Prominent evangelical leaders gave Sen. John McCain a thumbs up for his responses to questions posed by Pastor Rick Warren at Saturday evening’s Saddleback Civil Forum.
McCain was praised for clearly laying out his stance on divisive issues, such as abortion and the California marriage amendment, while opponent Sen. Barack Obama was criticized for what some saw as unclear or safe answers.
"I also thought Senator McCain did very well … I was particularly impressed by his answer on people he admired,” remarked Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus on the Family, during the teleconference with evangelical leaders following the forum.
“He went right to General Petraeus … And I contrast that to Senator Obama, who when asked who influences him the most, he mentioned his wife … his grandmother – those are safe nominations."
Minnery also criticized Obama for saying that he supports marriage between a man and a woman, but also stating that he opposed the marriage amendment in California.
"You cannot square the circle as he is trying to do,” Minnery said. “Either you support marriage or you do not. He says one thing. By his actions, he indicates another thing."
Janet Folger, national radio host and president of Faith2Action, commented on Obama’s response to the abortion issue. Obama responded to the question "When does a baby get human rights?" by stating that answering it with specificity is "above my pay grade." Folger believes his response does not accurately reflect his voting record.
According to his record, a baby never receives human rights, Folger charges.
“He’s the only Senator in the entire Senate in Illinois who actually stood on the floor and spoke against protecting babies that were completely severed from the mother, that had survived the assault of an abortion,” Folger emphasized. “That answer should have been ‘never.’ He tried to avoid it, and it tells me that he shouldn’t be getting the pay grade of President.”
Meanwhile, McCain “without hesitation” stated that life begins at conception, Folger pointed out.
She also praised the Republican candidate for making it “very, very clear” on who he would appoint to the Supreme Court.
Sens. McCain and Obama met at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., on Saturday for their first joint appearance as the two presumptive presidential nominees of their party. Some 6,500 people attended the forum as millions more watched it via live broadcast.
Minnery said he believes it was the first time that an event such as this has taken place at a church.
“[T]he idea that two presidential candidates would sit down with an evangelical pastor and answers questions like this is historic,” said the FOTF official.
Several evangelical leaders, noting their concerns prior to the event, applauded Pastor Rick Warren for not shying away from asking questions about the abortion issue.
Bishop Harry Jackson, who stands out from other evangelical leaders during the teleconference for being an African-American and a registered Democrat, said he believes Sen. McCain “closed the deal” at Saturday’s forum.
“I think he made a clear contrast between himself and Barack Obama. Many evangelicals will vote for him."
The teleconference was hosted by NewsGuests.com and included evangelical commentators: Tom Minnery, Janet Folger, Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor, Hope Christian Church and Chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition; and Colin Hanna, president of Let Freedom Ring. Martha Zoller, national radio host and Fox news panelist, was the moderator.
RSS
As I posted elsewhere...
"Senator Obama did not personally kill anyone."
Didn't say he did. I said he did not vote to protect children who survived abortion. Then I said it looks like he lied about his position.
"Second of all, why do Republican leaders advocate personal responsibility when it comes to income, but ignore personal responsibility when it comes to abortion? "
I'm not a republican leader, but as for me, when the innocent baby can protect itself, I'll expect it to take personal responsibility. Until then, we need to protect it if possible.
As for the mother who wants the abortion, aborting a baby is NOT taking personal responsibility - it is attempting to abdicate it. I say attempting because while the baby may die, there are still negative consequeces to abortion.
Many people ARE working to end hunger and disease. This does not mean we should not work to end infanticide.
Many of us who are against infanticide are also against adultery and divorce; I wouldn't mind find a way to end those too.
"many of you talk and think the same and hang out with people who think the same. Me, I've read my Bible alone every day for 13-14 years and 8 years on and off. I listen to preachers as a supplement, like a person who takes a vitamin, but my meals or the meat of my learning comes from the Holy Spirit."
Um, I don't think this is the first time I've read you write this, and I'm sure you did not mean it to come out this way, but it sounds like a bit of pride. Kind of like in Matthew 6:5.
"Disgusting. How can we trust someone like this?"
I believe that question was a common one concerning the Apostle Paul who went around killing Christians. It's amazing how growing as a Christian can impact your life.
"the meat of my learning comes from the Holy Spirit"
Are you saying the Bible is not the word of God given by the Holy Spirit?
Diana626 -- "lying"
That would be that part where Obama keeps saying conflicting positions.... or would it be "I did not have sex with that woman!"
There's enough sin to go around....
First of all, Senator Obama did not personally kill anyone. Second of all, why do Republican leaders advocate personal responsibility when it comes to income, but ignore personal reponsibility when it comes to abortion? They blame the Democrats every four years so they can get the "evangelical vote" and do nothing to prevent the killings. Republicans controlled the White house and Congress for six years and there has been seven Republican appointments to the Supreme Court, but nothing done on abortion. Four different Gospel authors, but not one religious teaching exclusively on killing, much less abortion. There are many verses denouncing greed(idol worship) and some are a quarter of a chapter and more long such as Mark 10:17-27. Almost the entire chapter of Luke 16:9-31 is a parable and parables denouncing greed. Why, because tens of millions of people(including children) are starving to death slowly and slowly dying from lack of medicine and food and from treatable disease. Meanwhile people are buying seven houses and ignoring them. All life is precious to the Lord and he looks on the elderly as you do the young. They are still children in His eyes! We can save far more lives including far more children than are lost to abortion with a fraction of what we spend on an unjust war. By the way, both those chapters I cited also contain warnings against adultery and you can be left out of heaven for adultery as easily as you can killing. It's so sad how many people don't understand scripture. But many of you talk and think the same and hang out with people who think the same. Me, I've read my Bible alone every day for 13-14 years and 8 years on and off. I listen to preachers as a supplement, like a person who takes a vitamin, but my meals or the meat of my learning comes from the Holy Spirit.
Diane,
Where do you get your "facts" about the Bible?
diana, we know what your opposed to with regards to McCain, but where do you stand with regards to Obama and the presidential issue as a whole?
It's good for McCain most evangelicals know the bible just about as much as he does. Their bibles only have two sins... abortion and sodomite marriage...(seems those bibles are missing adultery, divorce, fornication, covetousness, greed, lying, cheating the poor, gossip, blasphemy of the Lord, etc...)
I can't find myself supporting a man who supports killing innocent babies. If you're talking about greater sin...which is worse? Cheating on your wife, or mass murder?
I don't see how family values voters like us can consider a candidate who cheated on his first wife with multiple women, then left her to marry a beer model flush with cash, and launch his political career. He filed marriage license papers for his new marriage before he even ended his first. Disgusting. How can we trust someone like this?
Add to this that he was one of the Keating Five, his wife misused charity and employee info to steal drugs, he keeps making attack ads that are demonstrable lies, however much I like their political effects. What does he stand for? I have trouble respecting a man like him, and am considering sitting this one out.
Odd Note: I may dislike Obama's policies, but at least he seemed to talk about a personal relationship with Christ.
Go MAC
Like many posts here, I now feel a little better about voting for McCain after hearing him at Saddleback. I had never considered voting for Obama due to his views on abortion, same-sex marriage, and his stated belief that Jesus is not the sole way to heaven. Anyone that has a RREAL relationship with Jesus Christ could not support Obama.
You can always tell when a canadate has been wounded, They start claiming that they have been cheated, Or that the forum was riged. blue1018, sorry, but obama will never be President.
I need to clear up something about my post to wrhalver, I'm not advocating not to vote and I plan on voting. I was responding to wr with regards to how I and wbmoore aren't really impressed by either candidate at this point and it may come down to voting for the lesser of the two evils. Then I suggested the only other two alternatives would be if a reputable third party candidate showed up or stay home and not vote, which once again I would neither advise or plan on doing.
Satan is very charmin, He charmed Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. He dresses up like an angel of light. That's why God established guidelines. Like when He told Samuel that He doesn't look at Man's appearance but He looks at the heart. Obama may be very charismatic but his heart is full of sin and deceit. He contradicts Himself constantly saying one thing but his actions say something else.