This weekend's main event, outside of the Beijing Olympics, will be the Saturday sit-down between superpastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback megachurch and Barack Obama and John McCain--and event being called "the Saddleback Civil Forum." Rick will have an hour with each man to talk about faith and how their faith would affect their agendas should they be elected president.
This is an extraordinary, indeed unprecedented, role for a clergyman, and a remarkable moment for the campaign and American politics. Nothing like this has happened before, and so it's natural that Pastor Rick would need some help formulating questions.
And speaking of the Olympics, here is what I'd like to see Warren ask McCain and Obama:
Gentlemen: You have both proclaimed yourselves men of faith whose beliefs inform the way you would govern the United States. But I'd like to know what would you do to promote religious freedom overseas for people of faith who are suffering--Tibetan Buddhists at the hands of the Chinese, for example, or as many as 100 million Christians in China and elsewhere, especially in Sudan and many Muslim countries.
This October marks the 10th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act, or IRFA, which was signed into law by none other than Bill Clinton. To the dismay of many of us, George Bush has not been able to use that act to advance international religious freedom nearly as much as we had hoped. In fact, his muted reaction to the Chinese crackdown in Tibet amid his trip to Beijing for the Olympics underscored his mixed record.
Polls, like a May 2008 survey commissioned by Open Doors USA, show this is an issue of vital concern to Americans, especially believers. Would you do anything different? And if so, what?
FYI: For indispensible background reading, check out David van Biema's superb profile, "The Global Ambition of Rick Warren," in the recent issue of TIME magazine. And for further reference, check out the brief essays on faith by each candidate, also in TIME. John McCain's "A Light Amid the Darkness," and Barack Obama's "Changing Hearts and Minds."
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I think the Tibet issue would be a great question to ask the candidates. Obama and McCain have showed support for Tibet, in their dealings with the Dalai Lama. If the question was asked it would show a great deal about their faiths and their moral standings. Tibet was invaded in 1950 and now the Chinese government is using the Olympics as a political tool to legitimize it's illegal occupation of Tibet. Since China was awarded the Games, their human rights records have been worse, a great example is Tibet. Their tactics to squash the up-rise in March this year was brutal. Tibet is now under a state of fear from arbitrary arrests' and thousands have gone missing. For more information on the current news of Tibet, please visit FreeTibet2008.org.
I think thee need to be some domestic questions too. Some could focus on the increasing presence and role of Muslims in America. Also, to steer near controvery and get the measure of the candidate in a tricky situation, some questions about the goverments role in cases like the LDS cults and William Jeffers might do the trick. What about honoring the traditions and practices of Indigenous Americans - how can the government be effective in controversial situations like highway or pipeline placement. How would they suggest monitoring the Faith Initiative groups that receive gov. funds, and what criteria would be accepted for becoming one of these groups, or losing that status.
I really wonder about having Warren host and mediate this thing. But if he thinks he can keep an even and steady hand on it, I wish him well.
The question I would ask McCain is: How does making war in Asia Minor reflect being a good Christian?
Of Obama, I would ask: Does the taking of a unborn child's life make it any less than the killing of Islamic Innocents?
David Gibson,
Kudos to you for drawing attention to this issue (religious freedom in the PRC and elsewhere). I certainly hope this question gets asked not only at Saddleback but in other forums during the upcoming campaign. Thanks also to the links to the essays on faith by the two candidates in Time magazine.
Murder is murder, reguardless of a reason. A life begins immediately. Will either agree? Does either have "need - other than their self-fleshness" to hold office as a leader, or just because the other shouldn't? The world has become, as it is wrote. Can you explain this as it is written, EXACTLY?; reguardless of church and state? Jesus tells us how true believers will tell. Seeing the events of today unfold as it was wrtten 100's of years ago, says we are nearing the end. How do feel of this?
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