From Faith in Public Life's press release:
Senator Clinton Accepts Invitation to Bipartisan Presidential Compassion Forum
Religious leaders from across the ideological spectrum are pleased to announce today that Senator Clinton has confirmed that she will participate in an unprecedented bipartisan presidential candidate forum at Messiah College near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on the evening of Sunday, April 13 – just nine days before the Pennsylvania primary. Senator McCain and Senator Obama are actively considering invitations.
Now more than ever, Americans motivated by faith are bridging ideological divides to address domestic and international poverty, global AIDS, climate change, abortion, genocide in Darfur, and human rights and torture. The Compassion Forum will provide the opportunity for candidates to discuss how their faith and moral convictions bear on their positions on these important issues.
The Compassion Forum is not a debate. Each candidate will participate in a separate substantive conversation. The Forum will be moderated by Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek, author of American Gospel, and respected scholar on faith and American politics.
The Compassion Forum will offer candidates an unprecedented opportunity to reach religious voters. The Forum will be broadcast on the Church Communication Network (CCN) to more than 100,000 people of faith in at least 1,000 churches across the country on April 20, the Sunday evening before the Pennsylvania primary.
The Compassion Forum is a testament to the power of faith to bring people together. The event has attracted the support of diverse religious leaders and Democrats and Republicans alike, including Governor Mike Huckabee and U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.
Nationally prominent members of The Compassion Forum Board include Dr. Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention; Dr. William J. Shaw, President of the National Baptist Conventionb. Corts, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; Dr. Joel Hunter, Northland A Church Distributed; Rev. Richard Cizik, National Association of Evangelicals; Dr. Oran P. Smith, Palmetto Family Council; Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities USA; Rabbi Steve Gutow, Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission; Dr. Syeed Sayeed, Islamic Society of North America; David Neff, Christianity Today; Rev. Jim Wallis, Sojourners; Rev. Dr. Tyrone S. Pitts, Progressive National Baptist Convention; Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Rev. David Beckmann, Bread for the World; Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Rev. Dr. Vashti McKenzie, African Methodist Episcopal Church; and Sammy Mah, World Relief.
Messiah College is a nationally-ranked Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences with approximately 3,000 undergraduate students in 55 courses of study. Founded in 1909, Messiah College is located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, twelve miles from Harrisburg.
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When I first heard of the Compassion Forum, it sounded like a good idea to have the candidates discuss these types of issues. But now I'm starting to think otherwise. The cartoonish looking graphic with Senator Clinton's head and a "meter" that shows where she lands between "secularist" and "theocrat" is very disturbing. But I think it accurately represents where we are as an American society right now. I think Messiah College should be ashamed of assisting in the meaningless posturing of the presidential candidates as being "Christian enough" to lead the country. How in the world can you measure a human being's religious beliefs on a scale of 1 to 10? But that's exactly what we do in today's day and age. I feel the candidates are using the College to position themselves in a political race where religion is only as important as the public's impressions on the surface, and the College is using this event to market itself to the country as an important institution. This is not about discussing issues of substance as they will have you believe. This is about putting on a show by both the candidates and the school.
This is the thing about Obama, he accepted Jesus in his late 20's, which is fine. But, previous to that he was what? Then his church afro-centric perspectives, Farrahkan associations and awards. It's simply not clear. His beliefes in christianity are certainly multi-hued which I would love as a friend, lover, even as a senator. As a president?...Not sure
Concerned...those are really cynical positions. How do you propose we "discuss issues of substance" if you don't believe anyone (e.g. the school, the candidates, the country, the world, the universe) is interested in such a discussion?
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