Faith Forum

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) — Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain differed sharply on abortion Saturday, with McCain saying a baby's human rights begin "at conception," while Obama restated his support for legalized abortion. Obama said he would limit abortions in the late stages of pregnancy if there are exceptions for the mother's health. He said he knew that people who consider themselves pro-life will find his stance "inadequate." He said the government should do more to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to help struggling new mothers, such as providing needed resources to the poor, and better adoption services. McCain expressed his anti-abortion stand simply and quickly, saying human rights begin the instant a human egg is fertilized. McCain, who adopted a daughter from Bangladesh, also called for making adoption easier.

Obama said America's greatest moral failure is its insufficient help to the disadvantaged. He noted that the Bible quotes Jesus as saying "whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me." He said the maxim should apply to victims of poverty, sexism and racism. McCain said the nation's greatest moral shortcoming is its failure to "devote ourselves to causes greater than our self-interests." Both men said marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Obama added that he supports civil unions for gay partners, which would give them rights such as hospital visits with one another. He said he opposed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, calling the matter a state issue. McCain's answer was less clear. If a federal court ordered his state, Arizona, to honor gay marriages allowed in Massachusetts, he said, "then I would favor a constitutional amendment. Until then, I believe the states should make the decisions within their own states."

In several cases, Obama gave a Christian interpretation to his generally liberal political views. He said he is redeemed by Jesus, who died for his sins. McCain tended to give shorter, less complex answers, winning somewhat more applause than Obama from the large, evangelical church's audience.

Politics

WASHINGTON - The winner of the McCain-Obama showdown in November may have the task of replacing two or three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices John Paul Stevens, 88, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, are considered likely to retire from the court within the next four years. Justice David Souter, 68, is reported to be eager to return to his New Hampshire home. The recent Supreme Court ruling that detainees at Guantanamo Bay may not be held indefinitely without court review illustrates the presidential candidates' different philosophies on national security and terrorism. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, called the ruling "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country." Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, praised it as "an important step toward re-establishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law." The case represents just one of the issues swirling around campaign discussions about the direction of the Supreme Court. Other differences include questions of corporate conduct and the emotionally charged right to abortion as defined by the 1973 case Roe vs. Wade.

President Bush and Congress have settled their differences on terrorist surveillance and Iraq war money. Now attention turns to a potential housing rescue, probably the last major initiative with any chance of passing before lawmakers scatter to campaign for re-election. Bush has threatened a veto. But lawmakers in both parties say the housing legislation is a political imperative, and negotiators see the makings of a summertime bargain. For one, the measure contains elements that Bush long has demanded. They include modernizing the Depression-era Federal Housing Administration and creating a new regulator for the government-sponsored mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Then there is the political reality for the president: Many Republicans are facing a darkening re-election outlook amid tough economic times and are reluctant to oppose a measure intended to address the crux of the financial crisis.

Political Correctness vs. Christianity

TORONTO — After four months of controversy over the roles of religion and the state, the government of Ontario has compromised by keeping the Lord's Prayer in the provincial legislature — and adding invocations from other faiths. Members of the legislature voted unanimously to retain the daily opening recitation of the Lord's Prayer, but starting Monday the prayer was joined in rotation with eight new prayers from other faiths, and a moment of silence to appease non-believers. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Sikh, First Nations (indigenous) and non-denominational prayers will alternate, along with a moment of silent reflection. More than 25,000 Ontarians wrote the premier with letters, e-mails and petitions; about 90% were opposed to the change. Many cited a need to keep the province's Christian heritage intact.

• JJ Commentary: Amazing, isn’t it, how government thwarts Christianity despite the people’s preferences. A clear sign of the end-times.

McCain and Hagee Break Up

UNION CITY, California (AP) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain has rejected the endorsement of an influential Texas televangelist criticized for his anti-Catholic views. John Hagee, the Texas preacher, withdrew his endorsement at the same time. McCain issued a statement after audio surfaced in which Hagee said God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain said in a statement: "Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well."

Two-Face, Forked-Tongue Politicians

Just about a year and a half ago, Sen. John McCain went to court to try to curtail the influence of a group to which A. Jerrold Perenchio gave $9 million, saying it was trying to "evade and violate" new campaign laws with voter ads ahead of the midterm elections. As McCain launches his own presidential campaign, however, he is counting on Perenchio, the founder of the Univision Spanish-language media empire, to raise millions of dollars as co-chairman of the Arizona Republican's national finance committee.In his early efforts to secure the support of the Republican establishment he has frequently bucked, McCain has embraced some of the same political-money figures, forces and tactics he pilloried during a 15-year crusade to reduce the influence of big donors, fundraisers and lobbyists in elections. That includes enlisting the support of Washington lobbyists as well as key players in the fundraising machine that helped President Bush defeat McCain in the 2000 Republican primaries.

• JJ Commentary: Yet another two-faced, forked-tongue politician who says one thing and does another.

Constitution Party

As Hillary Clinton begins her own preparations to run for the presidency, the deciding factor of who will be the next commander in chief may have less to do with whomever is chosen as the Democrat or Republican nominee, and more to do with the choice of the Constitution Party. This weekend at a national committee meeting in Manchester, N.H., Howard Phillips and the Constitution Party he founded set in motion the plans to launch its own third party candidate for president. "The time has never been better for a third party dark horse candidate to grab the White House," Phillips said.

He affirmed that by next July, his party intends to nominate a presidential candidate, with possibilities for the ticket including Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist, former Republican presidential candi-date Alan Keyes, Baptist pastor Chuck Baldwin, and author and WND columnist Jerome Corsi. The Constitution Party is also strongly supportive of Republican Congressmen Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul, but there is no decision yet that either would leave their home in the Republican Party to pursue a Con-stitution Party nomination. Tancredo has said numerous times he is considering a run for the presidency.

The “Seven Principles” of the Constitution Party are:
1) Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;
2) Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;
3) Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;
4) Property: Each individual's right to own and steward personal property without government burden;
5) Constitution: and Bill of Rights in-terpreted according to the actual intent of the Founding Fathers;
6) States' Rights: Everything not spe-cifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government is reserved for the state and local juris-dictions;
7) American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense of Americans, and not entangled in foreign alliances

• JJ Commentary: The Constitution Party’s stated objectives are to “restore our government to its Con-stitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations.” The two-party system is broken. Both are immersed in special interests and big government. Biblical values are set aside for political expedi-ency. We will be starting a local chapter of the Constitution Party soon