Beliefnet has just released a fascinating survey of 4,400 of its users. It's not a random sample but the size of the group enabled us to do some fascinating slicing and dicing -- in particular getting a glimpse at the differences between Obama's most religious voters and the McCain religious voters. Here are a few highlights. .
Interpretation of the Bible. Religious Obama voters and religious McCain voters worship and pray at similar rates - but interpret the Bible in dramatically different ways. Among those who attend church weekly, 81% of Obama supporters pray daily compared to 93% of McCain's supporters. But when asked how they interpret the Bible, only 17% of Obama's most religious voters said they view "The Bible is the literal word of God," compared to 58% of McCain's religious voters." (Full chart here)
Obama's Muslim Ties. Half of McCain voters believe Obama is or was a Muslim, with 31.7% saying "He used to be Muslim and still has too many connections to Islam." (Full chart here)
McCain's Top Character Flaws vs. Obama's. While McCain voters listed Jeremiah Wright as Obama's top character issue, Obama voters said the tone of McCain's campaign was his top character issue.
Perceived faithyness. Supporters of each candidate doubt the religious sincerity of their opponents. 68% of McCain voters think he was somewhat or very religious but only 32% of them thought that of Obama. 84% of Obama voters believed their candidate was somewhat or very religious, while only 32% of them thought that of McCain.
Abortion: education vs. legal restrictions. Among the most religious voters, Obama supporters believe that education and aid to pregnant mothers is the best way to reduce abortion, while McCain supporters prefer bans and restrictions on abortion (though even here, a third of pro-lifers who supported McCain believed the "Best way to reduce abortion is by preventing unintended pregnancy (through education and birth control), or providing financial assistance to pregnant mothers."
Most important issues. Obama's most religious supporters care much less about the traditionally-defined "values" issues than McCain do. 65% of McCain's evangelicals said abortion was "most important" compared to just 10% of Obama evangelicals who did. On the other hand, Obama's evangelicals were twice as likely to list "reducing poverty" as a top priority. (Full chart here)
Obamagelicals vs. McCain Evangelicals: Prayer LIfe. Although politically more liberal, Obama's evangelicals pray and go to church about as much as McCain's evangelicals supporters.
"Unchristian campaign." More Obama voters believe McCain ran an "unchristian" campaign than vice versa. 57% of Obama voters said McCain ran a "more unchristian campaign" than Obama. 30% of McCain voter said that about Obama. (Full chart here)
Praying about the election. 83% of McCain voters prayed about the election. 54% of Obama voters did. Among the most religious (those who attend church weekly or more) 92% of McCain voters prayed about the election, 75% of Obama voters did.
For the full poll results click here.
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CHECK IT OUT, JULIE.
Billy Graham is still giving spiritual help:
Q: I'm single and pregnant and don't know what to do. My boyfriend abandoned me when he found out I was pregnant, and I've never gotten along very well with my parents. I'll probably get an abortion, although I don't want to. Pray I'll do the right thing. — J.B.
READ BILLY GRAHAM'S ANSWER:
Two wrongs don't make a right (as the old saying goes), and I pray you won't compound your problems by making another wrong decision about your future.
Yes, it was wrong for you to get pregnant—but it also would be wrong for you to end the life of the little child who is growing inside you. I know it's common today to think of abortion as a simple answer to an inconvenient problem—but it is actually a far more serious issue. Your child isn't simply a mass of tissue; he or she is a human being in God's eyes. God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" (Jeremiah 1:5).
What should you do? First, you need wise counsel from someone older than you—someone who can talk with you about your options (including placing your child for adoption). Ask God to lead you to the right person or agency (your pastor may be able to help you).
Then I urge you to turn to God—not just to put this problem into His hands, but to give your whole life to Him. God loves you, and no matter what you've done He wants to forgive your past and guide your future. Make your commitment to Christ, and then ask Him to help you do what is right—including mending your relationship with your parents.
https://www.billygraham.org/SpiritualHelp_Article_Index.asp?MajorTopicID=3&MinorTopicID=17
Hmmm...perhaps you should check it out. Those Q&A sessions are reprints of the past 30 years of Graham's newspaper articles. They are not current material. The current material is linked by the statement "Read our answer."
Billy Graham has advanced Parkinson's Disease, and according to many news articles has been in quite frail health for some time. He was recently hospitalized for falling over his dog. He has macular degeneration and cannot read easily. While he still writes most of his work apparently focuses on what will likely be his last book, this one on aging.
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hDqdbR7yEX1ua_ck_SuSCaHRFsIAD94A8L880
Interestingly it is his son, Franklin, who has aligned the ministry more with the religious right. Billy Graham was, and remains a registered Democrat, but has always stated that politics should not get in the way of the gospel. This allowed him to advise all Presidents, including those who were not pro-life (Nixon and Clinton, for example). Franklin has taken the ministry a different direction that is more partisan than when his father was in charge.
Because of this I remain convinced that it is his son, Franklin, who spoke about Obama's pro-choice position being an obstacle, not Billy.
Lest there be any doubt as to where Billy Graham stood on such issues:
"I'm for morality, but morality goes beyond sex to human freedom and social justice. We as clergy know so very little to speak with authority on the Panama Canal or superiority of armaments. Evangelists cannot be closely identified with any particular party or person. We have to stand in the middle in order to preach to all people, right and left. I haven't been faithful to my own advice in the past. I will be in the future."
Graham spoke this when he refused to join Rev. Falwell's "Moral Majority" in 1979. From what I have seen, I believe he followed this advice for the remainder of his career.
"From what I have seen, I believe he followed this advice for the remainder of his career."
I agree. Billy Graham remains unchanged.
Please note: Before the first presidential debate, President-elect Barack Obama was scheduled to meet with Billy Graham, but the meeting was canceled due to health concerns that week.
Billy was able to meet and pray with John McCain. McCain said after their meeting:
“We had a very excellent conversation, I appreciated the opportunity to visit with him. Rev. Billy Graham recalled that during the Vietnam War when I was in prison, he visited my parents in Hawaii twice, and he and my father and mother prayed together for me, and I expressed my appreciation for that a long time ago.”
Maybe Obama will be able to meet with Billy Graham sometime in the future. Like so many other things concerning Obama- we will have to wait, watch, and see.
I believe Billy Graham, his son Franklin, and their greater family are close knit.
From CNN.com today-
"Graham's family and associates say that his mind is sharp despite his age and that for a man who is 90, he's in good physical shape.
"The lion still has a roar," said Graham's spokesman, Larry Ross.
Graham exercises with a physical therapist on a regular basis and still swims and takes walks when he can. However, the fragilities of old age are also a reality.
In October, Graham spent a night in the hospital after tripping over his golden retriever, Sam. A nurse stays with him around the clock. Graham uses a walker to get around. His hearing is failing. Macular degeneration is stealing his eyesight.
Yet despite these obstacles, Graham continues his ministry. With the help of an assistant, Graham is writing another book about growing older.
"I have discovered that just because we grow weaker physically as we age, it doesn't mean that we must grow weaker spiritually," Graham said in a statement this week.
"In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually, because our eyes ought to be on eternity and Heaven -- on the things that really matter."
In many ways, these days Graham is making up for the years he spent on the road.
"He really tried to stay in touch with us and be the kind of father that he wanted to be," his daughter Ruth said. "He has said that he's frustrated that he wasn't home for us when we were little."
His daughter Anne, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based evangelist, often stops by to read from the Bible and preach. Graham has often said she is the best preacher in the family.
Every Sunday when he is in town, Franklin has lunch with his father. They talk about the ministry and world events. Graham stays connected to the world by watching the news. CNN's "Larry King Live" is part of his nightly ritual, Ross says.
Graham often prays for the people he sees in the news. After a church shooting in December in Colorado left five people dead, Franklin says, his father was heartbroken. "He said, 'Franklin, let's pray for those families' ... so I turned the television off, and Daddy prayed for those victims, and that's the side of Billy Graham I don't think people realize."
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