Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will make their first joint appearance at a public forum with the Rev. Rick Warren on Aug. 16 at California’s Saddleback Church.
“The primaries proved that Americans care deeply about the faith, values, character and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues,” Warren said in a news release. “This is a critical time for our nation, and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart – without interruption – in a civil and thoughtful format absent the partisan ‘gotcha’ questions that typically produce heat instead of light.”
Republican McCain and Democrat Obama will appear separately to discuss what Warren describes as the “main area of focus” – AIDS, poverty, human rights and environment.
Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus on the Family Action, said that while those topics are important, he hopes the candidates will also address the issues that are on the minds of the majority of Christians – the sanctity of human life and marriage.
“It will be interesting to see the direction that Rick Warren takes these interviews,” Minnery said. “I am not certain that he will get into deeply religious issues with either of these candidates and that would be disappointing. While the issues of HIV/AIDS and climate are interesting, any secular reporter could ask about those. He ought to ask questions that go deep to the heart of Christianity.”
Minnery said it’s not enough for the candidates to address their remarks in Christian rhetoric; they must explain their voting records.
“One of (Obama’s) strongest positions was against the right for a child, which has survived an abortion to be guaranteed life,” Minnery said. “And (McCain) does say that he supports God’s institution of marriage, but he will not say anything very strongly about marriage.”
Regardless of the forum’s outcome, Minnery is pleased the candidates have chosen to make their first joint appearance in a church.
“That says to me they understand how important men and women of faith are to their chances of winning the White House,” he said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit Saddleback’s Web site to learn more about the event. Watch the event live online at 5 p.m. PST on Aug. 16, 2008.