Bush Decorates The Dalai Lama

RELIGION IN THE NEWS

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.  This week’s item is from The Voice of America, October 24, 2007, with a headline, “Dalai Lama Receives Award.” The following are excerpts: “President George W. Bush presented the Dalai Lama with the United States’ Congresses’ highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal.  The decision to award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal reflects the great esteem in which the American people hold the Dalai Lama as a revered religious figure, a Nobel Laureate, and an important cultural figure.  By publicly honoring the Dalai Lama, President Bush said, ‘America raises its voice in the call for religious liberty and basic human rights. An era that has seen an unprecedented number of nations embrace individual freedom has also witnessed the stubborn endurance of religious repression.  Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away.  And, that is why I will continue to urge the leaders of China to welcome the Dalai Lama to China.  They will find this good man to be a man of peace and reconciliation.  Recent legal measures have expanded and deepened Chinese government control over the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, including imposing restrictions on the operation of monasteries, the training of and travel of Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns and the recognition of Lamas and other important religious leaders.  Freedom of belief, said President Bush, is the yearning of the human spirit, a blessing offered to the world and a cherished value of our nation.  Throughout American history, said Mr. Bush, we have stood proudly with those who offer a message of hope in freedom to the world’s downtrodden and oppressed.’  The Dalai Lama said Mr. Bush is a symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd for the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people.”

Tom:

Dave, this is another one of those enigmas that confuse me a bit.  Why would the United States, particularly related to the issues of dealing with China, but that aside, why would the United States honor a religious leader, the Dalai Lama, what has he ever done for this country?  What has he ever, how has he ever enabled helped, aided in any way?  He’s just a religious leader.First of all, let’s go back.  Why did he ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize?  What did he ever do for that?

Dave:

Yes Tom, I was being interviewed in New Zealand, in the capitol by a major newspaper, and they wanted to know, what about Oral Roberts, what about Benny Hinn, and what about, you know, these phonies over there you have on television, etc?  And I was able to give them some information.  And, then I said somebody else we ought to talk about too,—He travels around the world initiating people into Tibetan Tantric Deity Yoga, turning everybody into little bodhisattvas, into little gods who can control their own universe all around them—the Dalai Lama.  Whoop, that’s the end as soon as you mention the Dalai Lama!  He gets the Nobel Peace Prize for introducing people, or initiating them into Tantric Deity Yoga!  Now, he claims to be God.  Let’s be blunt about it, although in Buddhism there really isn’t a god, depends on what kind of Buddhism.  And he claims to be God.  And he claims he has this power, etc.  You know, I think he has to hold an umbrella over his head to keep off the rain, etc., I don’t think he’s a god, but yet he was honored with a Nobel Peace Prize for that.  And Tom, I will never forget—what was the name of that New Age big magazine? Well, I can’t remember, but it was December 19th something or other, it would have pictures of the palace at Lassa and the wow, beautiful snow-capped Himalayas behind it and then over it was superimposed the Dalai Lama.  And it said, “Peace to the World.”  Now that was the announcement of the angels at the birth of Jesus.  But now the Dalai Lama, he’s the man of peace, who’s going to bring peace to the world, he gets the Nobel Peace Prize for it because he’s going to turn us all into little bodhisattvas and now you say, Tom, you’re perturbed or you’re nonplussed that the United States honors this man?  Wait minute, how about Yogi Bhajan?  Congress honored him, maybe even more highly than this.

Tom:

Dave, how does something like this happen?  I came out of Hollywood, all right?  As you know, I spent a number years down there in Hollywood as a screen writer and you could walk Hollywood Blvd and there are stars right in the pavement.  Well, you have to buy those, I know how that works, you add your name, but you have to purchase all of this.  So, whether it’s Billy Graham or Hop-Along Cassidy, or whoever it might be, that’s one way.  How does this happen, do you buy your way in?  Do you get a hold of somebody and work your way in?  I don’t get it!

Dave:

Well Tom, President Bush claims to be a Christian.  And now he said the Dalai Lama is a symbol of peace.  I don’t know about that, but okay, let’s see; he’s tried to get peace with the Chinese, who have overrun his country.  Tolerance, well, we could go along with that.  A shepherd for the faithful—what faithful are these, and how has he been a shepherd?  And the keeper of the flame for his people, I don’t understand that, but it’s politics, Tom, [that] is what it is.

Tom:

My friend and your friend Roger Oakland, we’ve been featuring his book, Faith Undone, in our first segment.  He was there in Washington; he was on his way to the Smithsonian.  As he went by Congress and he hears this—he didn’t know what was going on, he heard this moaning and groaning and beating of drums, and all of those kinds of things, and he went over.  And [here were] the followers of the Dalai Lama, and he said they were calling down demons.  He’s heard this before, he’s been to India, he’s traveled throughout the world, and he said there they are on American soil calling down demons for peace!

Dave:

Tom, it’s a tragedy, but it’s politics, so what does it matter?  The President can honor Hindus and Buddhists, Yogis, now the Dalai Lama.  I don’t know exactly what statement he was making with China because he was provoking China, and I don’t quite understand that.  But certainly, it is perturbing that the President goes into Buddhist temples, he honors this religion and that religion, and above all, he honors Islam!  He calls Islam a religion of peace, with its history, and what it is doing right now?