Dateline: 01/24/01

By David Emery

Mind you, I don't question President G.W. Bush's commitment to his religious faith. In his autobiography, A Charge to Keep, co-written by campaign advisor Karen Hughes, Bush described at some length his 1985 spiritual reawakening inspired by Reverend Billy Graham. He has attributed his decision to run for the presidency to a sermon he heard about the story of Moses. His first actions in office, including the appointment of cabinet members who share his doctrinal views and a ban on U.S. funding for international organizations that support abortion rights, demonstrate a clear intent to apply his personal beliefs to policymaking.

There's no doubting the man's religiosity. What piques my skepticism is the instantaneous formation of folklore surrounding it.

Now, presidents are entitled to their legends. George Washington told the truth about chopping down his father's cherry tree; Abe Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address on the back of an envelope; Ronald Reagan bravely cracked jokes at death's door after an assassination attempt. But proper presidential legends accrue over time — they're "earned," in a sense. And though they need not be (and often aren't) factual, they ought to be distinguishable from outright hoaxes.

Here's a test case, an email story in circulation since late December depicting George W. Bush's evangelical enthusiasm: