The Candidates on Faith

Posted on March 13, 2008
Filed Under Jason Boyett |

This political season, the three remaining candidates for the presidency all have pretty solid Christian credentials — and are probably more outspokenly Christian than most candidates have ever been — but watchdogs of the religious right don’t like any of them. Why? Apparently, they’re not Christian enough. Or conservative enough. (Or maybe, in their minds, those are equated?) In fact, it took them a long time to come around on Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist preacher, because they questioned whether or not his decisions as governor of Arkansas came too close to being moderate. Or even liberal. I’m convinced conservative evangelical Republicans have narrowed their standards so much that they’d end up campaigning against Jesus if he ran for office.

Anyway, call it pandering if you want — and lots of cynical people do — but Obama, Clinton, and McCain all seem to have pretty solid spiritual testimonies. Here’s a round-up of some places where each candidate discusses, in detail, his or her faith:

Here’s Hillary Clinton in a revealing New York Times interview (2007) about her faith:

I believe in the father, son, and Holy Spirit, and I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit on many occasions in my years on this earth. I pray, I read the Bible, I read commentary on scriptures, I read other people’s faith journeys. That is, for me, at the real core of how I keep feeding my faith. And, I was lucky because, as I said at the faith and politics event, I was taught to pray and I inculcate it as a habit in my daily life.

Here’s Barack Obama’s attention-getting keynote address at the 2006 Call to Renewal conference:

It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street in the Southside of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany. I didn’t fall out in church. The questions I had didn’t magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt that I heard God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.

And here, John McCain gives an interview with Beliefnet on aspects of his faith. The question of his baptism is a fascinating one to me, so this excerpt includes the Q’s and A’s:

For years, you’ve been identified as an Episcopalian. You recently began referring to yourself as a Baptist. Why?
[It was] one comment on the bus after hours. I meant to say that I practice in a—I am a Christian and I attend a Baptist church. I am very aware that immersion is part—as my wife Cindy has done—is necessary to be considered a Baptist. So I was raised Episcopalian, I have attended the North Phoenix Baptist Church for many years and I am a Christian.

What prevents you from taking that final step of undergoing the baptism?
I’ve had discussions with the pastor about it and we’re still in conversation about it. In the meantime, I am a practicing Christian.

So the baptism is something you still might do?
Oh, sure, yeah. But, some of the factors haven’t got so much to do with religion as they have to do with just—I’m in conversations with [my] pastor about it, as short a time ago as last week. But I would not anticipate going through that during this presidential campaign. I am afraid it might appear as if I was doing something that I otherwise wouldn’t do.Oh, sure, yeah. But, some of the factors haven’t got so much to do with religion as they have to do with just—I’m in conversations with [my] pastor about it, as short a time ago as last week. But I would not anticipate going through that during this presidential campaign. I am afraid it might appear as if I was doing something that I otherwise wouldn’t do.

Both Clinton and Obama seem very comfortable speaking authentically of faith — even traditional evangelical faith. (In fact, remove the identifying details in Hillary’s interview but keep her general testimony of faith, and she sounds no different from most of the women who would attend a Beth Moore Bible study in a suburban megachurch — and I know of plenty of similar churchgoers who absolutely despise Hillary.)

McCain is (arguably) less convincing when speaking about faith, but I deeply respect the fact that he wants to be baptized but doesn’t want to do it while campaigning, because it would seem like he was putting on a show. That’s impressive.

Your thoughts?

Comments

20 Responses to “The Candidates on Faith”

Joe Francis on March 14th, 2008 1:00 am

I would not go as far as to say that any of these people are for sure Christians, and I also will not go as far as to say that they are not. I understand that the interviews you did post are very convincing. But what about some of the things they stand for politically? I don’t see how a born again Christian could stand for abortion, or euthanasia. I also don’t see how Obama, as a Christian, could say that Jesus taught that homosexuality is okay. This is where I feel the conservative Christians are attacking, and honestly I don’t see much of a problem with it.
Katie Waddell on March 14th, 2008 8:18 am

I think this bodes well… I’ve said this before to people and was not received well, but I think the candidates in this election (in particular, Obama, who I was defending in aforementioned conversation) are more authentically Christian than in the recent past. And yet, as you said, none of them have been openly accepted by the moral-majority evangelical church. Which gives me hope that there can be a resurgence of real faith and a President who can better represent the Christians out there like us who are so averse to being associated with the ultra-conservative Bible-belt homophobic brow beaters out there
Drew on March 14th, 2008 11:34 am

I think people show what’s really in their hearts by their actions. I find it very hard to believe that a true believer and follower of Christ would think that abortion is okay and not fight against it.
Eric on March 14th, 2008 1:23 pm

1. Homophobic is a joke because no one is afraid of homosexuals. Jesus said to love the sinner and hate the sin. He didn’t say support gay marriage as Obama and Clinton do. God is very clear on the subject of marriage (1 man + 1 woman = marriage - end of subject, not debateable).

2. Have you ever listened to Obama’s pastor? He is a biggoted racist, that hates America, thinks that we created the AIDS virus, etc. Obama hasn’t distanced himself from him.

3. Both Clinton and Obama support murdering the unborn. Guess the 10 commandments don’t matter to LIBERALS.

4. Hillary and her team are out making racial comments about Obama, lying that he is a muslim. We can also talk about all of the women she helped to destory (that Bill was cheating on her with.) Hillary has an unhealthy thirst for POWER.

I think we need to drop what we want to see and look at reality. I’m not saying that they are not saved, they are definately not acting like it. The Democrats lost in 2004 because of the Evangelical vote, that is why they are emphasing their faith this time around. Ever heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? These two are it. I’m not saying McCain is any better, other than he is pro-life and for the protection of marriage.
Barrett Case on March 14th, 2008 8:45 pm

McCain seems to be grasping at straws, to be sure. It’s as if he doesn’t know what to say or how to say it–much like a new believer or non-believer. However, I won’t make that judgment.

There is no doubt that Obama is by far the superior communicator. Hilary comes in a distant second. And McCain is not in the same league as either, not even close. This being said, it’s possible that Obama and Hilary have just polished their speeches on this topic.

All the same, though, I think it’s pretty telling when we as a subsection of the Christian subculture vilify any Democrat and are willing to give a Republican the benefit of the doubt.

It’s simply poor logic. The pro-life, anti-homosexual is automatically the Christian, huh? Maybe instead we should ask who is genuine in their faith and belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior and places their trust in Him alone. As far as I know, that should be the litmus test–not stances on abortion and homosexuality.
Nick on March 14th, 2008 10:30 pm

Well, Eric, this is for you.
1. Homophobia isn’t a joke. And you’re a sinner too -just thought I’d remind ya

2. I have no plans on listening to his pastor. With all the bad press why would I waste my time? Besides, I’m not voting for his pastor.

3.10 commands are broken by Christians and Non-believers. We supposedly have a Christian in the White House now… just think about that one.

4.Senator Clinton didn’t make racial comments, a fund raiser/contributor did. I’m not voting for her fund-raisers, either.

Finally, I have heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We’ve had him for 8 years. He(and the genius help of Cheney/Rove) tugged at the hearts of millions and swore to ’save their marriages’ as long as he could have their vote. Nice move

No wonder the rest of the world thinks we’re all fools. At least in Iran or Russia when they hold elections, it’s all fixed. Here, we stick it to ourselves.

I’ll vote for the lesser of three(four, five) evils. Or not at all. Judge that.
Spencer on March 15th, 2008 12:14 am

So what does it take to have solid Christian credentials anymore? If all it takes is a sound byte and interview on your belief, then I would say it doesn’t take much.

Personally, I think it takes action. Putting your faith in Christ Jesus into action is the most solid Christian credential I can think of. Claiming membership in a church and private study time is not a solid credential.

Conservative evangelical Christians would campaign against Jesus? Please, give us Republican Christians some credit.
Brooke Hintz on March 15th, 2008 12:47 pm

As Christians we have an obligation to treat all of these candidates with enough respect to try and really understand them and their thoughts on different issues. I think you’ll find in research about these candidates that each of them has struggled with finding their positions on controversial issues, but that more than anything they’re also trying to find ways to love people. Attacking Obama, Clinton or McCain and vilifying them is not seeking to love them and we are called to do that. Vote for who you will, but love them all.
Tina on March 15th, 2008 10:18 pm

Obama didn’t say that Jesus taught that homosexuality was okay. The problem is, is that we as Christians- brothers and sisters- have to step out in love. Whether or not the controversial issues, such as homosexuality and abortion, are right or wrong is up to God. It is, however, up to us to step out in love to all people in all walks of life. Pointing fingers does nothing. Love does something.
tower on March 16th, 2008 1:19 pm

I am one of the very few Americans who has sat alone in a room with Barak Obama. I interviewed him, one on one, a couple of years ago when I was filling in on a news radio station.

Although I will not be voting for him, I believe he is a genuine person, and expresses a genuine faith. (Again, we spoke in depth, face to face).

However…if you do some research on his church…it is unwelcoming to anyone who isn’t African American. (To be fair, the church’s website does list “reconcilliation” as a key element…but is pretty unclear as to what that means. http://www.tucc.org/about.htm).

As Derek Webb put it (in an interview on my radio show) “my first allegiance must first be to the kingdom of God, and not to a political system.”

Is Barak Obama an “undercover Muslim?” Absolutely not. Does he attend a church that, in my opinion, cares more about the promotion of race than it does the advancement of the Gospel to every race, creed, nationality, and people group? Yes.
Joel on March 16th, 2008 5:47 pm

I guess being “Relevant” entails being a liberal Christian, whose motto is “love everyone”, and yet slandering and ridiculing conservative Christians for obviously not reading Rob Bell or Donald Miller. Does no one else here catch the glaring contradiction? Hey Jason, how about doing something for once that Relevant never solicits: be humble about being “hip” and “cultured.” After all, how embarrassing would it be if the mongrel race of unsophisticated conservative Christians actually end up being right?
Ross on March 17th, 2008 12:01 am

As far as the article is concerned, I think there is far too great an emphasis on religion in our elections. Every loves Jesus when they’re campaigning. They have to. Every president thus far has claimed to be some denomination of Christian. I think the emphasis needs to be on what they actually do when elected, not how religious they claim to be.

Also, why is the “religious right” the agent of Satan in Relevant circles? I understand that people have problems with pro-business, pro-military republicans, which is understandable, but why is everyone else’s view legitimate and theirs is not? Obama’s pastor is far more hateful than any of the heavy-hitters of the religious right but he’s not even mentioned in this article. That seems a little one sided.

And Eric: do you really believe that no one is afraid of homosexuals? I feel quite certain that there are plenty of people who don’t understand homosexuality at all and are really afraid of it. I’m not saying gay marriage should be legalized, I just think you set up your argument on false pretenses.
Phil on March 17th, 2008 1:06 am

A profession of Faith is not, in my opinion, the key to selecting Presidential candidates who are compatible with my own faith. Only a distant view of the candidate, under the blemish-enhancing light of today’s media spotlight, can reveal key clues to consider for those of us who are not close-personal acquaintances.

I am happy that Barack Obama recently “distanced” himself from the racist, America-loathing “Pastor” at his Chicago church. However, I have to wonder how one would fail to notice the problem in this place of worship over the years, especially when you consider how that church has long taught a litany of separatist views, and a devotion to “blackness” over and above all else.

Hillary, well… it has been quite a show all these years. Her ability to put on the face of whatever audience is before her (or at least her attempt - i.e.: Southern Drawl anything but convincing [shudder]). It is easy to put on a costume of God-belief, but do I really need to point out that the devil himself believes in God, and knows the truth better than any human that has ever lived? Is the gender of “God” an important question for her? How about the gender of Satan? I remain un-convinced of Hillary’s grasp of the Christ who suffered and died on the timbers, the reason He did so, and the significance of that act to mankind.

McCain is perhaps the easiest to figure out. We find him to be unpolished in expressing his faith, and we discover that he is on his own personal journey, unwilling to muddy his outward expression of faith with campaign tomfoolery. This provides for me, a sense of authenticity and a greater level of comfort than had he been a church elder, or deacon, or whatever for decades.

I believe that John McCain probably saw authentic expressions of faith from his fellow prisoners of war in Vietnam. Such was a time that could be most closely associated with the miraculous faith of Paul (formerly the Christian persecuting Saul of Tarsus).

So persecuted was Paul, so broken was his body, that he was asked how he could continue on his quest to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Savior.

Paul’s answer…
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
…period.!
Jason Boyett on March 17th, 2008 10:07 am

@Joel and others:

Hey. Jason here, in all my arrogant, hip and cultured glory.

Maybe it wasn’t clear from the blog post, but I’m not really advocating any candidate from this platform. I just wanted to call attention to things each has said about faith. If I’m making any sort of controversial political point, it’s that, this year, ALL THREE of the candidates are at least able to convincingly speak the language of faith and cite Christian convictions — but the religious right doesn’t really like or trust any of them.

In my mind? I was just calling attention to the irony. If doing that can be identified as slander or ridicule or being a “liberal Christian,” then I guess you’ve got me figured out…I just thought I was pointing out something interesting. My bad.
Kate on March 17th, 2008 11:20 am

NICK! Thank you.
Anonymous on March 18th, 2008 2:16 pm

You have to remember that they are politicians. They will say anything to get elected. (in both parties) I look more at their actions - and quite honestly, I’m not impressed with any of them!
Ella on April 19th, 2008 10:25 pm

As a “conservative evangelical Republican” I can tell you that I long ago stopped believing what any politician says about his/her faith. I can think of several recent examples that illustrate that the truth is to be found in the day-to-day lives of those who say they believe Jesus Christ is Lord(and that includes “conservative evangelical Republicans”). I am impressed McCain does not want his baptism to become political fodder and therewith cheapened during the campaign process. It is insulting to label someone else as less-Christian-than-me because that person is not politically liberal/conservative (pick your side). One can agree with other Christians who believe the Bible is the Word of God and be in disagreement with that same individual about,for example, taxation or policy issues. As Jesus said (in a sometimes hard passage to follow): “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35).
Mike on April 29th, 2008 9:26 pm

Jason, you wrote: “If I’m making any sort of controversial political point, it’s that, this year, ALL THREE of the candidates are at least able to convincingly speak the language of faith and cite Christian convictions — but the religious right doesn’t really like or trust any of them.”

I think the hard part (for me anyway) is that I don’t care what people say of their faith, and the religious right is sick of talk. It’s so easy to say the right things. The problem most conservatives have with the 3 is (and I am speaking as one of them) they are all more prone to a liberal MORALITY, which for most conservatives cannot be compromised. That being said, most of the votes are still going to go McCain’s way for the reason he will favor that side. For the Christian, abortion, gay rights, loss of a biblically defined marriage, and a removing of Christianity from the marketplace of politics and ideas we will not give in on (and shouldn’t). Those were thing Bush promised people, and he has delivered on those fronts, whether you think Iraq is unjust or not. You won’t ever find support of those ideals in a Democrat (at least not that I can see).

To be honest, a candidate like Lieberman (a Jewish man) would appeal to me more than McCain ever would as the “conservative” of the bunch for the reason he favors the ideal above.

People make such a big deal of “the religious right” and equate them with Republicans. But that’s not right (nor true). I’m a Republican cause they identify most with my convictions morally. It is NOT the other way around.
greengosite on May 8th, 2008 1:42 pm

I grew by helping planted it’s name home friends with a were told
Billy on May 16th, 2008 6:09 am

Yes, all three can speak the language of “faith.”

I am a college teacher who has watched my Democrat colleagues–even those claiming to be Christian–react to try to censor the views of Christian professors and students for years. And many sneer at those who believe in a Jesus who is and was the Son of God, who walked on earth, and died for our sins.

But in 2004, after losing the votes of people who claimed belief in this Jesus, the Democrat Party more or less announced that it would learn to “talk” about “Faith” so that they could get that sector of the vote. John McCain is humble and speaks reluctantly about religious belief. I don’t think we know much about him. But Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were talking very little about Faith before their party decided that a presidential candidate needed to start doing that in order to win.

It’s not surprising then that they “are probably more outspokenly Christian than most candidates have ever been.”

It’s simply gullible to look at the talk of the last four years without looking further back.

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