Atheist, what would you say to our President in how he ended his Speech? as did many before him?

Not a damn thing. Presidents have been doing that since the birth of the USA.

Here's the thing about faith and prayer. No amount of prayers will stop the oil from spilling into the gulf. Either man will stop the well, or the reservoir will run dry. No amount of prayers will stop the oil from affecting life in the gulf region for years - and possibly decades - to come. No amount of prayer will prevent oil from coming onto coastal beaches and wet lands.

People put so much faith in the power of prayer, yet it there is no evidence that prayer makes a difference. When will people start to realize "I'm praying for help, yet I'm doing all the work myself".

The fact that a President or a scientist invokes god, prayer, or faith does not make them any more true. Nor does it do anything to solve the real problems that face us.

I wouldn't call him an "idiot" -- he knows very well that a large number of people in our country believe in a magical god, and without mentioning that magical god now and then he won't get their vote. That's quite savvy, not idiotic.

I'm disgusted that the situation is what it is, especially since the constitution explicitly declares that there shall be NO RELIGIOUS TEST for federal office, including president. However, as a realist I accept how things are for the time being. I'd rather have a president I can generally support, who has to mention a magic god now and then, than one I can't support who thinks said magic god told him to bomb another country into the stone age. It's a compromise I can live with for now. Although ideally, all presidents should leave magical gods out of governing.

Peace.

Well lets' see. Every US president has professed to be Christian. Nearly all US senators have professed to be Christian. Nearly all US representatives have professed to be Christian. Nearly all federal judges have professed to be Christian. These sames stats reflect at state and local levels. Christian churches are on every corner. Christian broadcasting makes up a huge percentage of all television and radio broadcasting 7x24. Christian merchandise did 6BUSD in business last year. Christian organizations and clergy pay fewer or no taxes. Oh yeah. We're talking oppressed and downtrodden alright.

A President is a politician elected to a specific post.

He is not accomplished in any field of science, and his position does not require him to have done so.

While perhaps more politically adept than Stephen Hawking, Gould or Dawkins, I wouldn't take his advice on anything scientific or spiritual.

George Bush, Sr., said that Atheists weren't patriots and shouldn't be considered citizens. Is he stupid?

In regards to tolerance and science- yes. Politically, no.

Did I even watch it? Is it somehow not the norm for presidents who believe in a deity to say that, and play to other theists?

So.. who's the one you are excluding? You one of the few Bush lovers by chance?

What our President says is his choice; there is nothing objectionable or illegal in an individual expressing a belief, no matter how ridiculous it might be. In that regard, it's consistent with the rest of what he and a large number of his predecessors have said.

Gotta keep the gullible American Christian votes for a second term.

When in Rome, act like an Italian. If you lived in NAZI Germany it would have been wise to be a good NAZI....

Not my president,this is the WORLD wide web.