Religion in the Upcoming VP Debate
At the Washington Post's On Faith sites, panelists are responding to the question: "Vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will debate this week. What would you ask them about their religious beliefs and why?" Some of these folks would be darned tough debate moderators:
Susan Jacoby asks, among other things:
You have both said that your religions teach--and you believe--that life begins at the moment of conception. Why do you, Gov. Palin, think that your personal beliefs should set the legal standard for Americans who do not share them? Why do you, Sen. Biden, draw a distinction between what your faith tells you and the legal standards your government should set for others?Cal Thomas:
My question for both of them would be: "How does your faith influence, even mandate, your positions? Senator Biden, do you believe it is mainly up to government to follow the principles in Matthew 25 to ":do unto the least of these," or is that primarily a command for the church? And Governor Palin, how do the "end times" described in the books of Daniel and Revelation, among others, influence your view of the Middle East, of Russia and your own worldview and which policy matters might be influenced by your conservative Christian beliefs?Because Governor Palin's religious background has been the subject of interest and controversy, I would not be surprised to hear a question, or an answer, pointing in that direction. Still, a candidate's religious beliefs are irrelevant. How their beliefs and values shape their public policy positions is the only context in which religion is appropriately considered. For the most part, panelists in this online discussion seem to agree with the importance of that fundamental restraint. Let's hope the debate moderator does as well.