    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [February 10, 2003]
    [Pages 146-151]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville,
    Tennessee
    February 10, 2003

        Thank you so much for that warm welcome. I'm honored to be here. I
    want to thank Glenn Plummer for his kind
    introduction. I want to thank those who put on the convention for
    letting some of my fellow Texans in the hall. [Laughter] I see
    Evans. I see Gramm.
    It's good to see friendly faces. It's good to see people with whom I've
    spent a lot of quality time. Thanks for letting me come. And I'm honored
    to be with so many of you all who have dedicated your lives to sharing
    the good news.
        Before I came in this hall, I had the opportunity to have what they
    call a roundtable discussion with members of the faith community here in
    Nashville, Tennessee, people who are changing Nashville through their
    love and compassion and decency. I met folks from the Campus for Human
    Development. It's an extraordinary testament to social entrepreneurship
    based upon faith. And I want to thank all the roundtable participants
    for sharing with me your stories. I particularly want to thank the four
    folks who have recovered from homelessness, addiction to alcohol and
    drugs, for your courage to share your story with the President. It's so
    inspirational to see your courage as well as to see the great works of
    our Lord in your heart.
        I also landed today and met an extraordinary woman from Nashville
    named Sherry Jean Williams. She is
    sitting right over here. Sherry Jean, you mind standing up just for a
    second? [Applause] Thank you for coming. You'll hear me talk about the
    armies of compassion in America; she is a soldier in the armies of
    compassion. Sherry Jean mentors children whose mom or dad may be in
    prison. She volunteers to help grandparents who are raising their
    children. She is one of millions of people who are helping people in
    need.
        My call to our fellow Americans is, while one person can't do
    everything, one person can do something to make our society a more
    compassionate and decent place. And I want to thank you, Sherry
    Jean, for representing all the decent
    people, whether they be foster moms or dads--and by the way, being a
    foster parent is an incredibly important part of our society--or whether
    being a mentor or whether being somebody volunteering their time for
    after-school programs to help save lives, particularly the lives of our
    children.
        It's also great to be here in Opryland. It's an unbelievable
    complex. [Laughter] You need a roadmap to get around here. [Laughter]
    Either that, or a good Secret Service driver. [Laughter] But I'm honored
    to be back, and I appreciate the warm hospitality.
        Opryland has a way of bringing out hidden talents of politicians.
    You may recall, in 1974, Richard Nixon came to Opryland and played the
    piano and serenaded his wife. In 1998, Ashcroft, the great Attorney General of the United States, came
    and sang a duet with Ray Stevens. [Laughter] So
    I was just thinking--[laughter]--but that's as far as it got. [Laughter]
        I think I'll leave the talent to my great friend Michael W.
    Smith and Sara Paulson Brummett. Paulson It's good to see Michael W. I like a man whose middle name is W. [Laughter] He and
    Debbie joined Laura and
    me at the White House a couple of nights ago. It was good to be in his
    presence. And one of the remarkable things about the evening is Michael
    agreed to play the piano for us. He had to sing for his dinner.
    Thankfully, he did--[laughter]--but what a joy.
        For more than 80 years, America's religious broadcasters have been
    sharing the gospel on the airways. You bring words of

    [[Page 147]]

    truth and comfort and encouragement into millions of homes. Broadcasting
    is more than a job for you. It is a great commission. You serve with all
    your heart and soul, and America is grateful. Each one of you knows that
    the power of faith can transform a life. People of faith and goodness
    and idealism also have the power to transform our neighborhoods and our
    Nation. I've set a great goal for America: We must apply the great
    compassion of our people to the deepest problems of this country.
        This country is blessed with virtually millions of good-hearted
    volunteers who work daily miracles in the lives of their fellow
    citizens. And today I ask our religious broadcasters, those who reach
    into every corner of America, to rally the armies of compassion so that
    we can change America one heart, one soul at a time.
        The American people have deep and diverse religious beliefs, truly
    one of the great strengths of our country. And the faith of our citizens
    is seeing us through some demanding times. We're being challenged. We're
    meeting those challenges because of our faith.
        After we were attacked on September the 11th, we carried our grief
    to the Lord Almighty in prayer. Last week, our Nation lost seven brave
    Americans--brave souls, six Americans and one Israeli citizen, aboard
    the Space Shuttle Columbia. Laura and I went to
    Houston. We were so honored to meet the families. There's no question in
    my mind they are finding strength and comfort because of your prayers
    and because of the Almighty God. In times of tragedy, faith assures us
    that death and suffering are not the final word, that love and hope are
    eternal.
        Religious faith not only comforts; it challenges. Faith teaches that
    every person is equal in God's sight and must be treated with equal
    dignity here on Earth. This idea of human dignity forces us to
    constantly examine our own country and our own hearts. And this ideal
    has inspired some of the great reforms in American history. People of
    faith led the struggle against slavery. People of faith fought against
    child labor. People of faith worked for women's equality, and people of
    faith worked for civil rights.
        And in America today, people of faith are doing the work of
    compassion. So many good people are serving their neighbors because they
    love their God. The spirit of service is vital because the need in
    America is great. There are pockets of despair and loneliness and
    hopelessness in America. We do not accept as a fact of life that some
    Americans must endure permanent poverty or bigotry or a childhood
    without love and guidance. Our work as Americans is not complete until
    we build a single nation of justice and a nation of opportunity.
        Government, of course, must be involved and will be involved. We
    just reformed our welfare in America, and we've helped a lot of people.
    Yet, even as we work to improve the welfare laws, we know that welfare
    policy will not solve the deepest problems of the spirit.
        I first heard an interesting reminder of that fact from Tony
    Evans. He doesn't remember, but I do. We were in
    Greenville, Texas. He tells a story about the guy who owns the house and
    there's a crack running up the wall in the house. So he hires the best
    painter he can find, and the guy covers the crack and everything is
    fine, until the crack reappears. And so he hires another painter and he
    covers the crack. And Tony Evans reminded me and the audience, he said,
    ``You don't fix the crack on the wall until you first fix the
    foundation.''
        This economy of ours is growing okay. It can be better. As a matter
    of fact, we've got plans in place to encourage job growth, ways to
    stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of the country, encourage small-
    business expansion so that people can find work. Yet, there are some
    needs that prosperity can never meet.

    [[Page 148]]

        We've arrested and we convict criminals. Yet, building more prisons
    will not substitute for responsibility and order in our souls.
        The role of Government is limited, because Government cannot put
    hope in people's hearts or a sense of purpose in people's lives. That
    happens when someone puts an arm around a neighbor and says, ``God loves
    you. I love you, and you can count on us both.''
        And it is that spirit which defines some of the most effective
    social programs in America. It is that spirit of love and compassion
    which makes healing lives work. Yet, for too long, some in Government
    thought there was no room for faith-based groups to provide social
    services. I have a different point of view. I believe Government should
    welcome faith-based groups as allies in the great work of renewing
    America.
        I welcome faith. I welcome faith to help solve the Nation's deepest
    problems. I understand there's a--that Government must not and will not
    endorse a religious creed or directly fund religious worship. That's
    obviously not a role of Government, and that's not what we're talking
    about here.
        But governments can and should support effective social services
    provided by religious people, so long as they work and as long as those
    services go to anyone in need, regardless of their faith. And when
    Government gives that support, it is equally important that faith-based
    institutions should not be forced to change the character or compromise
    their prophetic role.
        If a charity's helping the needy, it should not matter if there is a
    rabbi on the board, or a cross on the wall, or crescent on the wall, or
    religious commitment in the charter. I need to ask, does it work? If an
    earthquake or hurricane damages a Christian or Jewish or Muslim school,
    that school should not be denied Federal disaster assistance because of
    its religious character.
        What I'm saying is, the days of discriminating against religious
    groups just because they're religious are coming to an end. [Applause]
    Thank you. I have issued an Executive order banning discrimination
    against faith-based charities in social service grants by Federal
    agencies. I continue to work with members of Congress of both political
    parties to enact faith-based legislation to encourage more charitable
    giving, so we're more likely able to rally the armies of compassion. We
    created faith-based offices in key Cabinet departments to ensure that
    faith-based groups get equal treatment and fair access to Government
    funds.
        I recognize some people around our country asking, ``What does this
    Faith-Based Initiative mean? And is it a threat to my very program?''
    And so we're holding meetings across the country to help faith-based
    groups to understand how they can qualify for Government grants without
    compromising their mission. We're on an education campaign. We're
    reaching out to find the social entrepreneurs who exist all across this
    Nation.
        I went to Congress at my State of the Union and spoke about two
    needs I want to share with you today. I have concerns--I know you do as
    well--about children whose mom or dad may be in prison. Imagine what
    life must be like for those children. Imagine how they wonder about
    their future, whether or not this great country holds out hope for them.
    I know by calling upon the compassionate hearts of our fellow citizens,
    we can help save those lives by mentoring programs, by putting the child
    in touch with somebody like Sherry Jean Williams, who realizes somebody does care about them during these
    tough and difficult times.
        Now, I asked Congress to support a mentoring proposal which will
    bring caring adults into the lives of more than a million children,
    disadvantaged children, including the children whose mom or dad may be
    in prison. There's no question in my mind that if this Nation puts our
    mind to it, we can surround those little ones with love and provide a
    better hope for them.

    [[Page 149]]

        As well, I am concerned about those who are addicted to drugs, who
    fight for their very lives and survival against addiction. I believe
    that we can take an approach that focuses on the addict, give that
    person a voucher to be redeemed at any program that he or she chooses,
    especially those programs that have got the capacity to change heart
    and, therefore, change habit. Congress needs to hear this call and work
    with us to facilitate the mentoring and the healing of those who hurt.
        America's religious broadcasters can really play an important role
    in this work, and I want to discuss what I think that role can be and
    make a few suggestions today. [Laughter] Christian media outlets like
    yours reach 141 million people every year. That's a huge audience, and
    it's a responsibility that I know you take seriously. This Nation has
    got a lot of wealthy and caring congregations, and we've got a lot of
    churches in low-income areas that need help too. Your voices reach them
    all. You can communicate with them, rich and poor alike, suburban church
    and urban church alike. And you can help bring them together to serve
    those who hurt, so we can achieve a more just and generous society.
        It's been said that 11 a.m. on Sunday is the most segregated hour in
    America. We all have a responsibility to break down the barriers that
    divide us. In Scripture, God commands us to reach out to those who are
    different, to reconcile with each other, to lay down our lives in
    service to others. And He promises that the fruits of faith and
    fellowship, service and reconciliation will far surpass the struggles we
    go through to achieve them.
        Suburban churches are often just a short drive away from brothers
    and sisters who are facing great need and doing God's work. There's an
    opportunity here to end artificial divisions and join together in
    fellowship and service. There's also an obligation. The poor and
    suffering are the responsibility of the whole church, even when they're
    not members of any church.
        When a suburban church and an urban church become full partners,
    great things can happen. Both churches benefit. The Chicago Christ
    Church of Oak Brook and Lawndale Community Church are working together
    to serve the sick in Lawndale's health care clinic for the poor. In
    Boston, Wellesley Congregational Church and the historic Charles Street
    AME Church are creating a new center to boost the reading and computer
    skills of Roxbury residents.
        Right here on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, in Franklin,
    Tennessee, a conversion between an associate pastor of Christ Community
    Church and the pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church began a
    fellowship that now includes nearly 60 pastors and church members of all
    different races and denominations. I know that to be a fact because I
    heard them both talk today. Their churches work together to support a
    medical clinic for poor children, a legal office that gives free advice,
    a New Hope Academy, a faith-based school where children from different
    backgrounds study together, learn the classics together. The inspiration
    for the church told me that her hope was to provide a vision for the
    children, a vision that was positive and optimistic and clear. She said
    it's one thing to teach a child to read, but she wants the literate
    child to see a better day.
        At first, Pastor Denny Denson of the First
    Missionary Baptist--Denny is with us, by the way--was a little wary
    about how these very different churches would work together. And here's
    what he says. He says, ``There's some walls still there, but they're
    down low enough that we can just step over them.'' And then he said
    this, he said, ``We are committed to each other to the end.'' And the
    Nashville area is better off for it.
        In all these partnerships, lives are lifted up. We see unity and
    racial reconciliation. We see faith renewed by its works.
        So today I ask you to challenge your listeners to love somebody just
    like they'd like to be loved themselves, to remind

    [[Page 150]]

    them that one person can make a difference in somebody's life, to
    encourage them to mentor, to encourage them to start a ministry which
    will find the children of those who are incarcerated and love them. I
    ask you to challenge your listeners to encourage your congregations to
    work together for the good of this Nation, to work hard to break down
    the barriers that have divided the children of God for too long.
        There is no question that we can rid this Nation of hopelessness and
    despair, because the greatest strength of America is the character of
    the American people. We are a compassionate country, and we are generous
    toward our fellow citizens. And we are a courageous country, ready when
    necessary to defend the peace.
        And today, peace is threatened. We face a continuing threat of
    terrorist networks that hate the very thought of people being able to
    live in freedom. They hate the thought of the fact that in this great
    country, we can worship the Almighty God the way we see fit. And
    probably what makes them even angrier is, we're not going to change.
    [Laughter]
        We face an outlaw regime in Iraq that hates our country, a regime
    that aids and harbors terrorists and is armed with weapons of mass
    murder. Before September the 11th, 2001, there's a lot of good folks who
    believed that Saddam Hussein could be
    contained. Before September the 11th, 2001, we thought oceans would
    protect us forever, that if we saw a gathering threat somewhere else in
    the world, we could respond to it if we chose--so chose to do so. But
    that all changed on that fateful day.
        Chemical agents, lethal viruses, and shadowy terrorist networks are
    not easily contained. Secretly, without fingerprints, Saddam
    Hussein could provide one of his hidden
    weapons to terrorists or help them develop their own. Saddam Hussein is
    a threat. He's a threat to the United States of America. He's a threat
    to some of our closest friends and allies. We don't accept this threat.
        As a matter of fact, the world saw this as a threat 12 years ago.
    Twelve years ago, Saddam Hussein was told to
    disarm for a reason: He's a dangerous man. And he hasn't disarmed. We've
    tried economic sanctions. He hasn't changed. Over the years, we've tried
    limited strikes against military facilities. It didn't work. We've
    offered Iraq the path of voluntary disarmament and inspections. The
    Iraqi regime is rejecting it.
        Saddam Hussein has broken every promise
    to disarm. He has shown complete contempt for the international
    community. Last fall the international community spoke with united
    voice. It said, ``This is your last chance, Mr. Saddam Hussein, to do
    what you said you would do, which is, in the name of peace, disarm.
    Destroy your weapons of mass destruction.'' The role of the inspectors
    is not to play hide-and-seek, in a country the size of California, with
    104 people. The role of inspectors is to verify whether or not Mr.
    Saddam Hussein is keeping his word, whether or not he's showing up with
    his weapons and destroying them--the weapons, by the way, he says he
    doesn't have.
        My attitude is that we owe it to future generations of Americans and
    citizens in freedom-loving countries to see to it that Mr. Saddam
    Hussein is disarmed. It's his choice to make
    as to how he will be disarmed. He can either do so--which it doesn't
    look like he's going to. For the sake of peace, we will lead a coalition
    of willing countries and disarm Saddam Hussein.
        If war is forced upon us--and I say ``forced upon us'' because use
    of the military is not my first choice. I hug the mothers and the widows
    of those who may have lost their life in the name of peace and freedom.
    I take my responsibilities incredibly seriously about the commitment of
    troops. But should we need to use troops,

    [[Page 151]]

    for the sake of future generations of Americans, American troops will
    act in the honorable traditions of our military and in the highest moral
    traditions of our country.
        We will try in every way we can to spare innocent life. The people
    of Iraq are not our enemies. The true enemy of the Iraqi people, Saddam
    Hussein, has a different strategy. In
    violation of the Geneva Conventions, Saddam Hussein is positioning his
    military forces within civilian populations in order to shield his
    military and blame coalition forces for civilian casualties that he has
    caused. Saddam Hussein regards the Iraqi people as human shields,
    entirely expendable when their suffering serves his purposes.
        America views the Iraqi people as human beings who have suffered
    long enough under this tyrant. And the Iraqi people can be certain of
    this: The United States is committed to helping them build a better
    future. If conflict occurs, we'll bring Iraq food and medicine and
    supplies and, most importantly, freedom. As I said in my State of the
    Union, liberty is not America's gift to the world. Liberty is God's gift
    to every human being in the world.
        America has great challenges, challenges at home and challenges
    abroad. We're called to extend the promise of this country into the
    lives of every citizen who lives here. We're called to defend our Nation
    and to lead the world to peace, and we will meet both challenges with
    courage and with confidence.
        There's an old saying, ``Let us not pray for tasks equal to our
    strength. Let us pray for strength equal to our tasks.'' And that is our
    prayer today, for the strength in every task we face.
        I want to thank each of you for your prayers. I want to thank you
    for your faithfulness. I want to thank you for your good work. And I
    want to thank you for loving your country.
        May God bless you all, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:07 a.m. in the Presidential Ballroom at
    the Opryland Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Glenn R. Plummer,
    executive committee chairman, National Religious Broadcasters; Anthony
    T. Evans, founder and president, The Urban Alternative; former Senator
    Phil Gramm of Texas; entertainers Ray Stevens, Michael W. Smith, and
    Sara Paulson Brummett; and President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    these remarks. The Executive order of December 12, 2002, on equal
    protection of the laws for faith-based and community organizations was
    published at 67 FR 77141.