Faith Plays Complex Role In '08 Race
CBS' Kathy Frankovic: Candidates' Beliefs Not Well-Known, But Voters Want Them To Be Strong
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Religion And Politics
Bob Schieffer says that in the upcoming presidential election voters should not base their decisions on the candidate's religion, but on their political beliefs.
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Romney On Being Mormon
Mitt Romney talks with Bob Schieffer about his Mormon faith and the role it plays in his presidential campaign. Romney also addresses why Evangelical Christians may have a problem with his religion.
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Romney Tops Values Poll
Senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield explains how Mitt Romney's first-place slot on a conservative group's poll of ?value-based voters? could impact the Republican presidential nomination.
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Republican presidential hopeful former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks during the Iowa Republican Party's annual Reagan Dinner , Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007, in Des Moines, Iowa. Though he is an ordained Baptist minister, a CBS News poll found that Americans, by a 3-to-1 margin, don't believe he has strong religious beliefs. (AP)
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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to supporters on Wednesday Oct. 24, 2007 at the Donut Man donut shop in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Romney, a Mormon, was viewed as the most religious presidential candidate in a recent CBS News poll. (AP)
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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., gives a lecture at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. A CBS News survey found that 74 percent of Americans don't believe she has strong religious beliefs. (AP)
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Poll Positions
Listen to CBS News director of surveys Kathy Frankovic dissect the data to see what's driving public opinion.
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CBS News Polls
Read the latest polls done by CBS News polling unit.
- Faith's Complex Role
How is religion affecting this year’s presidential campaign?
Voters want religion to matter in this election, but so far, no candidate seems to be benefiting.
Sometimes, voters misperceive a candidate’s religion. In August, CBS News asked registered voters what they thought Barack Obama’s religion was. Most of them - 84 percent - said they didn’t know. But the largest number of those who thought they did know - nearly half of those who guessed any religion at all - thought Obama was a Muslim.
Many voters simply don’t know much about some candidates’ religions. As recently as this summer, only a third of voters knew that Mitt Romney was a Mormon. Nearly everyone else said they did not know his religion.
Whether or not the voters know much about a candidate’s religious beliefs, they generally don’t give the current crop of candidates any credit for having them - at least not yet. Republican Mike Huckabee is an ordained Southern Baptist minister, but just two weeks ago, when CBS News asked registered voters whether he had strong religious beliefs, about three times as many said he did not as said he did. Even self-identified evangelical voters don’t see Huckabee as one of their own.
Huckabee’s problem with voters is that he remains unknown to most of them: half couldn’t answer the strong-beliefs question either way, and when asked for an overall opinion about Huckabee, three in four voters took the opportunity to say they were undecided or didn’t know enough yet to say.
Religion matters to voters: two-thirds told CBS News in June that it was important to them that candidates have strong religious beliefs, even if they were not the same as the voter’s own. And in October, 50 percent said it was important to them that a candidate shares their own religious beliefs. But it’s hard to share beliefs with someone if you don’t think he or she has any. We asked voters if other candidates had strong religious beliefs, and the most religious candidate was a Mormon, Mitt Romney. Voters think poorly of the leading candidates. Half don’t think Fred Thompson has strong religious beliefs, and 68 percent don’t think Rudy Giuliani does (fewer than 20 percent said that either Thompson or Giuliani was a strong believer). As for the current top Democrat, 74 percent - three in four voters - said they don’t believe Hillary Clinton has strong religious beliefs.
But the good news for Clinton is that Democrats are much less likely than Republicans to say sharing a candidate’s beliefs is important to their vote. Just 42 percent of Democratic primary voters say it is, compared with 66 percent of Republican primary voters. Two-thirds of conservatives care, compare with just one-third of liberals. Protestants care more than Catholics. But 66 percent of African-Americans, who are overwhelmingly Democratic, want their candidate to share their religious beliefs.
How does religion affect voters? The faith that an individual is raised in may impact that person’s political beliefs and values. But some people move away from the faith of their childhood. In fact, in a 2006 CBS News Poll, although 30 percent of our respondents said they were raised as Catholics, just 20 percent said Catholicism was “their religious preference today.” Fifty-eight percent of all those interviewed in that 2006 poll said their personal faith had changed at some point in their lives.
Religion mattered in 1960: Catholics overwhelmingly supported the candidacy of John F. Kennedy. But what is different nowadays is how religion matters: In recent elections, churchgoing Catholics vote more like churchgoing Protestants than other Catholics.
The vast majority of Americans (91 percent) believe in God or a higher power, and 59 percent pray often. The same percentage (59 percent) says religion is very important in their daily lives.
And many take the religious word seriously. In 2006, only 15 percent said they read the Bible or another sacred religious text daily, but three times as many told us they agreed with the statement that “The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word.” Many Americans take the Bible literally when it comes to their belief - or lack of it - in the theory of evolution. Forty-four percent agreed with the statement that “God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.”
That poll, along with more recent ones, illustrates several splits between the religious and the non-religious, underscoring that today the intensity of one’s religious beliefs can be more important than what those beliefs may be. Observant and non-observant voters have distinctly different views, not just on topics related to religious beliefs (such as abortion or evolution), but also on current political issues, like evaluating President Bush and the war in Iraq.
But Americans - even those who care the most about their religion - still have secular concerns. Although 60 percent of white evangelicals say they could not vote for someone who disagrees with their positions on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, the top two issues they want to hear the candidates talk about this year are health care and the war in Iraq, the same issues that matter most to people who are less religious.
By Kathy Frankovic
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 171 Comments-- Aristotle, 343 B.C.
The Liberty Bell of Philadelphia rang out on July 8, 1776, proclaiming the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Inscribed on the Liberty Bell are the words and the citation from the Book of Leviticus 25:10 -
"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof - Lev. XXV:X".
The Bible was a part of colonial life, and the United States Constitution was written with a Christian culture in place. James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, recognized that we needed to govern ourselves by the Ten Commandments of God if we were to survive as a nation. We see this in our public life through the continuance in our oaths of office including the Presidency of the ending phrase, "So help me God."
This site describes the Christian heritage of our country, the United States of America.
Our historic documents were written with a Christian culture in place.
We have freedom and dignity as human beings because we are creatures of God.
The most common book found in American homes has always been and still is The Bible.
We need to trust in God and follow His way if we are to receive God''s blessing.
"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent."
"Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law."
"It is between fifty and sixty years since I read it [the Apocalypse], and I then considered it merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams."
"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear."
Secularism and atheism themselves became puritanical in the late twentieth century, as God, the Ten Commandments, the Bible, and school prayer were stamped out of public schools and American life. The result led to guns, *** education and the distribution of prophylactics in public schools, and subsequently violence, drug abuse, and loss of respect for one''s neighbor in American life, with near-destruction of the American family.
And Bush continues to go against the will of congress and the American people in both areas!
Hang in there, folks! In just over a year we will have swept this bunch of proto-fascists from office.
We live in a pluralisitc society and I don''t want any leader allowing their faith to supercede their Constitutional responsibilty to protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans. At the same time, it''s important to me to have a sense of what gives breath to the values of the people who will be protecting those freedoms and making the decisions that will effect us.
Dependence on hocus pocus is no substitute for rational and critical thinking and decision-making but
"tooth fairy beliefs" often instill ordinary men and women with extraordinary inspiration to do the right thing at the right time.
I can''t imagine a secular MLK, Anwar Sadat, Nelson Mandela,Cory Aquino,or Mahatma Ghandi responding with the same courageous risk-taking and decisiveness if they didn''t believe that they were being protected by a force greater than themselves.
That''s what I believe brings extraordinary leadership to bear on the kind of extraordinary challenges like the ones we currently face.
- GEORGE CARLIN
Don''t you just wonder which God it is that Dubya claims talks to every day? Every evangelistic right winger just gets off on his SAYING this...and yet they are so blind to what he is actually doing. As a person of faith, it is making me take a good hard look at those of piety.
And what God in the heavens above would say, Mr. Cheney, get a gun and go hunting this weekend? Or, Mr. Cheny, move Halliburton somewhere else, taxes here are gonna eat you up...it will take less money to bribe folks over in the middle east than to pay taxes here.
It is enough for me that someone says I have a belief system that allows me to have faith and hope in this wonderful country, and I will do the BEST to represent our people in honor and I will seek prosperity and good will for ALL! Then, first, tell us how they''re going to do it...and then go do it...
Our children need to learn about God, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments if we are going to preserve our Western culture.
We must support marriage and the traditional family.
We must preserve our freedom and our Bill of Rights if we are to enjoy our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
America needs to turn back to God and live in harmony with our Creator
I''m fed up with this Conservative Compassion, Moral Base and Christian Right.......frankly they''ve ruined our country. It''s okay to want morals but there are better ways to instill integrity within our nation......what the Republicans tried to accomplish in the last 7 years is a disaster! Wake up people!
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Posted by fibonacci
LMAO he must be warming up his bible about right now!
God Bless America,
Land that I love
Stand beside her,
And guide her,
Through the night
With the Light from above,
From the mountains,
To the prairies,
To the ocean,
White with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.
God bless America,
My home sweet home
"May God Almighty give our work His blessing, strengthen our purpose, and endow us with wisdom and the trust of our people, for we are fighting not for ourselves but for Germany."
-- Adolf Hitler, 1933 Berlin Speech
"I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews, I am doing the Lord''s work."
-- Adolf Hitler, 1938
"I swear by God this Holy Oath, that I will render to Adolf Hitler, Fuehrer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, unconditional obedience, and that I am ready, as a brave soldier, to risk my life at any time for this Oath."
-- German Military Oath of Allegience to Adolf Hitler, 1934
GOD WITH US = GOTT MIT UNS
http://www.nobeliefs.com/mementoes.htm
Hitler and the Church -
http://www.nobeliefs.com/nazis.htm
And what is perhaps even more significant, God equates the lying of church leaders%u2014the false prophets of Jeremiah%u2019s day, their adultery, and their encouragement of evil doers to be no different than the sins of those living in Sodom and Gomorrah.
The problem with today%u2019s church and political leaders is that they refuse to confess their own adulterous acts while condemning the most hated and reviled members of American society%u2014like poor Matthew Shepard%u2014heaping vile abuse and death upon others so the eyes of churchgoers are always directed away from themselves, insuring that others will always be the scapegoats.
--Sinclair Lewis, 1935
http://www.nobeliefs.com/mementoes.htm
I think we ought to focus more on preserving the world now instead. Religion divides it, that is hard to debate.
"Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all law-religions, or religions established by law." -- Thomas Paine
"Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?"
-- James Madison, 1785
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries." -- James Madison, 1803
au.org
This site describes the Christian heritage of our country, the United States of America.
Our historic documents were written with a Christian culture in place.
We have freedom and dignity as human beings because we are creatures of God.
The most common book found in American homes has always been and still is The Bible.
We need to trust in God and follow His way if we are to receive God''s blessing.
Jesus Christ is more relevant today than ever before! In a secular global community that has essentially reduced everyone to a number, Jesus through his Church and his Word seems to be the lone voice crying out for the dignity and freedom of each individual human being. We hope and pray that Jesus Christ will help us Save Our Nation.
The United States of America and Western Civilization were founded on the Biblical ethic, where society is in harmony with God our Creator.
You are over-simplifying things - don''t you see that? Look at the quotes here...these are real things that our founding fathers said. You are strongly influenced by your religion and I understand that, but I think one needs to take a more complicated world view if problems are to be solved.
Halloween is almost over folks, but it looks like at least one of them has exposed himself for what he really is...
I attend on of the so called mega churches some of you anti American anti God moderates and liberals hate so much and let me tell you in 2006 there wasn%u2019t much enthusiasm about voting, but after seeing Hillary and Obama offend us with their phony posturing and parading around people who have NO BUSINESS speaking God''s word, we are now more energized more than ever to get out the vote. I haven%u2019t done any volunteer work for the GOP since 92 - This year and next everybody I know is going to be working the phones and pounding the pavement!
Oh no, we''re scared now.
You''re correct that religion is often what divides the world but, in fairness, it''s often what also brings it together.
On October 11 a group of moderate Muslim clerics under the banner of the Muslim Global Community reached out to the Christian community with a letter sent to several faith communities here entitled, "A Common Word Between Us and You".
At a time when the political leaders refuse to sit down and even discuss a serious path to peace at least some elements of the religious community are still willing to break the ice and engage dialougue.
Whether or not it leads to anything fruitful remains to be seen, but the effort is there.
My faith teaches me, "Blessed are the peacemakers" and we need all the peacemakers we can get in this world.
Don''t let the extremists of any faith define that faith for you. Doing so gives them power they don''t deserve.
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Posted by sblake63
What has offended me Dear Christian is the actions of your dear CHRISTIAN president - what Obama and Hillary have talked about doesn''t compare to WHAT YOUR PRESIDENT has done - that is the problem with all you so-called Christian hypocrits - you see gay and then get all stirred up and then ignore the GRAVE CRIMES AND SINS your own administration has committed....
It''s easier to point fingers and preach hate then to look at you own rotten cores. That would be what President Bush has shown this country and I bet DROVES will come out to vote the Republicans right out of office....
Two of the most dangerous and destructine weapons of mass destruction mankind has ever created.
Countless millions of people have been murdered over the past few hundred years using one of these two dangerous books as an excuse....
66 percent...I condemn them for this. How dare they do this to us. This is a very real problem.
To suck up to the left, Bush is going to use recent improved security figures from Iraq to make the case for some unexpected troop reductions (probably early next summer). This will turn some minds (WEAK MINDS AT THAT LOL) off the war. I think we could have had a stronger president lol. But he''ll suck up to the mindless DROVES of anti war media brainwashed voters and start to wind down this war soon to retain the presidency under GOP control. Oh well it beats having some socialist democrat using MY money for somebody ELSES social problems.
Hillary is still hated my many, I think the democrats and making a big mistake for their side if she gets the nomination. Those of us who are old enough
To remember 1993 when Clinton stood before congress holding that %u201Cnational id card%u201D saying it would be used for universal health care etc etc, will come out
in DROVES to make sure his wife doesn%u2019t bring that nightmare to reality.
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Posted by sblake6
We are living the NIGHTMARE under Bush. It can''t get any worse than what he''s created....
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