The Question: John McCain's spiritual guide, televangelist Rod Parsley, calls Islam a "false religion" that should be "destroyed." Should McCain renounce Parsley? Will Islam be an issue in this year's U.S. presidential election?

Senator McCain should not have sought the endorsement of religious leaders like John Hagee and Rod Parsley, his “spiritual guide.” He should not only reject their extremist beliefs he should reject their endorsements. No candidate should seek, celebrate, or even accept endorsements from religious leaders.

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With the near certainty that a woman or an African American will be one of the major party nominees for president, America has come a long way in dealing with both sexism and racism. Religion can’t choose to address only one or the other, but should be working to end both, because even though we have evolved on both sexism and racism, neither is going away without a fight.

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The Question: How should Barack Obama have responded to inflammatory remarks made by his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright? Are you responsible for what your spiritual leader says from the pulpit?

Senator Barack Obama’s speech in Philadelphia Tuesday provided a model of civility not just for a sensitive handling of racial issues, but also for his handling of potentially divisive religious issues. He gave us an important reminder that we do not live in a static society. Senator Obama today reminded us that change is possible, that we can begin to bridge the racial and religious divides, but only if we all make the effort.

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Being asked to answer this question disappoints me. Given the severity of the challenges we face, including the potential divisiveness of the election in which we are currently involved, a theoretical debate about Jesus as a political candidate strikes me as of little, if any relevance, for comments on faith, Jesus, government, or politics.

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In a nation founded on the principles of freedom of belief, separation of religion and government, and no religious test for public office, the 2008 presidential campaign has been deeply infused with references to religion. The Interfaith Alliance has assembled, for your amusement and outrage a video compilation of the top ten moments—so far—in the campaign for “pastor in chief.”

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When Senator Obama delivered that speech in 2006, I said on State of Belief, The Interfaith Alliance Foundation’s radio program, that it was “the most impressive statement on faith and politics in recent memory and a refreshing departure from the self-righteous certainty of so many politicians.” But I am concerned if he and other candidates cross the line and allow religion to become part of their campaign strategy or appear to be applying religion to public policy.

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What the United Kingdom does about English law accommodating aspects of Islamic Sharia law is up to the people of the United Kingdom. However, had the Archbishop of Canterbury suggested such accommodation within America law, I would oppose that recommendation as strongly as I would any suggestion that American law accommodate the separate laws of any religion or denomination.

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Has this year’s presidential campaign become too religious you ask? Absolutely. Anyone watching the coverage of this election is likely to assume the candidates are running for pastor-in-chief instead of commander-in-chief. Though the presidential election is still more than 250 days away, the candidates are engaged in a knock-down drag-out fight, and religion is often used as a weapon in that fight.

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Like it or not, both the substance and style, personality and professional demeanor, of a religious leader influence both the public perception and actual institutional character of the organization led.

As a member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1980 to 1984, I watched a dramatic change of leadership in that giant evangelical body. As individuals steeped in and committed to the historic Baptist tradition were pushed aside by political-theological fundamentalists using fear, innuendo, and personal attacks to pave their way to power, virtually everything about that historic convention changed.

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In my capacity as president of The Interfaith Alliance, I have written Gov. Huckabee two letters recently asking that he reexamine his understanding of the Constitution and the responsibilities of the presidency.

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I will be honest, I had not planned on responding to this question. As a Christian, I don’t know that I am the best person to comment on “Jewish Identity.” However, after reading Arun Gandhi’s response to the question, I felt compelled to respond. Though Arun is a valued friend of many years with whom I have worked on bridging various divides, in this instance, I find myself in strong disagreement with him.

Having dedicated much of my life to promoting interfaith understanding and learning from Arun Gandhi how best to meet the challenges of that work, I was surprised both by the tenor and substance of his words related to “Jewish identity.”

Essential to understanding the corporate concept of Jewish identity as it exists among a variety of Jewish individuals is an accurate understanding of the meaning of the Holocaust among Jewish people, and the relationship between Jewish people and the Government of Israel. Never have I experienced or heard about the Jewish community using the Holocaust to impose a giant guilt-trip on anybody. Never have I assumed or been the subject of persuasion to believe that the government of Israel represents the views of Jewish people from around the world.

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The issue is not practicing political correctness but exhibiting religious integrity as responsible citizens in the nation that was founded and developed with appreciation for assuring religious liberty.

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Mitt Romney’s speech on Faith in America was both encouraging and disappointing. I appreciate the tone of his speech and the fact that he seriously addressed the issue of religious liberty. I commend him for clearly stating that religious tolerance is not reserved only for faiths with which we agree and for warning against imposing a religious test on any candidate for public office.

At the same time, I’m concerned with how much of the speech was designed as red-meat for conservative Christian voters. He equated the right to life movement with the struggle for civil rights and abolition. He warned of the secularist boogeyman who would take religion out of the public square. And he completely ignored the values, rights, and contributions of millions of non-religious Americans.

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As a minister in the Christian faith, I believe that the sin of adultery is no greater than other sins in the sight of God. A painstaking examination of the Bible’s specific teachings on adultery and grace has also led me to believe that to withhold grace and forgiveness from people guilty of adultery (or for persons guilty of adultery to withhold grace and forgiveness from themselves) constitutes a wrong equal in its severity to that of adulterer. As an active participant in interfaith work and inter-religious cooperation, however, I would not presume to suggest how leaders in other faith traditions should speak to this issue.

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Torture can never be justified. Torture violates all standards of civilization, morality, ethics, and religion. Even setting aside morality and religion, torture is illegal when measured by either American or international law. Not only does torture degrade the character of America, it increases the likelihood that American soldiers and civilians will be tortured. Besides all of that, torture doesn’t work.

Only tortured values and tortured logic can justify torture.

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The sacred scriptures of every faith tradition speak with unanimity on the value of children. Unfortunately, nine million children in the wealthiest nation in the world do not have health insurance. Of those nine million kids, almost 90 percent of them live in working households. This is a national tragedy.

While Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program have made great strides in covering our most vulnerable children, there is still much to be done. That is why I have signed onto the Healthy Child Campaign organized by the Children’s Defense Fund. That campaign has called on Congress to: ensure that all children and pregnant women have health coverage and access to timely health care; guarantee all children and pregnant women comprehensive and equal health benefits for all medically necessary services regardless of where they live; and simplify enrollment so it’s easy for all children to get and stay covered.

Access to basic medical care is a right, not a luxury. Children, especially, need health insurance as they grow and realize their God-given potential. Surely, this is an issue on which all people of faith and goodwill can come together in order to find a solution that will save lives and reaffirm the dignity of all our children. Anything less than that hardly can be called moral.

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An alliance between science and religion is good for both religion and science as well as for quality education, preservation of the earth, personal health, global health, and so much more. Indeed, any schism between science and religion has been the product of misunderstanding and/or contrived competition.

The proper relationship between science and religion is one of mutual respect, support, and cooperation. Science can be the source of discoveries that answer many of the prayers voiced by religious adherents through the years. However, both science and religion are hurt when they are confused with each other or when one interferes with the other. Though religion has nothing to fear from science, religious beliefs are often used to construct roadblocks to scientific advancement—an irresponsible act on the part of religion, a disservice to science and all who can benefit from it. Similarly, science has no need to disparage or seek to destroy religion.

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Certainly, I agree with the Dalai Lama’s statement that “All major religious traditions carry basically the same message: That is love, compassion and forgiveness.” But I trust also that he would agree that religions are not essentially the same, as some people like to say.

Most religious traditions hold many values in common and those values help us connect and work together. But each religion or set of beliefs expresses “love, compassion, and forgiveness” in very different ways.

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It is one thing to consider a candidate’s faith; it is quite another to exclude an entire faith from being considered for public office. I wrote Sen. John McCain a letter to tell him how deeply disappointed and disturbed I am by his recent statements about religion and politics and by his apparent misunderstanding of our history and of the Constitution he has taken an oath to defend.

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Like all religious people, you will do well to stay in touch with a variety of wise people who challenge you to remain true to the essence of your religious tradition lest you elevate your extreme personal-political convictions to a position superior to scriptures, oral traditions, and basic moral values.

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