CNN

McCain 08! The other guy fails this test big time!
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Yes, Obama failed the "test" because unlike McCain, Obama kept his pants on while married to Michelle.

McCain/Ralph Reed 08

Faith/World View is what motivates presidents and demonstrates their core values and moral center!

McCain 08! The other guy fails this test big time!
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This test? Hmmmm..... I guess "core values and moral center" also means excepting a candidate that can't keep his zipper zipped. (McCain's affair with pop tart Cindy).

I just want to know what these evangelicals are so afraid of?

dcmsideshow August 13th, 2008 2:59 pm ET wrote:

... Since when did we as a nation become obligated to cater to a specific group just because they are more vocal about their beliefs than other groups?

Well, let's see. La Raza, NAACP, AARP, PETA, Code Pink...

There is a long list of groups who demand to be catered to. You, however, choose to single out one group, a very, very large group, to rail against. Is it because you are liberal and think only liberal groups have a right to organize and be heard?

Do yourself a favor; see the movie called "OBSESSION" It answered my questions as I'm sure it will yours.

Or go to obsessionthemovie.com

On the contrary, this country was founded on religious values. The pioneers came over from England so they could worship as they pleased. The founding of this country was the movement of a church.

Pro-life, anti-abortion are positions the presidential candidate should endorse. The Bible outlaws abortion, because abortion is the murder of an unborn but living child. Down with the ACLU, which I call the Anti-Christian Liberties Union. They are the ones who want "In God We Trust" taken off our money. They are the ones who made a judge take down The Ten Commandments which he had posted in his court. Our law is supposed to be based on the Ten Commandments of God.

Why do these people think they have any more 'value voters" than the rest of us? They've enslaved their votes on two issues, abortion and gay rights, to a Republican party who prides itself in turning to violence through warfare, on the environment, and on the poor w/their economic agenda. What a clear contradiction to the message of the New Testament!!
They say all life is precious and then support a party that gleefully executes criminals with the death penalty when time and again we find out some of these people were actually innocent and that's acceptable collateral damage in a system that exists just for revenge sakes?
Modern science has proven that homosexuality is a biological disposition from birth, would you prefer parents have abortions on gay fetuses IF YOU COULD YOU PIGS!!! Then you say gays are promiscuous and lead empty lives while denying them a chance to settle down and form families, it's pure hypocrisy and God is witnessing this.

Christians unite for change:
Obama 08!!!!

The right is so wrong I'm proud to be left.

So which is it Huck, you can't serve two masters sounds like you are like all the Bible Thumpers, unfortunately, evolution like god does exist. You can use any excuse you want that's gods gift "free choice", politics is politics. The heads of all the mega churches just use religion as a tax dodge your time is over.........

The evangelicals have been running this country for how long now? Look at where that got us.

Wow, I guess this is a touchy subject for some.

I see nothing wrong with discussing issues, whether they are social issues or economic issues.

Once again, I'm going to point out the foolishness of voting on two issues:

"[McCain] is against abortion rights and opposes same-sex marriage..." but is in favor of stem cell research. OK, so you're voting on two issues- abortion and gay marriage. That's two things. That's all? You're not thinking about the energy policy? Don't you think that's important, and ultimately will circle back to your Christian Values? We're in Iraq for OIL. We'll go into Iran for OIL. We've been lied to, cheated, and swindled by the current administration. Is murder, lying, cheating, swindling all part of the good Christian way? Hardly.

They've pandered to your two issues, and where are we now? Abortion is still legal and will never be illegal, and gays still love each other. Those two issues are never going to change, whether by law or your social outrage, so get over it and vote for the man who is actually valuable, Barack Obama.

why is religion such an issue when voting for a president to run this country? Not all of us are religious. And even if half the country is religious, not all of them are christians. These people are only for so call christians. These people are christian terrorists / communists just like the polygamy people in Texas.

To all of you who don't understand church and state...

Religious people/groups have a right to petition their government to legislate and enforce laws based off Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. morals and practices. This does not infringe on the "seperation of church and state" you so heavily misunderstand. Morality, no matter how it is based has a right to be taken in by government. Using your logic, murder should not be illegal since it is essentially a morality issue, which one could argue is based off Christian beliefs.

If government were to establish a national religion and/or persecute those who did not follow a certain religion, then you would have a church and state issue.

** Nader/Gonzalez 2008 **

After all the crap that Focus on the Famiy has pulled of late (i.e., their leader calling for its members to PRAY for rain on the Democratic Convention when Obama gives his accpetance speech, ah, Christianity at its finest...NOT!), I am not inclined to give a flying fig about this group, The Call and the noise they are going to make. Further, Rick Warren is a motivational "pusher"; I think his "ministry" is more about some right-wing agenda than actual Christianity or a philanthropical "call". Not that CNN will print any of this post, but for the record, I am a Christian who practices her faith in the Roman Catholic denomination.
May God Bless future POTUS OBAMA! YES WE CAN!!!

More conservative on social issues? Odd. I thought their God Jesus was more liberal (i.e. generous to others) - give to the poor, don't cast the first stone, help the sojourner (i.e. alien) in your midst, judge not, and all that.

Culture wars will have no bearing on the election this time around. Real issues such as Iraq, the Economy, Energy, and even Climate Change to an extent will decide. Too many Americans are suffering economically to even consider culture war subjects. To put it simply, no one cares. It's all on the back burner for now.

Its time to tax the churchs and have them pay for sticking their noses into politics.

Enough is enough. This country is in teh shape it is in today beacuse of people of so called "faith and values". These people cared more about abortion and same sex people having the right to marry then what was happening in the economy and the illegal war that the Bush administartion has put upon the American people. These people deserve no say.

The today's political ticker scares me. It obviously contains the mayor values the US is looking at:

GOD....GUNS....GAYS

How poor

It's seems odd that evangelicals think they speak for the righteous right and yet they have the same divorce rate as the population in general. Is honoring original marriage vows at the bottom of the list?

Religion will be the downfall of this country. Everyone thinks everyone else is wrong. Organized religion has caused numerous wars and has resulted in the deaths of more people than all the world's natural disasters combined.

The odd thing is......I suspect the Creator is puzzled as well by all these "values" folks who think they know it all when they really know nothing at all.

news flash to these idiots – NOT EVERYONE IS AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN IN THIS COUNTRY!!!!!

Totally sick of the religious right. They really need to heed David Kuo's advice and just take a break from politics. Just sit this one out, fundies.

What the so-called "value voters" fail to recognize is the dignity of all life, including prisoners, homosexuals, the poor and marginalized throughout the world, as well as unborn babies. It frustrates me that neither party stands for the rights and dignity of all of these. The democrats tend to be against capitol punishment and in favor of helping the poor. Republicans tend to take more of a stand against abortion, but see no evil in executing people and creating war and division. Neither party truly embraces the right to life.

Hey christian shepherds...........are you tending to your flocks? There's a bigger issue on the horizon. Don't let it sneak-up on you.

Separation of church/institution and state, yes, but not separation of Faith/World View and State.

Faith/World View is what motivates presidents and demonstrates their core values and moral center!

McCain 08! The other guy fails this test big time!

Well Gerald in Georgia, I would like to answer your question: Hillary didn't win the nominee........so she has been claimed .........these X-President feel at least they won their election........SO WHY NOT. Hillary (the ONE, messiah, Jesus, Superwoman for women, ready day one but can't pay campaign debts but ready to tackle the worlds deficient, she stay in the news more then McCain would like to.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. CNN when are you going to take a poll on how many of us are sick of seeing her?

Separation of church/institution and state, yes, but not separation of Faith/World View and State.

Faith/World View is what motivates presidents and demonstrates their core values and moral center!

McCain 08! The other guy fails this test big time!

Church and State. What is it that the evangelicals do not understand? Don't force your beliefs down my throat!!

P,CA said "The way it works is this: if someone is doing something that does not show a disrespect to others or their environment, and does not intrude on other's lives, it is THEIR RIGHT to do it. "

You don't honestly believe that we can use that criteria to determine what "their right" is?

By that definition, incest between two individuals who vow not to have children should be ok too.

Fundamentalists that set an 'approved' candidate of choice for their congregations are practically setting themselves up to be a mind-control cult.

Evangelicals need to realize that 'separation of church and state" is a principle that this country was founded upon. Others need to realize that you cannot legislate morality, which why the founding fathers of the US included that "separation" clause.

All of the above need to learn what respect means. If you wish others to respect your beliefs and opinions, then show a little respect for what others believe and value. Until you can that, you will lack all credibility.

While those views may sound anti-evangelical, they are not meant that way. They are meant to open up the eyes of some evangelicals to how extreme and intolerant some of them can be.

“risk alienating the conservative Christian base” is that supposed to be a threat? It makes me laugh. These people have some nerve. Who are they to say what is and what is not a value? What arrogance.

Before you point out a speck in your brother’s eye take the plank out of your own.

You are vipers you Pharisees of modern day.

You can't think in their churches so why should they be able to inject religion into politics (even more than it already is)?

Scary.

It's these "value voters" that have put this country in a real fix over the last 12 years.
These holier-than-thou Taliban-like evangelicals run around yapping about family values distracting this country away from working on our real world issues like energy, jobs, housing, environment and the war in Iraq.
Save the family values preaching for Sunday sermons not government policies. Besides, my "values" are mine to worry about, not the self-rightous or the government officials that pander to them for votes.
Keep the separation of chuch and state alive and well and you know what? Family values, whatever you personally deem them to be, can prosper because we'll have an economy and well protected country that can provide the platform for them. Keep the family values proselytizing where it belongs – with the family and not in the public square...

I am curious to see an article discussing just how clout these evangelical groups really have. And who would they vote for if McCain chose Tom Ridge as his running mate?

Ridge is pro-choice.

Would someone with McCain's views lose more votes than he would gain by choosing a pro-choice candidate?

I've never seen this discussed.

I call upon CNN and all other news outlets to refuse to call any specific group "value voters," even if it includes a "so-called." We all vote our values, e.g. belief in equal civil rights independent of sexual orientations, support for science and the rights of the severely ill, etc. A fair solution might be a bit more cumbersome, but, say, "intolerance voters" would do nicely - at least your description above suggests that the agenda of that group consists entirely on denigrating the lives of others.

They call themselves "value voters" so does that mean that if you don't think the way they do then you don't have values? Another useless tag line used by religious groups to try to impart morality.

I am very religious, but these guys are a sham and their use of their religion to push a political agenda is insulting.

What in the world is up with these ex-presidential candidates always in the news and why can't they just get somewhere and shut up until after November!!!!

So the Huckster's still campaigning for the presidency. I'm done.

Obama 08

NO to organized religion having a voice in the people's governement!!!Obama has enough problems with his own cult to have to deal with another.

I hope the conservative Christian base is permanently alienated! Those people are just scary.

As far as homosexual marriage goes, these religious fanatics need to realize that they completely lack respect for the people they persecute and they hide it behind an antiquated religious "morality." The way it works is this: if someone is doing something that does not show a disrespect to others or their environment, and does not intrude on other's lives, it is THEIR RIGHT to do it. If some physical/mental harm could come to someone or it will lead to danger of any sort, then it is A PROBLEM.

But don't get it confused: the absolute worst is people saying "those gays will corrupt my children, who'll think this kind of thing is moral!!" ... ... ... really?? Then you've put no faith in your child's ability to learn and make decisions for him/herself. And if the kid thinks it's okay, so what? It is their choice. And if your child IS gay? Congratulations, you've taught him/her to hate him/herself. Happy now?

This is disturbing to me that there are people who claim to be "value voters." We all have values on different issues. Those people who vote solely on their religious values frighten me because they seem to wish to inject religion into the political system. That should not be welcomed. People announcing what their religion is I have no problem with for the most part. If people in office know when to set aside their religion when it could be bad for the country, then there is no problem with a person being religious in office. It is when their religious values that go beyond the norm (norm being honest, not stealing, no murder etc) and have those values that go against science, then there will a problem.

and really, can we stop perpetuating the rumor that Obama is a Muslim, CNN? He's not. End of story. Stop bringing it up.

This really seems silly. Religion should have no bearing on politics. This whole "Evangelical Vote" stuff is somewhat ridiculous. Since when did we as a nation become obligated to cater to a specific group just because they are more vocal about their beliefs than other groups?

Frankly, I don't want anyone in the white house who is going to make decisions based on what the Evangelical voters want. I don't want "Faith based initiatives." That doesn't mean I am opposed to religion and it certainly doesn't mean I don't believe in God.

I just think God has no interest in the White House, so let's keep him out of there.

How about funding our education system instead?
How about getting everyone health care?

We need those things regardless of race, color, creed, etc.

THERE IS A SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE FOR A REASON. JUST LOOK TO THE MIDDLE EAST OR ASIA IF YOU WANT REAL LIFE EXAMPLES.

Someday, I would like to read about McCain & Obama's views on the issues not all this flowery crap they both speak. How about the issues CNN. Remember you never find a non-believer in a war zone.