Leading up to Saturday's Civil Forum on the Presidency at Saddleback Church, the Rev. Rick Warren said he would address "issues that are bridging divides in our nation, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate and human rights.”
Family advocates wondered if Warren also would ask Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain about abortion and marriage. He did.
Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family Action, said he was fascinated by the forum.
"To have the two candidates in a public forum address those questions was actually really refreshing," he said. "You just don't get that in the general media."
Here's a recap:
Warren: "At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?"
Obama: "Answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade."
Daly said Obama stumbled on that one.
"When you come down to the life question, it is so core to what we believe, and what we believe God's heart is about," he said. "When a person fumbles on that question, it really gives us a clue as to what their worldview is about.
"He's contending for the most powerful seat in the world — president of the United States — and for him to equivocate on that issue, there's really not a lot of room for that."
Even Planned Parenthood's Web site has an answer to Warren's question, albeit an interesting one: "Constitutionally, a fetus has no rights of personhood. Most legal precedent in English law attributes personhood to the live born."
Obama continued: "I am pro-choice. I believe in Roe v. Wade and come to that conclusion not because I'm pro-abortion, but because ultimately I don't think women make these decisions casually. They wrestle with these things in profound ways."
Obama went on to say that when life begins apparently is not up for discussion:
"If you believe that life begins at conception, and you are consistent in that belief, then I can't argue with you on that because that is a core issue of faith for you."
Warren also brought up marriage.
Warren: "Define marriage."
Obama: "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now for me as a Christian, it's also a sacred union. God's in the mix."
Obama went on to say that while he doesn't "promote" same-sex "marriage," he does support civil unions. He opposes a federal constitutional amendment to protect marriage.
Jenny Tyree, associate marriage analyst at Focus on the Family Action, said it seems doubtful Obama will do anything to strengthen marriage.
"He has said more about efforts that we believe would weaken marriage in this country — including his pledge to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which prevents states from being forced to recognize same-sex 'marriages' from other states," she said.
McCain was asked identical questions during the second hour of the forum. Daly said he "did an outstanding job" addressing the issues.
Warren: "At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?"
McCain: "At the moment of conception. I have a 25-year pro-life record in the Congress, in the Senate. I will be a pro-life president, and this presidency will have pro-life policies. That's my commitment to you."
Daly said: "He was just crisp and sharp on those answers on life. Those are insights into a candidate that really resonate with an evangelical community."
On marriage, McCain also impressed the audience.
Warren: Define marriage.
McCain: A union between one man and one woman.
McCain went on to say he believes the California Supreme Court overstepped its bounds this year when it struck down state law and legalized same-sex "marriage." He expressed support for the marriage-protection amendment on the ballot in his home state of Arizona, though he has not supported a federal marriage amendment.
Read the transcript from the Civil Forum on the Presidency.
