Faith 2008: Candidates

Barack Obama on Personal and National Moral Failings at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
Rick Warren: What would be the greatest moral failure in your life and what would be the greatest moral failure in America?

Sen. Obama: Well, in my own life, I'd break it up in stages. I had a difficult ...

 
Barack Obama on Abortion at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
Rick Warren: At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?

Sen. Obama: Well, I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is...

 
Barack Obama on Evil and Genocide at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
Rick Warren: Does evil exist, and if it does, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it or do we defeat it?

Sen. Obama: Evil does exist. We see evil all the time. We see evil in Darfur. We see evil sadly in the street...

 
Barack Obama on Religious Freedom at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
I think the first thing we have to do is to bear witness and speak out and not pretend that [abuse of religious freedom] is not taking place. You know our relationship with China for example is a very complicated one…And so having an Administration that’s sp...
 
John McCain on Personal and National Moral Failings at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
Rick Warren: What’s been your greatest moral failure…and what do you think is the greatest moral failure of America?

Sen. McCain: My greatest moral failing, and I have been a very imperfect person, is the failu...

 
John McCain on Evil and Islamic Extremism
August 16, 2008
Rick Warren: Does evil exist, and if so, should we ignore it, negotiate with it, contain it or defeat it?

Sen. McCain: Defeat it…If I’m President of the United States, my friends, if I have to follow him to the gates of ...

 
John McCain on Georgia as a Christian Nation at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
I’m very saddened to be with you and talk about a Russian reemergence in the centuries old ambition of the Russian Empire to dominate that part of the world. Killings, murder, villages are being burned [in Georgia]. The latest figure from human rights organizations...
 
John McCain on Abortion, Gay Marriage, and Stem Cell Research at Saddleback Civil Forum
August 16, 2008
Rick Warren: At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?

Sen. McCain: At the moment of conception. I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress…I will be a pro-life President…That’s my commitment to you.<...

 
John McCain on a Potential Pro-Choice Vice President in the Weekly Standard
August 13, 2008
I think that the pro-life position is one of the important aspects or fundamentals of the Republican Party.  And I also feel that--and I'm not trying to equivocate here--that Americans want us to work together. You know, Tom Ridge is one of the great leaders and he ...
 
John Edwards on Asking Forgiveness for His Affair in ABC News Interview
August 08, 2008
In 2006 2 years ago, I made a very serious mistake. A mistake that I am responsible for and no one else. In 2006 I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. And we have kept this within our family since that time.
 
Barack Obama on Faith in a Pluralistic Society in TIME Essay
August 07, 2008
I began my Christian journey over 20 years ago, as a young man fresh out of college. And since that time I've been serious not only about deepening my relationship with Christ but also about the way that all Americans can live together in our diverse, pluralistic society...
 
Barack Obama on Values Issues in TIME Essay
August 07, 2008
I also think we must remember that there are a range of moral-values issues that must be addressed in our families, our communities and our government. My values speak to the 47 million Americans suffering without health care, the care of soldiers and civilians in Iraq a...
 
John McCain on Faith and His Experience in Vietnam in TIME Essay
August 07, 2008
My father would have been surprised to know what unlikely forms God's mercy could take. In prison, my captors would tie my arms behind my back and then loop the rope around my neck and ankles so that my head was pulled down between my knees. One night a guard came into ...
 
John McCain on the Power of Faith in TIME Essay
August 07, 2008
In the life of our country, faith serves the same ends that it can serve in the life of each believer, whatever creed we might profess. It sees us through life's trials. It instills humility, calling us to serve a cause greater than ourselves. At its best, faith reminds ...
 
Barack Obama on the Danger of Division in Speech in Berlin
July 24, 2008
That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between ra...
 
Barack Obama on the the End of Divisions in his Speech in Berlin
July 24, 2008
We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin...
 
Barack Obama on his Attendance at Trinity United Church of Christ in Newsweek Interview
July 21, 2008
Interviewer: You said you didn't hear a lot of the sermons at Trinity. How often did you go?

Obama: At the beginning, we went fairly frequently. We were single, so I'd say we probably went two or three times a month. When we had Malia, our first child, we went less fre...

 
Barack Obama on his Prayer Life in Newsweek Interview
July 21, 2008
[I pray daily for] forgiveness for my sins and flaws, which are many, the protection of my family, and that I'm carrying out God's will, and not in a grandiose way, but simply that there is an alignment between my actions and what he would want. And then I find myself so...
 
Barack Obama on his Conversion Experience in Newsweek Interview
July 21, 2008
What was intellectual and what was emotional joined, and the belief in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, that he died for our sins, that through him we could achieve eternal life—but also that, through good works we could find order and meaning here on Earth an...
 
Barack Obama's Response to Franklin Graham's Question about Salvation for Non-Christians in Newsweek Interview
July 21, 2008
It is a precept of my Christian faith that my redemption comes through Christ, but I am also a big believer in the Golden Rule, which I think is an essential pillar not only of my faith but of my values and my ideals and my experience here on Earth. I've said this before...
 
Barack Obama on Racial Reconciliation as a Religious Issue in Newsweek Interview
July 21, 2008
Race is a central test of our belief that we're our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper … There's a sense that if we are to get beyond our racial divides, that it should be neat and pretty, whereas part of my argument was that it's going to be hard and messy&mda...
 
Barack Obama on the New Yorker Cover Controversy on Larry King Live
July 15, 2008
King: Considering that, though, there's a lot of e-mails going around. It gets rather terrible. A "Newsweek" poll shows that 12 percent of America believes that you're a Muslim and 26 believe -- 26 percent believe you were raised in a Muslim ho...
 
John McCain on the Faith of the Latino Community at National Council of La Raza Convention
July 14, 2008
Latinos are among the hardest working most productive people in our country. The strength of your religious faith and the strength and closeness of your families are a great force for social stability and individual happiness. In my recent visit to Mexico, I visited the ...
 
Barack Obama on Foreign Policy in the Islamic World in Interview with Fareed Zakaria
July 13, 2008
Zakaria: Do you believe, when looking at the world today, that Islamic extremism is the transcendent challenge of the 21st century?

Obama: I think the problems of terrorism and groups that are resisting modernity, whether because of t...

 
John McCain on Defining his Christianity in New York Times Interview
July 13, 2008
Interviewer: Do you consider yourself an evangelical Christian?

McCain: I consider myself a Christian. I attend church, my faith has sustained me in very difficult times. But I think it depends on what you call a quote evangelical Chr...

 
John McCain on Going to Church in New York Times Interview
July 13, 2008
Interviewer: How often do you go to church?

McCain: Um, not as often as I should. When Cindy and I are in Phoenix, we attend. We’ve been fortunate enough the last few weeks to be in Phoenix. During the primary before that we wer...

 
John McCain on Federal Funding for Faith Based Organizations in New York Times Interview
July 13, 2008
Interviewer: Do you think religious organizations that get federal funding to deliver social services – faith based organizations – should be permitted to take faith into account in deciding who to hire. You saw Obama’s proposal.

 
Barack Obama on the Evangelical Vote in Statement to Reporters
July 06, 2008
If we show up, if we let folks know that we're interested in them and we share a lot of common values, then we're not going to win 100 percent of the evangelical vote. We might not even win 50 percent of the evangelical vote. But we will at least take some of the sharp e...
 
Barack Obama on Submitting to the Lord's Will at A.M.E Church General Conference
July 05, 2008
I let Jesus Christ into my life. I learned that my sins could be redeemed and if I placed my trust in Jesus, that he could set me on a path to eternal life. When I submitted myself to his will and I dedicated myself to discovering his truth and carrying out his works, it...
 
Barack Obama on Active Faith at A.M.E. Chuch General Conference
July 05, 2008
Our faith cannot be an idle faith. It requires more of us than Sundays at church, it requires more than just our daily prayer. It must be an active faith rooted in that most fundamental of all truths; That I am my brother's keeper. That I am my sister's keeper. That we m...
 
Barack Obama on Moral Problems in Society at A.M.E. Church General Conference
July 05, 2008
The challenges we face today -- war and poverty, joblessness and homelessness, violent streets and crumbling schools -- are not simply technical problems in search of a 10-point plan. They are moral problems, rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousnes...
 
John McCain on Right to Life in Videotaped Message to National Right to Life Convention
July 03, 2008
More than 200 years ago our nation’s founders declared that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is no accident that they decided life is the first and most basic right...
 
Barack Obama on Faith-Based Groups at Eastside Community Ministries
July 01, 2008
You know, faith based groups like East Side Community Ministry carry a particular meaning for me. Because in a way, they're what led me into public service. It was a Catholic group called The Campaign for Human Development that helped fund the work I did many years ago i...
 
Barack Obama on Constitutional Principles Guiding His Faith-Based Initiatives at Eastside Community Ministry
July 01, 2008
Now, make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don't believe this partnership will endanger that idea – so long as we follow a few basic principles. First, if you get a federal gr...
 
Barack Obama on Faith-Based Groups and Education at Eastside Community Ministry
July 01, 2008
This Council will also help target our efforts to meet key challenges like education. All across America, too many children simply can't read or perform math at their grade-level, a problem that grows worse for low-income students during the summer months and afterschool...
 
Barack Obama on Incorporating Faith Leaders into Policy at Eastside Community Ministry
July 01, 2008
And my Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will also have a broader role – it will help set our national agenda. Because if we are going to do something about the injustice of millions of children living in extreme poverty, we need interfaith coal...
 
Barack Obama on Specifics of his Faith-Based Initiatives Plan in Relevant Magazine Interview
July 01, 2008
Interviewer: For a variety of reasons, Congress wouldn’t support President Bush’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Why do you feel they’ll support your plan?

Obama: Based on the assessment o...
 
Barack Obama on Hiring and Religious Discrimination in Relevant Magazine Interview
July 01, 2008
Interviewer:Your plan specifically prohibits discriminatory hiring policies based on religion. Don't you think faith-based organizations that would otherwise want to join this program would bristle at the limitation that they can’t hire a staff tha...
 
John McCain on Supporting Ex-Convicts at The National Sheriffs' Association
July 01, 2008
Ex-convicts need more than a few bucks and a bus ticket out of town. Many will need job training, a place to live, mentors, family counseling, and much more. Beyond government, there are churches and community groups all across our country that stand ready to help even m...
 
Barack Obama Apologizes to Muslim Women Barred from Appearing at Campaign Rally in Press Statement
June 19, 2008
I take deepest offense to and will continue to fight against discrimination against people of any religious group or background. Our campaign is about bringing people together, and I'm grateful that Ms. Abdelfadeel accepted our apology and I hope Ms. Aref and any who wer...
 
Barack Obama on Meeting with Religious Leaders in Brody File Interview
June 17, 2008
It was a terrific meeting. I was so grateful that these religious leaders were willing to gather together very prominent from all across the country a wide ideological spectrum. I mean, you had, individuals like the head of the UCC Church, obviously a very progressive wi...
 
Barack Obama on Working with Religious Leaders in Brody File Interview
June 17, 2008
The truth of the matter is that I've been in a conversation with pastors since I moved to Chicago and started working as a community organizer. I think they are a force for good and can do great things in the community and I think not all the changes we need in this coun...
 
Barack Obama on Rev. Byron Brazier at Apostolic Church of God
June 15, 2008
Good morning. It's good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closes by saying, “Whoever hears these words of mine, and do...

 
John McCain on Religion in Small Towns at Pennsylvania Town Hall Meeting
June 11, 2008
We’re going to go to the small towns in Pennsylvania and I’m gonna to tell them I don’t agree with Senator Obama that they cling to their religion and the Constitution because they’re bitter. I'm gonna tell them they have faith and they have trust...
 
John McCain on Religious Freedom in Meeting with Greek Orthodox Archbishop
June 10, 2008
We are in favor of freedom, religious freedom, all over the world, especially those places where there seems to be challenges to it. We'll continue our dialogue and discussion and try to do what we can to see that all religions are protected and honored.
 
Barack Obama on the Story of Israel at AIPAC Policy Conference
June 04, 2008
I first became familiar with the story of Israel when I was eleven years old. I learned of the long journey and steady determination of the Jewish people to preserve their identity through faith, family and culture. Year after year, century after century, Jews carried on...
 
Hillary Clinton Quotes Passage from Isaiah in Speech to AIPAC
June 04, 2008
Being here today, I am reminded of a passage in Isaiah: "Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night, they shall never be silent." Just like the sentinels of old, you are never silent, you never grow weary and you never stop sta...
 
John McCain on his Reason for Seeking the Presidency
June 03, 2008
I don't seek the presidency on the presumption I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need. I seek the office with the humility of a man who cannot forget my country saved me.
 
John McCain on Israel at AIPAC Policy Conference
June 02, 2008
The people of Israel reserve a special respect for courage, because so much courage has been required of them. In the record of history, sheer survival in the face of Israel's many trials would have been impressive enough. But Israel has achieved much more than that th...
 
Barack Obama on Rev. Pfleger's Comments in Statement
May 31, 2008
As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us...That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people acr...
 
Barack Obama on His Departure from Trinity United Church of Christ in a Letter to Rev. Moss
May 30, 2008
We are writing to make official our decision to end our membership at Trinity. We make this decision with sadness. Trinity was where I found Christ, where we were married and where our children were baptized. We have many friends among the 8,000 congregants who attend t...
 
Barack Obama Urges College Graduates to Serve at Wesleyan University
May 25, 2008
You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should by. You can choose to narrow your concerns and live your life in a way that tries to keep your story sepa...
 
John McCain Rejects Endorsement of Pastor John Hagee
May 22, 2008
Certainly Reverend Hagee, Pastor Hagee, is entitled to his views. But we’ve reached a point where that kind of statement simply, I would not, I would reject the endorsement of the expression of those kinds of views...But also I’d like to make something else c...
 
Hillary Clinton Calls for Prayers for Zimbabwe in Op-Ed
May 18, 2008
As the turmoil in Zimbabwe continues after a seriously tainted election process, President Mugabe is employing brutal tactics against dissenters in an attempt to retain power. In addition to raids on opposition party offices and the killing of opposition democracy activi...
 
Barack Obama on Zionism and Israel in Atlantic Interview
May 12, 2008
When I think about the Zionist idea, I think about how my feelings about Israel were shaped as a young man -- as a child, in fact. I had a camp counselor when I was in sixth grade who was Jewish-American but who had spent time in Israel, and during the course of this two...
 
John McCain on William Wilberforce and the End of the Slave Trade at Oakland University
May 07, 2008
Last year the world celebrated the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British and American slave trade in 1807. Nearly fifty-six years would pass before Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, signaling the end of slavery in the United States. But th...
 
John McCain on Religious Freedom at Oakland University
May 07, 2008
There is no right more fundamental to a free society than the free practice of religion. Behind walls of prisons and persecuted before our very eyes in places like China, Iran, Burma, Sudan, North Korea and Saudi Arabia are tens-of-thousands of people whose only crime is...
 
John McCain on Lawsuits over Religious Language at Wake Forest University
May 06, 2008
Then there was the case of the man in California who filed a suit against the entire United States Congress, which I guess made me a defendant too. This man insisted that the words "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance violated his rights under the establishm...
 
Hillary Clinton on Doing Good as a Methodist in High Point, North Carolina
May 05, 2008
We can’t do it just by wishing for it. We can’t do it just by hoping for it...Prayer helps, but hard work also is something we gotta do together. You know, I’m a Methodist, and we believe in doing all the good that you can every day that you can. And th...
 
Hillary Clinton on the National Day of Prayer in Press Release
May 01, 2008
Today, million of Americans will come together for the 57th Annual National Day of Prayer. I joined this morning with a group of ministers. Our prayers were for our nation and for strength and wisdom to be good leaders. It is important that we all recognize that praying ...
 
Barack Obama Responds to Rev. Wright's Speech at the National Press Club in Press Conference
April 29, 2008
Yesterday we saw a very different vision of America. I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday. I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992. I’ve known Reverend Wright for almost 20 yea...
 
Barack Obama on His Continued Church Membership and its New Pastor in Press Conference
April 29, 2008
Well, the new pastor, the young pastor, Reverend Otis Moss, is a wonderful young pastor. And as I’ve said, I still very much value the Trinity community. I’ll be honest. This has obviously put strains on that relationship, not because of the members or becaus...
 
Barack Obama on Rev. Wright's Response in Press Conference
April 29, 2008
Reporter: Reverend Wright said it was not an attack on him, but an attack on the black church. Do you agree with that?

Obama: I did not view the initial round of sound bytes that triggered this controversy as an attack on the black chu...

 
Barack Obama on Black Liberation Theology in Press Conference
April 29, 2008
Reporter: The strain of theology that Reverend Wright preached — black liberation theology — explain something about the anger that seems to be some of the sentiments in the church. How important a strain, then, is liberation theology in the ...
 
John McCain on the Endorsement of Dr. John Hagee on This Week with George Stephanopoulos
April 20, 2008
Stephanopoulos: A lot of Senator Obama’s allies and others say that you should condemn the comments of Reverend John Hagee, an evangelical pastor…
McCain: Oh, I do. And I did. I said, any comments that he made about th...
 
Barack Obama Apologizes for 'Small Town Bitterness' Remarks at AP Luncheon
April 14, 2008
I'm a person of deep faith, and my religion has sustained me through a lot in my life. I even gave a speech on faith before I ever started running for President where I said that Democrats, "make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in people's lives....
 
Barack Obama Welcomes Pope Benedict XVI to the US in Press Release
April 14, 2008
On behalf of our family, Michelle and I want to extend our warmest welcome to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI as he arrives for his historic apostolic journey to the United States. As committed Christians, we join millions of Americans - Catholics and members of all fait...
 
Hillary Clinton Welcomes Pope Benedict XVI to the US in Press Release
April 14, 2008
We are blessed to receive a visit from His Holiness, Pope Benedict, to the United States this week. Not only is he the spiritual leader of America's great Catholic community, he is a strong and effective voice for the cause of peace, freedom, and justice as well as the f...
 
Barack Obama Clarifies his Comments on ‘Bitter’ People ‘Clinging to Religion’ at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Well, first of all, you know, scripture talks about clinging to what's good. And so it's very important - my words may have been clumsy, which happens surprisingly often on a presidential campaign, but this is something that I've talked about before, I've talked about in...
 
Barack Obama on God’s Intervention in History at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Panelist: Senator, do you believe that God intervenes in history and rewards or punishes people or nations in real time for their behavior?

Obama: You know, what I believe is that God intervenes, but that his plans are a little too my...

 
Barack Obama on the Origins of Life at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Panelist: Senator, do you personally believe that life begins at conception? And if not, when does it begin?


Obama: This is something that I have not, I think, come to a firm resolution on. I think it's very hard to know what tha...

 
Barack Obama on Science and Religion at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Panelist: Senator, if one of your daughters asked you - and maybe they already have - "Daddy, did God really create the world in six days?" What would you say?

Obama: You know, I'm trying to remember if we had this conversat...

 
Barack Obama on Stewardship of the Environment at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
One of the things I draw from the Genesis story is the importance of us being good stewards of the land, of this incredible gift. And I think there have been times where we haven't been and this is one of those times where we've got to take the warning seriously...And pa...
 
Barack Obama on Lessons from Living in a Muslim-majority Country as a Child at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Panelist: Senator, you are a Christian, but as a child you had more exposure to Islam than probably most Americans ever will. How did that shape you?

Obama: Well, I lived in Indonesia for four-and-a-half years when I was a child. And,...

 
Barack Obama on Torture at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
And it is also important for our long-term security to send a message to the world that we will lead not just with our military might but we are going to lead with our values and our ideals. That we are not a nation that gives away our civil liberties simply because we'r...
 
Barack Obama on the Debate over Religion in Government at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
I think that we have fallen into a false debate. On the one hand, there have been elements, many of them in my own party, in the Democratic Party, that believe that any influence of religion whatsoever in the public debate somehow is problematic or violates church and st...
 
Hillary Clinton on the Presence of God in her Life at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
You know, I have, ever since I've been a little girl, felt the presence of God in my life. And it has been a gift of grace that has, for me, been incredibly sustaining. But, really, ever since I was a child, I have felt the enveloping support and love of God and I have h...
 
Hillary Clinton on Grace and Politics at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
I also believe that, you know, faith is just - it's grace. It's love. It's mystery. It's provocation. It is everything that makes life and its purpose meaningful as a human being. And those moments of grace are ones that I cherish and, you know, in asked a specific quest...
 
Hillary Clinton on the Origins of Life and Abortion at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Panelist: Senator, do you believe personally that life begins at conception?

Clinton: I believe that the potential for life begins at conception. I am a Methodist, as you know. My church has struggled with this issue. In fact, you can...

 
Hillary Clinton Addresses Concerns of Too Much Religious Influence in Government at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Well, I understand that concern because part of our obligation as leaders in America is to make sure that any conversation about religion is inclusive and respectful. And that has not always happened, as we know. And it is so personal. The spiritual journey that each of ...
 
Hillary Clinton on Why God Allows Innocent Suffering at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
Panelist: Senator, we've heard about HIV/AIDS. Many people here are concerned about Darfur and a number of other humanitarian issues. Why do you think it is that a loving God allows innocent people to suffer?

Clinton: Yes. You know, th...