I suppose you could go there but–the important thing is–at least in my mind, protecting the lives of the innocent. And I believe we’re doing that for the people in Iraq, as well as fighting the concept of euthanasia. It really is the same philosophy that applies to both.

For Bush, God has blessed and chosen America to carry out its responsibility to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty. Such rhetoric provides a clear motivation for the invasion of Iraq-to liberate the Iraqi people while at the same time bring to justice Saddam Hussein and his regime of sadistic human shredders. This basic sensibility of protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty is a driving force behind much of Bush’s perception of what it means to be a responsible President. This is why, for example, he opposes abortion but defends the death penalty. Says Bush, “I believe that it is important to focus on the innocent victim when it comes to crime. If the death penalty is administered surely, swiftly and justly, it will save lives because people will know that there is going to be a consequence to crime.” This is in keeping with Bush’s conviction that “what this country needs to do is to usher in what I call `the responsibility era.’” This is especially the case for Christians. Bush has a clear view of divine punishment that awaits those Christians who do not live up to the responsibilities of their faith: “I am mindful of that Biblical admonition that if you accept Christ and then stray, the consequences are more severe than ever.” The motif of Moses laying down clear cut choices with very clear consequences can also be found in Bush’s June 2002 speech on Israel and a Palestinian state, at the end of which he cites the famous charge from Deuteronomy 30:19, “The Bible says, ‘I have set before you life and death; therefore, choose life.’”

I agree, what’s happening in other parts of the world are reminiscent of this same sort of thing; deciding who should live based on dubious allegations of a disability IMO is “playing God”. And these are not loving “gods”. The horrible part of the Netherlands murders is that the parents of those children were not consulted at all!