Just about all the JREF Forum "natives" I can think of are strong advocates of separation between church and state. It's an important subject which affects many Americans, with the potential to affect many more. Of course I invite discussion here of other candidates and their own stance on this issue, but I want to keep it pertinent to this subject.(...) Obama gave what I think is a very important and lucid speech on the subject in 2006. I haven't heard anything comparable from the other candidates so far, and I'm hard pressed to find anything I disagree with.
John Edwards on Vouchers and ReligionOne of the younger candidates for president, John Edwards' chances of gaining the Democratic nomination don't look very good; nevertheless, it is worth noting that he appears to be a strong supporter for the separation of church and state.
The JTA reports:
Faith is enormously important to me personally and to tens of millions of Americans. In addition, religious institutions do wonderful work and make important contributions to our society. In a manner consistent with the First Amendment, faith-based charities should be able to participate in delivering services. But they should also meet the same anti-discrimination standards as other charities receiving government support. We should be encouraging faith-based initiatives in a way that values the important work of these organizations and does not divide Americans.
John Edwards interview by David Kuo on beliefnet
(a few selected-representative excerpts)
What parts of American life do you think would most outrage Jesus?
"Our selfishness. Our resort to war when it's not necessary. I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually."
In 2004, John Kerry said that he wouldn't let his faith affect his decision making. Does it affect yours?
"Yes, it does. I do believe in the separation of church and state. But I don't think separation of church and state means you have to be free from your faith. My faith informs everything I think and do. It's part of my value system. And to suggest that I can somehow separate and divorce that from the rest of me is not possible. I would not, under any circumstances, try to impose my personal faith and belief on the rest of the country. I don't think that's right. I don't think that's appropriate. But freedom of religion doesn't mean freedom from religion. And I think that anything we can do to promote the idea that people should express their faith is a good thing."
Do you think that America is a Christian nation?
"That's a good question. I never thought of it quite that way. There's a lot of America that's Christian. I would not describe us, though, on the whole, as a Christian nation. I guess the word "Christian" is what bothers me, even though I'm a Christian. I think that America is a nation of faith. I do believe that. Certainly by way of heritage--there's a powerful Christian thread through all of American history."
Would it be your hope that a John Edwards Supreme Court would allow public schools to encourage more prayer in schools?
"What I'm not in favor of is for a teacher to go to the front of the classroom and lead the class in prayer. Because I think that by definition means that that teacher's faith is being imposed on children who will almost certainly come from different faith beliefs. Allowing time for children to pray for themselves, to themselves, I think is not only okay, I think it's a good thing."
What do you think about Ten Commandments being displayed in local courthouses?
"I guess I've been in courthouses where I've seen the Ten Commandments. I've never had a strong reaction to it. I do think that it's the same issue. How would Muslims feel if they went into that courthouse, and how would people of other faiths feel, Hindus, others feel, if they were in the same circumstance?
So I'm sensitive to that. You know, of course it wouldn't offend me because I'm Christian. And I'm certainly not offended by the idea of expressing faith in that circumstance. But probably it causes more trouble than good."
I realize that this is a bit of a strange question but do you think that candidates are almost to the point of talking too much about their faith? President Bush in 2000 and 2004 garnered a lot of support by simply telling evangelicals that he was a devoted Christian. Now candidates galore seem to be wearing their faith out front. Is there too much of that going on? Is politics corrupting religion?
"Faith is not a political strategy, and should not be a political strategy. If it is being used as a tool to garner votes, to convince people they should support one political party or the other, I think that is a huge mistake. I believe with every fiber of my being that God is not a Democrat or a Republican and does not support either party.
If you're being asked about how you make decisions, what are the things that affect you when you make decisions, I think it's perfectly reasonable under those circumstances to give honest answers about your faith and how your faith affects your value system and what you believe and what you care about.
You asked me very early in this interview whether faith plays a role in my views about poverty and what to do about poverty. It does. It plays a very powerful role. So I think it's one of those things that is not a black and white. It's one of those things where you have handle it the right way and with honesty. But I think it's offensive to see any politician, or potential politician, using faith as a political strategy."
The dust-up over Edwards' bloggers
Yes, that's exactly what the OP was telling you to do.