By calling Saddam Hussein "evil," President Bush has polarized the nation and prevented serious public debate about a war in Iraq. That's the contention of a noted Christian theologian and the leader of a liberal Christian lobbying organization.

Elaine Pagels and the Rev. Welton Gaddy said Tuesday in a news conference that the president's use of his own brand of Christian language shuts down serious public debate on many public issues.

"He's placing those who disagree with him in the realm of evil and placing himself at the axis of good, and suggesting that someone who doesn't agree with him is morally deficient," Pagels said.
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"The presence of inappropriate religious language reflects the president's fuzzy vision of the connection of religion and government," Gaddy said.

» Bush religious rhetoric blurs Iraq debate, critics say