WASHINGTON, D.C., June 5, 2007
Hillary: Faith Got Me Past Bill's Affair
Dem Candidates Talk About Role Of Religion In Lives And Politics
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Hillary 'A Woman In Charge'
Harry Smith speaks with author Carl Bernstein about his Hillary Clinton biography, "A Woman In Charge," in which he offers private revelations into the senator's very public life.
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Sen. Hillary Clinton credited her faith with sticking with her husband after learning of his infidelity: "I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought," she said. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Sen. Barack Obama warned against using the dichotomy of good vs. evil in explaining, or rationalizing, U.S. policy, such as our nation's treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. "It may lead us to be not as critical as we should about our own actions," he said. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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John Edwards said he doesn't feel his belief in evolution is inconsistent with his belief in Christ, and said as president he would not impose his belief system on the rest of the country. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Clinton stood by her actions in the aftermath of former President Clinton's admission that he had an affair, including presumably her decision to stay in the marriage.
"I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought," Clinton said during a forum where the three leading Democratic presidential candidates talked about faith and values.
"I'm not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith," she said in response to a question about how she dealt with the infidelity.
The forum, sponsored by the liberal Sojourners/Call to Renewal evangelical organization, provided an uncommon glimpse into the most personal beliefs of Clinton and rivals John Edwards and Barack Obama. The three candidates were invited by Sojourners founder Jim Wallis; most of the other Democratic candidates appeared on CNN later Monday to discuss their faith.
The most intimate question came about the Clintons' relationship, one of the world's most debated marriages but one that the husband and wife rarely speak openly about.
Clinton said she's "been tested in ways that are both publicly known and those that are not so well known or not known at all." She said it's those times when her personal faith and the prayers of others sustain her.
"At those moments in time when you are tested, it is absolutely essential that you be grounded in your faith," she said.
Obama's appearance focused more on policy than the personal. Asked whether he agreed with President Bush's portrayal of the current global struggles in terms of good verses evil, Obama said there is a risk in viewing the world in such terms.
He said he believes that the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were the result of evil. But he said that the United States' treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay is unjust.
"The danger of using good verses evil in the context of war is that it may lead us to be not as critical as we should about our own actions," Obama said to applause.
Edwards revealed that he prays — and sins — every day. The crowd gasped loudly when moderator Soledad O'Brien asked Edwards to name the biggest sin he ever committed, and he won their applause when he said he would have a hard time naming one thing.
"I sin every single day," said Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee. "We are all sinners and we all fall short."
Edwards, wearing a purple tie to match Sojourners' signature color, promoted himself as the candidate most committed to the group's mission of fighting poverty. He said he doesn't feel his belief in evolution is inconsistent with his belief in Christ and he doesn't personally feel gays should be married, although as president he wouldn't impose his belief system on the rest of the country.
"I have a deep and abiding love for my Lord, Jesus Christ," Edwards said, but he said the United States shouldn't be called a Christian nation.
He said he has been going to church since he was a child and was baptized as a teen. He said he strayed from his faith as an adult and it came "roaring back" when his teenage son died in 1996.
"It was the Lord that got me through that," Edwards said, along with both of his wife's cancer diagnoses.
Clinton acknowledged that talking about her religious beliefs doesn't come naturally to her.
"I take my faith very seriously and very personally," she said. "And I come from a tradition that is perhaps a little too suspicious of people who wear their faith on their sleeves."
Each candidate was given 15 minutes to appear before the packed auditorium at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium and a live audience on CNN. They were questioned by O'Brien and by church leaders across the country.
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See all 305 CommentsShe stayed with Bill because it was her best hope for political success, nothing more.
Faith who???
Posted by GunOwnerDan
All of the above. We have got to get it back to a Democracy; a two party system and three branches of government while keeping our Bill or Rights and our Constitution in tact. I have said it all along let's throw all the bums out. Term Limits.
Hillary has no realistic chance of winning a national election. I seriously doubt her faith is going to be very helpful on election day in 2008. (if Dems are stupid enough to nominate her)
When she loses hope of winning the presidency, that's when we will see the real Hillary. She'll probably embark on a mass killing spree.
LOL!!!! HC has a "Faith" in God? So she's a Christian now?
ROFL!!!
Well, I understand the politics of her statements...but I don't think anyone will buy it....
Persistent lying
Recurring difficulties with the law
Tendency to violate the rights of others (property, physical, sexual, emotional, legal)
Disregard for the safety of self or others
Lack of remorse for hurting others
Superficial charm
Impulsiveness
A sense of extreme entitlement
Lack of guilt
Recklessness, impulsivity
SOCIOPATH!
Posted by tuckerndfw
And then some. Very insightful and hysterical.
The truth is, that ideas have consequences-- what we really believe plays out in what we do. All this talk of generic "faith" is like our talk in a generic "god," most of which is fluff, chaff, and flair.
The God we believe in, have faith in, be it ourselves as our own god, or the eternal One through Whom all things were made, will have dramatic influence on who we are as people. We need much more open and honest debate about what our political candidates really believe-- since that is the better barometer of their character, and predictor of their future actions in office.
However, I'm sick of pious Christian righties who think they are in a position to judge who's a Christian and who isn't. What was said that would indicate that Edwards is an athiest? Absolutely nothing. Everything that he said would indicate that he's a Christian. Or can only conservatives be "born again"?
Only God knows what's actually in people's hearts.
When Bush talks about loving Jesus and his religion and then kills 800K people with a wink and a smirk you swoon over this sociopath's "faith" - then relentlessly attack the opposition for even mentioning she shares the same religion.
Every day with example after example it's abundantly clear that Conservatives/Republicans simply don't "believe" in anything, even the Christ they supposedly love.
Posted by jumkey
You seem very confused. Evern the good Lord got angry and you seem to have an even harder time distinguishing between religious beliefs and a WAR.
Wake up America. We are not ready for a woman in the White House, much less Hillary again. She practically ran the country before, advising Bill. Guess somebody had to do it while he was seeing Monica.
Who in the world would want to be her running mate? I wouldn't. I wou;dn/t want to be associated with her. And Lord help me if I did something wrong.
Forget the Faith questions. They are only going to tell you what you want to hear. That is what all politicians do and then change their mind once elected.
WAKE UP!!!
Posted by billysmith6 at 11:06 AM : Jun 05, 2007
The only argument the Clintons ever have about Bill's girlfriends is who is going to do her (them) first.
According to a recent book about Bill & Hillary, Bill was going to divorce her while he was still governor of Arkansas. But, she apparently either threatened or bribed him with offers he couldn't refuse.
Their "marriage" is nothing but a political marriage. He has his girlfriends, and so does she.
She attempted to force "universal health care" down everyone's throat without seeking the advice or counsel of anyone that did not agree with her in the first place.
And, everything she did was conducted in secret until the US Supreme Court ruled her activities had to be made public.
Hillary Clinton is very similar to George Bush in that she prefers to be a dictator operating in secret than a representative of the people.
The primary difference between Hillary and Bozo is that Hillary is much smarter and has larger testicles.
Hillary is as unfit for office as Bozo Bush.
...
These candidates treat their "FAITH" like a glass of milk. Let's just go to the fridge and pull out a glass of "FAITH" when you need it.
Edwards%u2019s comments about the U.S. not being called a "Christian Nation" should open people%u2019s eyes!
The only thing Hillary wares on her "man suite" sleeves are her general stripes.
And let's not leave out Obama-Bobama - If you are a Christian, and have faith, you will know that the Bible states "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Exodus 8:11" Oh! well, lets just cut that verse out or better yet place it in the refrigerator with the milk, until you need it (911):( :( !!! I need to go buy one of those orange Guantanamo Bay T-Shirts!
Infidel_us, you crack me up - to funny - you had milk coming out of my nose!
Posted by billpl at 11:22 AM : Jun 05, 2007
LOL
BTW, what's her name, this week?
The fact is that she knew that her husband Bill was having MANY, MANY affairs over the decades of their marriage.
Hillary was simply content to look the other way; she sacrificed her principals in exchange for political power for Bill and for herself.
Does America want that kind of low-life lying and unprincipled slime in the White House - AGAIN?
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven."
- Matthew (19:24)
Posted by Gumbo1962 at 11:25 AM : Jun 05, 2007
John Edwards is a lawyer. And, he was speaking from a legal sense. The US is legally and officially a secular (atheist) nation.
He is absolutely correct that the US is not a "Christian" nation.
Those who claim the US is a "Christian nation" are incorrect if they are referring to the US Constitution or the official status of the US.
Persistent lying
Recurring difficulties with the law
Tendency to violate the rights of others (property, physical, sexual, emotional, legal)
Disregard for the safety of self or others
Lack of remorse for hurting others
Superficial charm
Impulsiveness
A sense of extreme entitlement
Lack of guilt
Recklessness, impulsivity
SOCIOPATH!
Posted by infidel_us at 10:16 AM : Jun 05, 2007
---------------------------------------
infidel_us, That is probably the most accurate self-diagnosis I have ever read.
Part I
Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be said too often or too loudly, that America was founded not by religionists, but by Christians, and not upon religion, but upon the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
It is often said that we don't really know the intent of the founding fathers. I beg to differ. Gouveneur Morris was the apparent author of the Constitution, a signer of it, and the most active voice at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 (speaking 173 times). In his commentaries of 1790 and 1791, Morris wrote, "Religion is the only solid basis of good morals. Therefore, education should teach the precepts of religion and the duties of man toward God."
Fisher Ames, the author of the First Amendment, wrote in 1801 that it would be a grave mistake to let the Bible out of the public schools.
It is not just the founders who supported Christian principles. Each branch of our government held to them. Consider the Trinity decision of the Supreme Court in 1892. After 10 years of examining hundreds of documents on the foundation of the country, they came to a unanimous decision, saying the documents "add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a religious people, a Christian nation."
"In God We Trust" was adopted as the national motto in 1954, not 1776. It does not identify the "God" to which it refers and that is the only thing that keeps it from being thrown out. Presumably, the motto is referring to currency since it is engraved on currency. And, far more Americans worship money than anything or anyone else.
Please cite the section of the US Constitution that specifically identifies the official US deity.
Or, for that matter, the section of the US Code (federal law) that identifies any such entity.
(HINT: You can't because there is no such provision)
The US Consitution specifically prohibits the US from establishing an official deity.
The US is an atheist nation, according to the US Constitution. Regardless what the founding fathers claimed to have believed, they established an atheist nation.
(atheist and secular are the same thing)
The first session of Congress in September of 1774 began with three hours of prayer (I wonder to whom they were praying?). The day after the Bill of Rights was passed in 1789, Congress voted to have a "day of thanksgiving and praise unto almighty God."
The House Judiciary Committee in 1854 was asked to remove religion from public affairs. After investigating for one year, the committee concluded that at the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the Amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged, but not any one denomination. In this age, they said, there can be no substitute for Christianity. Benjamin Franklin, often thought of as one of the least religious founding fathers, said, "The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men."
George Washington thought about the subject: "True religion offers the government its surest support."
President John Adams, another founder, said: "Our Constitution is for a moral and religious people." President John Quincy Adams said: "The highest glory of the American Revolution was that it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."
President Thomas Jefferson held another job at the time he was president. He was the superintendent of schools in Washington, D.C. He required only two books to be taught in the schools: The Holy Bible and Watts' Hymnal (any Christian principles in those books?).
Sadly, in modern times, however the secular humanist movement, headed by the ACLU, is doing everything in their power however to remove God from everything.
Posted by singinrick
Take heart. The American Legion, the Liberty Legal Fund and the Alliance Defense Fund is going after the ACLU. There are two new bills in the House and Senate and there is a strong push to get them passed to finally cut the head off the ACLU everytime to go after Establishment Clause cases.
What people claimed, wrote or opined about the "founding fathers" is totally irrelevant.
The "founding fathers" agreed that the US was to be established as a secular (atheist) nation. And, made that very clear in the first amendment to the US Constitution.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion . . . " is straightforward enough that even the most simple minded dolt can deduce the US has no official religion or deity.
Which leaves only one condition: atheism
Posted by singinrick
You bring out a very good point. That point being, that our Founders acknowledged that our rights were not given to us by man but are God-given rights. "That man is endowed with certain inalienable rights. . . " Once mankind believes that our rights are decided by men, then they will soon come to learn that what man decides man can take away.
I believe people who maliciously start wars based on hubris and selfishness that cost thousands upon thousands of innocent lives shouldn't be considered "Christians".
But then I'm not a Christian, so I have no say as to who you decide is your kind.
The US Constitution is not based on the bible.
The US Constitution is based on laws first established by the Babylonians and handed down through the Greeks, Romans and English.
The US was not founded on "Christian principles."
The founding fathers wanted no part of the European system of "Christian government" that was based on the "divine right of kings" or the claim that the pope was God's hand chosen dictator.
Those who claim the founding fathers were attempting to duplicate the Christian governments of Europe are totally ignorant of history.
They were also slave owners writing about "all men being created equal."
Things change, societies change, cultures evolve, we no longer burn women at the stake, and we shouldn't be legislating religions or supplementing them with tax dollars.
www.au.org
Which leaves only one condition: atheism
Posted by tuckerndfw
No, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion refers to the fact that our Founders did not want a State Church like the Church of England. How pathetic if you were taught this by some lilly livered liberal.
Yes, we do have a constitution that declares separation of church and state. If you look at its intent (you need to read some history books) you find the sole purpose of this was to eliminate the possibility of a %u201Cstate sponsored religion%u201D. It was never intended for what many people and some judges are now claiming.
Look at the official record of Congress. In the beginning of our nations Congress authorized and purchased Bibles, Christian Bibles, for schools of this newly formed nation. It%u2019s in the record! There are many more items to prove we as a nation were built on Christian principals.
For those that claim otherwise and claim we are not a Christian nation I say to you stop ignoring the history of the United States of America. Many would like to re-write our history. Some keep claiming history happened the way they want it, not the way it really did. The only thing we can do is to ask them to please read the history of our great county and not to try to change what really happened.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Posted by singinrick at 11:53 AM : Jun 05, 2007
When you produce this "higher authority" then I'll be amenable to listening to what he (it?) has to say. Based on my experience, the "higher power" to which you refer consists of the pope or some self appointed bible thumper claiming he speaks for this "higher power."
Christians, generally speaking, depending on which cult they follow, do not follow any moral code, and are under no requirement they do so.
Christians, generally speaking, depending on which cult they follow, believe themselves to be exempt from any known rules or laws ("saved by grace," or Pauline doctrine).
Which means about half the Christian population has no moral foundation and the other half requires the pope or a priest to tell them what their morals are supposed to be.
I'll rely on my biological urge to survive as an individual and as a species before I'll rely on the bible.
I prefer having a foundation for my activities that is more substantial than fairy tales invented by prehistoric desert goatherders.
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