What does John McCain believe?

Since the last time I weighed in with my personal support for Mike Huckabee for President, a lot has happened!

Guliani and Romney have both pulled out the race and it appears certain that John McCain will be the Republican nominee for President.

When asked about John McCain, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family said, “Speaking as a private individual, I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances.”

I’ve been searching for comments from John McCain about his personal beliefs, and it’s difficult to find substantial evidence of his faith. Although I didn’t read his entire biography, "Faith of our Fathers," I read sections of it and it appears it could have been correctly entitled, “Faith IN our Fathers” because it’s mostly about the military experiences of his father and grandfather who were both Admirals.

There are some scary statements he has made about moral issues. For instance when asked about gay marriage, McCain responded in an interview, “I think, uh, I think that gay marriage should be allowed if there's a ceremony kind of thing, if you wanna call it that. I don't have any problem with that.” Ouch!

On the other hand, there are some positive hints about his faith. He was raised in the Episcopal Church, but since his marriage to his second wife, Cindy, has attended North Phoenix Baptist Church. He indicated on the video link below that he has recently spoken to Pastor Yeary about being baptized, but has decided NOT to be baptized during the campaign because it might appear to be grandstanding.

During his five years as a POW in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” he was elected chaplain by his fellow inmates. Again, if you watch the video below he humbly dismisses that role citing that he was selected because he had received more religious training than the other POWs.

In an interview with Beliefnet, John McCain responded to a question about whether he would prefer the President to be a Christian: “I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith." When asked if America was a Christian nation he said, "I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."

There is no doubt that McCain is an American hero and the most qualified to serve as Commander-in-Chief. However, I'm still not sure about the depth of his faith. On one of the videos he speaks about reading the Christmas story from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John during Christmas time in the prison. Most folks with a passing knowledge of the New Testament know that only Matthew and Luke have a Christmas story. Hmmm.

If you want to learn more about John McCain’s faith click on the link below and watch the video interviews on Beliefnet.

I’d like your comments on these questions:

What do you know about John McCain’s faith (or lack thereof)?

Can John McCain defeat Obama or Hillary in November?

How would you like to see a McCain/Huckabee ticket?

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/220/story_22001_1.html

comments? email david@mail.gabc.org

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??

WARNING: This blog is strong and politically incorrect.

As if we needed any more proof that radical Islam is morally bankrupt according to every standard of human decency – last week al-Qaida strapped explosives on two Iraqi women with Downs Syndrome and detonated the bombs in two different pet bazaars in Baghdad. Estimates are that 73 Iraqi citizens were killed in the explosions.

To use unwitting suicide bombers is an act so wicked that it boggles my mind. Some military experts surmise that this proves that al-Qaida is running out of able-bodied men and are becoming more and more desperate. To me, it just proves that the men behind this act deserve a fate worst than having explosives strapped to them and having someone else push the plunger. By their martyrdom, these extremists expect to enjoy paradise with 70 virgins – instead I believe they’ll find themselves dancing with demons.

Where is the outrage in Washington? The only quote I read related to this event was Condoleezza Rice saying, “the bombings prove al-Qaida is the most brutal and bankrupt of movements and will strengthen Iraqi resolve to reject terrorism.”

And still, there are some liberal Washington politicians who propose that we can simply go over and sit down with these lunatics over a cup of strong coffee and discuss an immediate withdrawal from their country.

To me, this is exactly the reason we’re fighting in Iraq. NOT for oil, NOT for revenge, but to prevent this kind of brutal behavior directed toward tens of thousands of innocent citizens living in the Middle East. And if we weren’t confronting them there, we would probably be confronting them in the streets of America.

DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS?