[NYTr] US Presidential Hopefuls Grilled about Religion

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

[One fundie convert consultant, who was raised a Unitarian, tells
candidates not to say "separation of church and state," because it
slienates some voters. Oh, right -- it's only a fundamental
Constitutional principle, lady. -NY Transfer]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

US Presidentials Get Grilled by Media on Religion

Washington, Sept 2 (Prensa Latina) Presidential candidates are getting barraged by the media on questions about their beliefs on religion, says Church State Magazine.

Participating in a CNN debate on "faith and values," for example, Democrat candidate John Edwards was confronted by Host Soledad O'Brien with the question about the "biggest sin you've ever committed."

During the same June 4 event, US Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) was asked to explain how her faith got her through her husband's marital infidelity, and US Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was asked if he believes God takes sides in wars.

Many Americans might be surprised that such questions are being asked at all, given the pressing international and domestic issues vying for the candidates' attention, says the magazine.

With a war in Iraq raging, health care in crisis and energy costs spiraling, lots of voters are interested in hearing the candidates' specific policy positions on key issues, not bromides on how often a candidate prays and what he or she prays for, comments the publication.

Yet many candidates remain convinced that millions of voters are fixated on religion -- and the media apparently agrees.

Time magazine reported July 12 on the efforts of one strategist, Mara Vanderslice, who worked on John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004 and advised various Democratic campaigns in 2006.

Vanderslice, who was raised Unitarian but converted to evangelical Christianity as an adult, advised candidates not to use the term "separation of church and state," arguing it alienates some voters.

Oval Office aspirants like Clinton, Obama, Edwards and others are taking the advice to boost talk about religion as well. Edwards has been organizing conference calls with progressive religious leaders and is about to embark on a 12-city poverty tour.

In the past month alone, Obama's campaign has run six faith forums in New Hampshire, where local clergy and laypeople discuss religious engagement in politics.

As party strategist Mike McCurry told Time, "What we're seeing is a 'Great Awakening' in the Democratic Party," invoking a period in early American history when evangelical forms of religion became popular.

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