Obama and Jesus

President Obama mentions Jesus in big speeches more frequently than George W. Bush did, said Eamon Javers in Politico, "even though Bush’s Christian faith was at the core of his political identity." Obama has invoked the Christian messiah "while talking about abortion and the Middle East, even the economy." Clearly this is a president who feels comfortable talking about his faith.

And there's nothing wrong with that, said Jonah Goldberg in National Review. What is "mildly amusing"—"but hardly surprising"—is that Obama followers who criticized Bush for injecting religion into government business don't seem to care when their man does the same thing.

President Obama has good reason for trying to reflect "a different kind of Christianity," said John Esposito in The Washington Post and Newsweek. Bush's talk of "crusades" made many Muslims see the U.S. fight against Islamofascism as a war on Islam. Obama is trying to fix things by showing Muslims that his faith is more "empathetic" and accepting of them than are the beliefs the Christian right.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up