U.S. President George W. Bush has alienated Muslims around the world by using absolutist Christian rhetoric to discuss foreign policy issues, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says.

I'm not sure what "absolutist" Christian rhetoric means, but I'm not sure that President Bush is using it. Would absolutist rhetoric include statements like these...

When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race -- out of every race. - September 17, 2001

Islam is a peace-loving faith that is practiced by more than one billion people, including millions of American Muslims. These proud citizens contribute to the diversity that makes our country strong, and the United States is grateful for the friendship and support of many Muslim Nations that are vital partners in the global coalition to fight against terrorism. - November 5, 2002.

"Americans hold a deep respect for the Islamic faith, which is professed by a growing number of my own citizens," Bush said. "We know that Islam is fully compatible with liberty and tolerance and progress... - October 22, 2003

I could go on of course. And it's not hard to find those voices who think Bush and others have all bent over a little too far to be nice. I find it hard to see how the consistent, positive promotion of Islam translates into "absolutist Christian rhetoric". But maybe it's becuase he keeps saying that God is on our side? Let's put aside the fact that leaders of every religion say that in times of crisis, making it HUMAN rhetoric as opposed to Christian rhetoric. Now let's see some of that "God is with us and only us" talk.

We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. - State of the Union 2005

So becuase Bush mentions God often, he is accused of being a Crusader even when he specifically says that we cannot know what God ultimately wants and that our victory is not by any means inevitable!

The real issue here is that Jews and Christians in the U.S. (read - liberals) don't like Bush's mention of God because they either don't believe in God or more often believe that God would not want us to follow the path that the Bush administration has taken. For those that do believe in God, do they NOT believe that God moves and chooses as He wills? Of course they do.

Finally as for Albright's ridiculous claim that, "I worked for two presidents who were men of faith, and they did not make their religious views part of American policy," she said, referring to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both Democrats and Christians.", I would like to quote President Carter himself.

"You can't divorce religious belief and public service ...
I've never detected any conflict between God's will
and my political duty. If you violate one,
you violate the other."