Bush : The Bible Is Not Meant To Be Taken Literally

George W. Bush, who saw great potential in ditching alcoholism for evangelicalism, drops a bomb on the true believers :

President George W. Bush has shocked some evangelical Christians by suggesting that the Bible is not "literally true." While most of the 85 percent of believing Christians in America would be comfortable with that sentiment, evangelicals will not be.

President George W. Bush made the statement on ABC's Nightline. Bush said, when asked about the Bible's literal truth, "Probably not. No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it." On the subject of the creation of the universe, President Bush went on to say, "I think that God created the Earth ... and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution." Bush also suggested that Christians, Jews, and Muslims pray to the same God.

Of course, if he he had been so frank as to say that he didn't believe the Bible was a fax from God, and that creationism doesn't rule out evolution, back in 2000, he probably wouldn't have become president.

What God Told George To Do

So who was on the microphone end of President Bush's ear piece when he heard instructions from God telling him to go to war? Was it Karl Rove? Dick Cheney? Someone from AIPAC?

US President George Bush has said that he was instructed by God to invade Iraq and Afghanistan...

The claim comes from the first meeting between the US leader, the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen), and his then foreign minister in June 2003.

The ministers say that Mr Bush also revealed to them that he had been told by God to create a Palestinian state.

Former Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath, now the Information Minister, describes the meeting with the US leader, in the BBC2 program, Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs.

He says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God'.

"God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq . . .' And I did.

"And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East."

Mr Abbas, who was also at the meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, recounts how the President told him: "I have a moral and religious obligation.

"So I will get you a Palestinian state."

The White House has never disputed the claims made by Mr Abbas and Mr Shaaf.