A few months ago BeliefNet interviewed John McCain and asked him what religion he thought the President should be. The Republican presidential candidate told Beliefnet he's uncomfortable with a Muslim president but felt Mitt Romney's Mormonism is a non-issue. Any religion is okay, according to McCain, so long as this candidate "will carry on the Judeo-Christian tradition that has made this country great."
In the last couple of days, I have wondered what it would take for John McCain to get the evangelical vote, particularly when Dr. James Dobson had previously said that he could not vote for him. Well, apparently the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin worked some magic for the good doctor and he said "But I can tell you that if I had to go into the studio, I mean the voting booth today, I would pull that lever."
With Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty apparently out of the running for McCain's VP pick, speculation this morning turns to Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska.
Although McCain has won the GOP nomination, some evangelical leaders such as James Dobson have expressed that they will not vote for him because he is too "liberal." Can Pawlenty, a dedicated evangelical Christian, bridge this gap?
Author and professor R. Gustav Niebuhr argues that tolerating people of different faiths is not enough; that in order to live in a safe and cohesive society, we must go out and interact with them.
In a concession to the Catholic Church, the Croatian parliament has passed a law requiring all shops to be closed on Sundays beginning January 1, 2009. This is the result of years of campaigning by the Church, which makes up 90% of the population.
For all practical purposes, it resembled an interfaith worship service. In a move designed to appeal to religious voters, the Democrats opened their convention in Denver last night with prayer, a gospel song, and a Torah recitation by a rabbi. A Catholic nun and Muslim women in headscarves also made appearances. (You may recall that Obama received some criticism when his staff asked two Muslim women wearing headscarves not to stand behind him at an appearance.)
From Fora.TV – Recorded May 7th, 2006 – Madeleine Albright talks about The Mighty and The Almighty: United States Foreign Policy and God. The former secretary of state offers a provocative and very personal look at the role of religion in America's foreign policy. She argues that understanding the place and power of religion, and knowing how best to respond to it, is essential if America is to lead successfully around the world.
"China's ruling Communist Party is suspicious of any cause that could compete with its authority, including organized religion. Officially, the party allows worship only at registered churches belonging to a state-controlled organization; nonregistered places of worship are closely monitored. The party also bans foreign chaplains' holding services without government permission or proselytizing on Chinese soil."
The terrorists may scream from the roof tops that their crimes are God’s will; but you can’t frame God for what thugs do. This is a kind of criminal anarchy that we are witnessing. Any idiot can murder a human being, but there isn’t a sword sharp enough to destroy truth.
— John Kerry, Remarks at the Swearing-in Ceremony for Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom David Saperstein – February 20, 2015