from several sources."

Quoting Stoltzfus, "The Scribbler" concluded, "It's very possible that the president didn't say it that way."

[Last modified January 16, 2005, 00:34:19]