Obama, Clinton take on tough faith questions at Compassion Forum

Published: 2008-04-14

GRANTHAM, Pa. (CNS) -- The two Democratic senators seeking their party's nomination for president sought to define themselves in terms of their religious faith in an April 13 forum at Messiah College in Grantham that was broadcast live on CNN. Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York talked about the role of faith in their lives, about the place they think religion should hold in civil society, about their beliefs on when life begins and how that influences their political stances on abortion and end-of-life care. The Compassion Forum, held at an evangelical liberal arts college in a state holding its Democratic presidential primary April 22, marked a significant shift in the way Democratic candidates are willing to talk about religion. "This wouldn't have happened even a couple of years ago," said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., after the forum. Both candidates have been fairly open about the influence of religious faith in their lives, Casey told Catholic News Service. "I think this was a very important forum for the country and for the Democratic Party," Casey said.

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