GaryP

President Bush said,


Quoting Scripture, the president said, "The same creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to earth but we can pray they are safely home."

By being "home" does he mean heaven? Even the Jewish guy?

Is there some evidence that the Israeli converted to Christian before the tragedy?

Amie

yes he means heaven

GaryP

Is the Jewish astronaut in the same heaven that George W. is expecting to go to himself some day?

Amie

I believe its all the same place, its merely perceived as being different...

GaryP

So you don't really have to believe in Jesus to get there?

Amie

I do not believe people can *only* get to Heaven on faith alone.

GaryP

I can accept that. But doesn't the Bible say there is only "one way" and isn't faith at least part of it?

The guy from Israel was Jewish. I would assume he did not believe that Jesus was God's son. My problem is that GWB just ignores this fact.

Can't he think of something to say that can be comforting to all the families, not just those who share his well known Jesus worship?

Amie

I am thinking of all of the people of the world, people in tribes away from society, people who have never even heard of the bible let alone Jesus. I dont see God not allowing them to heaven based on any lack of biblical knowledge...
Sometimes people try to offer comforting words based on the expressions they themselves would find comforting...

fando

That is understandable, but surely the President of a vast nation can come up with something more elegant, perhaps worthy of quoting in the future? Is the most he can muster selfish and exclusive? This is a person that's supposed to represent the nation and he's doing a very poor job of representing the secular.

Amie

I saw on the news that he added some things to his speech that the speech team worked on. I think he had good intentions, there is just no way he could please all the people.