Obama discusses faith with magazine¬Ý

In an interview with Christianity Today, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama cited several issues in which he believes his stances would be viewed favorably by evangelicals. This is the third interview the magazine has conducted with the 2008 presidential candidates.

’Ä¢ On reaching evangelicals: ’ÄúEvangelicals have come to believe oftentimes that Democrats are anti-faith. Part of my job in this campaign, something that I started doing well before this campaign, was to make sure I was showing up and reaching out and sharing my faith experience with people who share that faith.’Äù

’Ä¢ On abortion: ’ÄúI don’Äôt know anybody who is pro-abortion. I think it’Äôs very important to start with that premise. ... Our goal should be to make abortion less common, that we should discourage unwanted pregnancies and encourage adoption wherever possible... I think the state can legitimately say that we are prohibiting late-term abortions as long as there’Äôs an exception for the mother’Äôs health.’Äù

’Ä¢ On his faith: ’ÄúI am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful.’Äù

Obama also said he would examine President Bush’Äôs Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives. Sounding more like a Republican than the Republican President, Obama said of the office, ’ÄúYou know, what I’Äôd like to do is I’Äôd like to see how it’Äôs been operating. One of the things that I think churches have to be mindful of is that if the federal government starts paying the piper, then they get to call the tune. It can, over the long term, be an encroachment on religious freedom. So, I want to see how moneys have been allocated through that office before I make a firm commitment in terms of sustaining practices that may not have worked as well as they should have.’Äù ¬Ý

’Äì E.P. News