George W. Bush is widely regarded as one of the most openly religious presidents in recent memory. That's almost certainly true, but it's interesting that however religious he may be, it's really not clear what exactly he really believes. He's been able to create the perception of religiosity without also having to explain what his religious beliefs are.

MSNBC explains:

Bush has said many times that he is a Christian, believes in the power of prayer and considers himself a "lowly sinner." But White House aides said they do not know whether the president believes that: the Bible is without error; the theory of evolution is true; homosexuality is a sinful choice; only Christians will go to heaven; support for Israel is a biblical imperative; or the war in Iraq is part of God's plan.

Some political analysts think there is a shrewd calculation behind these ambiguities. By using such phrases as the "culture of life," Bush signals to evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics that he is with them, while he avoids taking explicit stands that might alienate other voters or alarm foreign leaders. Bush and his chief speechwriter, Michael J. Gerson, are "very gifted at crafting references that religious insiders will understand and outsiders may not," said the Rev. Jim Wallis, editor of the evangelical journal Sojourners.

Because he does not claim to have embraced Jesus in a single moment, aides said, Bush does not call himself "born again." Nor does he refer to himself as an evangelical, though evangelical leaders do not hesitate to claim him as one of their own. "I think most of us recognize him as a guy who sure has the same orthodox beliefs we do," said Charles W. Colson, a Nixon White House aide who heads Prison Fellowship Ministries.

John C. Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron in Ohio, said that despite many variations, evangelicals generally adhere to four core beliefs: the Bible is without error, salvation comes through faith in Jesus and not good deeds, individuals must accept Jesus as adults and all Christians must evangelize. Where Bush stands on that litany is not entirely clear.

Why isn't Bush more clear about his beliefs? There are a number of possibilities, some good and some bad. One bad reason might be that he doesn't want to scare away too many moderates with this extremism — or that he doesn't want to scare away too many extremists with his moderation. A better reason might be that he recognizes that as a president of all Americans, he can't go too far with specifics about his religious beliefs lest he send the message that some religious beliefs are preferred. The more general and vague he is, the more inclusive he is.

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