Obama, Clinton Face Deep Questions on God, Bible

Moderators of Sunday’s faith forum spared the Democratic presidential candidates no mercy as they drilled them on difficult theological questions ranging from “Why does God allow people to suffer?” to “Do you believe that God created the world in six days?”

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(Photo: AP Images / Carolyn Kaster)

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., leaves the stage as Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., begins his time participating in a Compassion Forum at Messiah College, in Grantham, Pa., Sunday, April 13, 2008.

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Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) took questions from moderators Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek and respected scholar on faith and American politics; Campbell Brown, CNN Election Center anchor; and some of the nation’s most prominent Christian and religious leaders during the Compassion Forum held at Messiah College near Harrisburg, Pa.

At first, Clinton seemed taken aback by the unexpected question of why a loving God would allow good people to suffer, before remarking that the question is the “subject of generations of commentary and debate.”

She then quipped, “I don’t know. I can’t wait to ask Him,” drawing applause from the crowd.

But the candidate vying to be the first female U.S. president added that even though she does not know why God allows suffering, there is “no doubt” in her mind that man must respond.

“For whatever reason it exists, it’s a call to action,” Clinton said.

The former first lady was given another tough question that got her laughing when moderator Jon Meacham asked if she believed God wants her to be president.

“I don’t presume anything about God,” she answered after a good laugh. She then went on to say that she tries to put her faith into action everyday to help others.

Florida megachurch pastor Dr. Joel C. Hunter of Northland, A Church Distributed asked Clinton about what or who she depends on to do what is morally right, such as in the case of Darfur.

She said her decision-making process is rooted in her prayer, contemplation, study, and advice from others, which is needed because she does not know the answers to many of the questions.

“I am deeply aware that there are predictable and unpredictable consequences,” Clinton said, noting that part of making decisions is living with the consequences.

The New York senator was also questioned about life issues such as if she believes life begins at conception. She said she believes the “potential” for life begins at conception, and noted that her denomination the United Methodist Church has struggled with this issue. But she contends that it’s not only about potential life, but the other lives involved and the government does not have the authority to make the decision on whether a mother should keep her child. Clinton stated, as in other prior public speeches, her position that abortion should be legal but safe and rare.

After Clinton’s questioning, her political rival, Barack Obama, took the stage to answer his own set of hard questions.

Obama’s first question was about his controversial remark last week that decades of lost jobs and unfulfilled promises from Washington have left some Pennsylvanians “bitter.” He said they were “clinging to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as way to explain their frustrations,” according to CNN.

At Sunday’s forum, he sought to clarify his comment saying that “religion is a bulwark, a foundation when other things aren’t going well.” He also reaffirmed his faith saying, “I am a devout Christian” and said he wasn’t “demeaning” a faith he embraced.