ProCon.org 2008 Election
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Should a candidate's religion matter to voters?

Candidates' positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have changed their positions are listed as Now their most recent position.
(Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by party; black & white photos indicate candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria.)

Democratic Party (D)
Candidate
Position
  Obama, Barack
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Biden, Joe
(Withdrew on
Jan. 3, 2008)
None Found
  Clinton, Hillary
(Suspended campaign
on June 7, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Dodd, Chris
(Withdrew on
Jan. 3, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Edwards, John
(Withdrew on
Jan. 30, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Kucinich, Dennis
(Withdrew on
Jan. 25, 2008)
Con
  Richardson, Bill
(Withdrew on
Jan. 10, 2008)
Con
  Vilsack, Tom
(Withdrew on
Feb. 23, 2007)
None Found
Republican Party (R)
Candidate
Position
  McCain, John
Pro
  Brownback, Sam
(Withdrew on
Oct. 19, 2007)
None Found
  Gilmore, Jim
(Withdrew on
July 14, 2007)
None Found
  Giuliani, Rudy
(Withdrew on
Jan. 30, 2008)
Con
  Huckabee, Mike
(Withdrew on
Mar. 4, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Hunter, Duncan
(Withdrew on
Jan. 19, 2008)
None Found
  Paul, Ron
(Withdrew on
June 12, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Romney, Mitt
(Withdrew on
Feb. 7, 2008)
Con
  Tancredo, Tom
(Withdrew on
Dec. 20, 2007)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Thompson, Fred
(Withdrew on
Jan. 22, 2008)
None Found
  Thompson, Tommy
(Withdrew on
Aug. 12, 2007)
None Found
3rd Parties / Independents (3rd/I)
Candidate
Position
 Baldwin, Chuck
 (Cst)
Pro
 Barr, Bob
 (Lib)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
 McKinney, Cynthia
 (Grn)
None Found
 Nader, Ralph
 (Ind)
None Found
  Gravel, Mike
(Withdrew on
May 27, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Imperato, Daniel
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008)
Pro
  Keyes, Alan
(No longer met criteria
on June 23, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  Kubby, Steve
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
  McEnulty, Frank
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008)
Con
  Smith, Christine
(No longer met criteria
on Mar. 21, 2008)
Not Clearly Pro or Con
Additional Resources:

  1. Should federal funds be given to faith-based (religious) organizations and initiatives? - We asked the 2008 presidential candidates this question. Read their pro and con responses.
  2. Should the words "under God" be in the Pledge of Allegiance? - See our website with 40+ questions and 150+ biographies related to this issue.
  3. Should public school-sponsored prayer be allowed? - Links to a pro-con question at ACLU ProCon.org.


ISSUES
Abortion
1. Legal option
2. Parental consent
Character
3. Honesty vs. competence
China
4. Threat to US?
5. Human rights

Criminal Justice
6. Felon voting
7. Rehab vs. incarceration
Cuba
8. Embargo
Darfur
9. Genocide

Death Penalty
10. Legal option

Defense
11. Missile defense shield

District of Columbia
12. Statehood

Economy
13. Outsourcing jobs
14. Free trade regulations
15. NAFTA

Education
16. No Child Left Behind
17. Increasing costs
18. School vouchers
19. Abstinence only

Election Reform
20. Paper trails
21. Campaign contributions
22. Public financing

Eminent Domain
23. Non-public use

Energy
24. ANWR drilling
25. Price of US gasoline

Environment
26. International agreements
27. Fuel efficiency
28. Global climate change

Gun Control
29. Federal regulations

Health Care
30. Subsidized care
31. Prescription options
32. Fast food and obesity

Immigration
33. Net impact on economy
34. Rights and benefits
35. US-Mexico fence

Iran
36. US military force

Iraq War
37. Was the attack a mistake?
38. Is America safer?
39. Withdrawal timetable

Israel
40. Military and economic aid

Israeli-Palestinian conflict
41. Hamas
42. Palestine

Kosovo
43. Independence

Marriage
44. Constitutional amendment
45. Infidelity

Media
46. Protecting sources

Medical Marijuana
47. Legalization
48. Raids

National ID
49. National ID card

National Service
50. Draft
51. Gays in the military
52. Mandatory service

Presidential Power
53. Line item veto
54. Unitary executive theory

Religion
55. Faith-based funding
56. Importance to voters

Social Security
57. Privatizing

Stem Cells
58. Federal funding

Taxes
59. Bush tax cuts

Turkey
60. Entering Iraq

US Constitution
61. Alteration

War on Terror
62. Waterboarding
63. Guantanamo Bay
64. PATRIOT Act
65. Warrantless wiretapping



Should a candidate's religion matter to voters?

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria are listed last.

   Pro (Yes)    Con (No)

   Baldwin, Chuck (Cst) - Pro

Chuck Baldwin, Founder and Minister of the Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL, issued the following statement through his Communications Director, Mary Starrett, in an Aug. 11, 2008 email to ProCon.org:

"Voters should have confidence that their President acknowledges the sovereignty of God."
Aug. 11, 2008 Chuck Baldwin


Top
         Barr, Bob (Lib) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Bob Barr, former US House Representative (R-GA), in a Dec. 24, 1999 article titled "Some Christmas Thoughts on Religion and Politics" on his US House of Representatives website, stated:

"Of course, advocates of a radically secular society conveniently forget the fact that it is impossible to establish a moral, ethical and effective government without a belief in God. Without some bedrock guiding principles, human behavior is simply shaped entirely by the circumstances of the moment, without clear or lasting concepts of right and wrong, or the order that comes only through such a system. The end result is that human social behavior in the absence of religious belief inevitably becomes less controlled and more harmful to others; which is, come to think of it, what we see happening in the world today."
Dec. 24, 1999 Bob Barr

Top
   McCain, John (R) - Pro

John McCain, US Senator (R-AZ), stated in an article titled "John McCain: Constitution Established a 'Christian Nation'" on the beliefnet website (accessed June 2, 2008):

Q:"Has the candidates� personal faith become too big an issue in the presidential race?

[John McCain]: Questions about that are very legitimate...And it's also appropriate for me at certain points in the conversation to say, look, that's sort of a private matter between me and my Creator...But I think the number one issue people should make [in the] selection of the President of the United States is, 'Will this person carry on in the Judeo Christian principled tradition that has made this nation the greatest experiment in the history of mankind?'"
June 2, 2008 John McCain


Top
 
    McKinney, Cynthia (Grn) - None Found
 
 
ProCon.org emailed the McKinney campaign on Mar. 26, 2008 with this question. We had not received a reply or found a position as of Apr. 11, 2008.
 


Top
 
    Nader, Ralph (Ind) - None Found
 
 
ProCon.org emailed the Nader campaign on Mar. 26, 2008 with this question. We had not received a reply or found a position as of Apr. 11, 2008.
 


Top
        Obama, Barack (D) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Barack Obama, US Senator (D-IL), in a June 23, 2007 speech titled "A Politics of Conscience" on his official candidate website, stated:

"...[D]oing the Lord's work is a thread that's run through our politics since the very beginning. And it puts the lie to the notion that the separation of church and state in America means faith should have no role in public life. Imagine Lincoln's Second Inaugural without its reference to 'the judgments of the Lord.' Or King's 'I Have a Dream' speech without its reference to 'all of God's children.' Or President Kennedy's Inaugural without the words, 'here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own.' At each of these junctures, by summoning a higher truth and embracing a universal faith, our leaders inspired ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things."
June 23, 2007 Barack Obama

CANDIDATES WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN OR WHO NO LONGER MEET OUR CRITERIA
 
   Biden, Joe (D) - None Found
 
 
No position found as of Dec. 19, 2007. ProCon.org also emailed the Biden campaign on Dec. 13, 2007 with this question. They did not respond to our email or follow up call.

 

Top
     Brownback, Sam (R) - None Found  
Withdrew on Oct. 19, 2007; no position found as of that date


Top
         Clinton, Hillary (D) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Hillary Clinton, US Senator (D-NY), stated in a Jan. 19, 2005 article titled "Remarks by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Ten Point National Leadership Foundation" on her US Senate website:

"People often ask me whether I'm a praying person, and I say I was lucky enough to be raised in a praying family...

So faith can provide that bedrock and it is important that we have the right debate in our country. It needs to be one carried out by people who understand what our objectives should be. We want to live together, we want to respect each other's beliefs, and that means respecting the faith of others and enabling people to live out their faith in the public square, and that means also providing services to people, so that we have a diversity of services available."
Jan. 19, 2005 Hillary Clinton


Top
     Dodd, Chris (D) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Chris Dodd, US Senator (D-CT), on Paula Zahn Now on June 4, 2007, stated:

"Zahn: You can't hit any campaign stop today without a politician talking about their faith. Do you feel the pressure to wear your faith on your sleeve?

Dodd: No, I don't. And I think that can be a mistake. If it's not natural, if it isn't something you do regularly, I think you ought to beware. If people sense this is somehow you're using the language because you think it's the political thing to do, it will hurt you, in my view. It has to be natural enough."
June 4, 2007 Chris Dodd


Top
     Edwards, John (D) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

John Edwards, former US Senator (D-NC), stated in a Sep. 30, 2004 FOXNews.com (Associated Press) article titled "Edwards: Religion Should Not Divide Voters":

"My faith is very important to me, and the same is true of John Kerry...

The two of us talk about our faith - with each other...Our faith is important to us and it's always been important to us, and people should know that...

I don't think that faith should be used to divide us."
Sep. 30, 2004 John Edwards


Top
     Gilmore, Jim (R) - None Found  
Withdrew on Aug. 14, 2007; no position found as of that date


Top
   Giuliani, Rudy (R) - Con

Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, in a Aug. 8, 2007 USA Today article titled "Giuliani Declines to Discuss His Religion," stated:

"[Faith is] a matter of individual conscience. I don't think there should be a religious test for public office."
Aug. 8, 2007 Rudy Giuliani


Top
       Gravel, Mike (Lib) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Mike Gravel, former US Senator (D-AK), issued the following statement through his press secretary, Alex Colvin, in a Nov. 9, 2007 email to ProCon.org:

"That is entirely up to the voter."
Nov. 9, 2007 Mike Gravel


Top
     Huckabee, Mike (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, stated in an article titled "Issues: Faith and Politics" on his official candidate website (accessed Nov. 30, 2007):

"My faith is my life - it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. For example, when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth. I don't separate my faith from my personal and professional lives.

Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own. It makes us less judgmental, as we see others with the same frailties we have. Faith gives us strength in the face of injustice and motivates us to do our best for 'the least of us.'

Our nation was birthed in a spirit of faith - not a prescriptive one telling us whether to believe, but one acknowledging that a providence pervades our world."
Nov. 30, 2007 Mike Huckabee


Top
     Hunter, Duncan (R) - None Found

No position found as of Nov. 28, 2007. ProCon.org also emailed the Hunter campaign on Nov. 9, 2007 with this question. They did not respond to our email or follow up call.
 

Top
   Imperato, Daniel (3rd/I) - Pro

Daniel Imperato, an Independent candidate and business entrepreneur, issued the following statement through his press secretary, Joseph Oddo, in a Nov. 30, 2007 email to ProCon.org:

"Yes, we need to defend the documents of democracy that founded our nation based on the Judeo-Christian values that influenced our Founders and set in motion a culture that provides for religious tolerance."
Nov. 30, 2007 Daniel Imperato


Top
         Keyes, Alan (Ind) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Alan Keyes, former Assistant US Secretary of State, stated in an Aug. 16, 2003 speech at the Roy Moore Rally held in Montgomery, AL:

"There might be states in which they require a religious test or oath of office. There might be states in which they have established churches, where subventions are given to schools and so forth to teach the Bible. There might be places where you and I might disagree with the religion some folks wanted to put in place over their communities. But guess what the Founders believed? They believed that people in their states and localities had the right to live under institutions they would put together to govern themselves according to their faith."
Aug. 16, 2003 Alan Keyes


Top
          Kubby, Steve (3rd/I) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Steve Kubby, a Libertarian candidate and founder of the American Medical Marijuana Association, stated in a Nov. 9, 2007 email to ProCon.org:

"Only tangentially. What's important is that a candidate be able to justify his policy proposals on grounds other than his religious beliefs. 'Separation of Church and State' does not dictate that politicians must have no religious convictions. It merely dictates that their political proposals be based on sound public policy grounds rather than on the highly debatable claim that 'God says so.' As you've probably noticed, most people seem to hear God saying whatever it is that they wanted him (or her, or them!) to say. In America, our framework of governance is dictated by the Constitution, not the Bible, the Q'uran or the Tao Te Ching. As president, I would be sworn to accept that framework, to offer policy proposals that fit within that framework, and to justify those proposals to my fellow Americans based on objective facts, not on my religious beliefs. And I would rigorously adhere to that oath."
Nov. 9, 2007 Steve Kubby


Top
   Kucinich, Dennis (D) - Con

Dennis Kucinich, US Representative (D-OH), stated in a question and answer segment titled "Is America Unofficially a Theorcracy?" on the 10questions.com website (accessed Jan. 3, 2008):

"In the United States Constitution, Article 6, it says 'No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.'

The founders understood that it was very dangerous to have any religion try to determine who the President of the United States should be and have any consesus of a religious nature that would help to form public opinion in such a way that the President would not be sympathetic to those of another faith or of no faith at all.
Jan. 3, 2008 Dennis Kucinich


Top
   McEnulty, Frank (3rd/I) - Con

Frank McEnulty, an Independent candidate and President of Our Castle Homes, in a Nov. 13, 2007 email to ProCon.org, stated:

"No, a candidate should be judged on his ideas and perceived ability to get the job done and nothing else. A candidate's religion or race shouldn't matter when it comes time to vote in any election."
Nov. 13, 2007 Frank McEnulty


Top
        Paul, Ron (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated in a Dec. 30, 2003 article titled "The War on Religion" on LewRockwell.com:

"Through perverse court decisions and years of cultural indoctrination, the elitist, secular Left has managed to convince many in our nation that religion must be driven from public view. The justification is always that someone, somewhere, might possibly be offended or feel uncomfortable living in the midst of a largely Christian society, so all must yield to the fragile sensibilities of the few. The ultimate goal of the anti-religious elites is to transform America into a completely secular nation, a nation that is legally and culturally biased against Christianity.

The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders' political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government's hostility to religion. The establishment clause of the First Amendment was simply intended to forbid the creation of an official state church like the Church of England, not to drive religion out of public life."
Dec. 30, 2003 Ron Paul


Top
   Richardson, Bill (D) - Con

Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, stated in the Aug. 19, 2007 Democratic Presidential Debate in Des Moines, IA:

"I pray. I'm a Roman Catholic. My sense of social justice, I believe, comes from being a Roman Catholic. But, in my judgment, prayer is personal. And how I pray and how any American prays, for what reason, is their own decision. And it should be respected. And so, in my view, I think it's important that we have faith, that we have values, but if I'm president, I'm not going to wear my religion on my sleeve and impose it on anybody."
Aug. 19, 2007 Bill Richardson


Top
   Romney, Mitt (R) - Con

Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated in a Dec. 6, 2007 speech titled "Romney's 'Faith in America' Address," at the George Bush Presidential Library:

"A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin."
Dec. 6, 2007 Mitt Romney


Top
         Smith, Christine (3rd/I) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Christine Smith, a Libertarian candidate and a social and political activist, stated in a Dec. 5, 2007 email to ProCon.org:

"Qualification to your question: This is not a policy question you are asking, but a personal opinion question: Thus, whether other voters should care or not is not something I can comment on- that is up them as to what they consider a priority when choosing who to vote for, and I cannot at all presume to say whether or not other voters should consider a candidate's religion. I can only answer as to whether it matters to me. I answer 'No' only for myself, because when I consider candidates I do not care about their religion, I care about their ability to uphold the US Constitution, to be a leader who has integrity. Other citizens may find one's religion of significance, but I do not."
Dec. 5, 2007 Christine Smith

Top
     Tancredo, Tom (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Tom Tancredo, US Representative (R-CO), stated at the Aug. 5, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in Des Moines, IA:

"I have no doubt of what the greatest mistake in my life has been. And that is that it took me probably 30 years before I realized that Jesus Christ is my personal savior."
Aug. 5, 2007 Tom Tancredo

Top
 
   Thompson, Fred (R) - None Found
 
 
No position found as of Nov. 29, 2007. ProCon.org also emailed the Thompson campaign on Nov. 9, 2007 with this question. They did not respond to our email or follow up call.

 

Top
     Thompson, Tommy (R) - None Found  
Withdrew on Sep. 12, 2007; no position found as of that date


Top
     Vilsack, Tom (D) - None Found  
Withdrew on Feb. 23, 2007; no position found as of that date