Topics in the News: Faith-Based Organizations
Herman Cain on Principles & Values
: Oct 4, 2011
Survived cancer by relying on his wife & their faith
I can deal with stuff if I know it. But when its thrown at you as a surprise, it's a SHOCK.We were getting into our car--the surgeon's office was only 5 minutes from where we live--and
[In 2006, my wife] Gloria and I were shocked coming out of the surgeon's office [after being told of liver cancer and colon cancer]. I'll never forget it. That was the first time that I was emotionally shaken.
Gloria corrected me.
I drove us home and we prayed and then I said, "We'll figure out what we need to do."
Gloria asked me, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Do you need me to drive?" she asked.
"No, I can drive." Then I said, "This is a true test of my faith."
"Our faith,"
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Source: My Journey to the White House, by Herman Cain, p. 93-96
Ron Paul on Principles & Values
: Jun 13, 2011
Congress should never prohibit Christian faith in public
Q: What is your definition of the separation of church & state?PAWLENTY: The protections between the separation of church & state were designed to protect people of faith from government, not government from people of faith.
Q: How will that affect
your decision-making?
SANTORUM: I approach issues using faith and reason. And if your faith is pure and your reason is right, they'll end up in the same place.
Q: Does faith have a role in public issues?
PAUL: I think faith has something to do with
the character of the people that represent us, and law should have a moral fiber to it and our leaders should. We shouldn't expect us to try to change morality. You can't teach people how to be moral. But the Constitution addresses this by saying--
literally, it says no theocracy. But it doesn't talk about church & state. The most important thing is the First Amendment. Congress shall write no laws--which means Congress should never prohibit the expression of your Christian faith in a public place.
Click for Ron Paul on other issues.
Source: 2011 GOP primary debate in Manchester NH
Rick Santorum on Principles & Values
: Jun 13, 2011
Govern via both faith & reason
Q: I'm wondering what your definition of the separation of church and state is?PAWLENTY: Well, the protections between the separation of church and state were designed to protect people of faith from government, not government from people of faith.
Q: How will that affect your decision-making?
SANTORUM: I'm someone who believes that you approach issues using faith and reason. And if your faith is pure and your reason is right, they'll end up in the same place. I think the key to the success of
this country, how we all live together, is because we are a very diverse country. We allow everybody, people of faith and no faith, to come in and make their claims in the public square, to be heard, have those arguments, and not to say because you're no
a person of faith, you need to stay out, because you have strong faith convictions, your opinion is invalid. Just the opposite--we get along because we know that we--all of our ideas are allowed in and tolerated. That's what makes America work.
Click for Rick Santorum on other issues.
Source: 2011 GOP primary debate in Manchester NH
Herman Cain on Civil Rights
: Mar 21, 2011
Denied college admission due to race; but never lost faith
In Cain's telling, he was denied admission to the University of Georgia based on his race, even though he ranked second in his high school class. Rather than show righteous anger and indignation at how his basic life chances were threatened by the
illogic of white supremacy, Herman Cain "never lost faith in America" and oddly "found inspiration in the experience" as it reinforced the values his parents had instilled in him.
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Source: Chauncey De Vega, Salon.com, "Apologist for White Racism"
Sarah Palin on Civil Rights
: Nov 23, 2010
America follows faith in how we treat special needs kids
What our culture does when it translates religious values into secular terms and applies them to useful ends isn't about brainwashing or converting--quite the opposite. It's a way of conferring a rich moral heritage while respecting everyone's religious
freedom.All the great religions call on us to follow the Golden Rule: to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. One of the best ways America follows this faith in a secular way is in the treatment we give to individuals with special
needs. Without so much as mentioning religion, we strive to treat these most vulnerable members of our society the way we ourselves would like to be treated.
We could always do more, but America says a lot about itself in the way we support these
amazing families. Not just with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, but in our private lives; in countless individual gestures in countless communities, our faith-rooted values are put to work to help special kids and adults.
Click for Sarah Palin on other issues.
Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 240-241
Mitt Romney on Welfare & Poverty
: Nov 23, 2010
My faith would inform my presidency
Kennedy's famous speech [on Catholicism in 1960] is actually quite different from the way it is often described. Instead of reconciling his religious identity with his role in public life, Kennedy entirely separated the two. In the 2008
Republican primary, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's Mormon faith was likewise perceived as an issue by some voters. Claiming that many would be reluctant to pull the lever for a person of his beliefs, some pundits and political advisors urged him
to "do a JFK." Just give a speech, they told him, and reassure voters that your faith will have nothing to do with your presidency. Instead, he gave a thoughtful speech that eloquently and correctly described the role of faith in American public life.
Unlike JFK, Romney declared that our religious liberty is "fundamental to America's greatness." And he spoke openly of "how my faith would inform my presidency, if elected."
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Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p.184-185
Sarah Palin on Government Reform
: Oct 1, 2008
No state-mandated religion, but public faith is ok
Q: Thomas Jefferson wrote about the First Amendment, building a wall of separation between church and state. Why do you think that’s so important? A: His intention in expressing that was so that government did not mandate a religion on people.
And Thomas Jefferson also said never underestimate the wisdom of the people. And the wisdom of the people,
I think in this issue is that people have the right and the ability and the desire to express their own religious views, be it a very personal level, which is why
I choose to express my faith, or in a more public forum. And the wisdom of the people, thankfully, engrained in the foundation of our country, is so extremely important. And Thomas Jefferson wanted to protect that.
Click for Sarah Palin on other issues.
Source: 2008 CBS News presidential interview with Katie Couric
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Aug 27, 2008
Have faith in God, in our country, and in each other
We are Americans. We’re not big on quitting. But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president. We don’t have a moment to lose or a vote to spare. Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of
our children hang in the balance. I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.
We’ve got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope. That is our duty, to build that bright future,
and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great--and no ceiling too high--for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Barack Obama on Principles & Values
: Apr 16, 2008
I am a person of faith; and I reach out to people of faith
CLINTON: [about Obama’s comment that people in small towns get bitter and they cling to guns & religion]: I think that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of faith in times that are good and times that are bad. And I similarly don’t think that
people cling to their traditions, like hunting and guns, when they are frustrated with the government. I just don’t believe that’s how people live their lives.OBAMA: Hillary has been saying I’m elitist, out of touch, condescending. Let me be absolutely
clear. It would be pretty hard for me to be condescending towards people of faith, since I’m a person of faith and have done more than most other campaigns in reaching out specifically to people of faith, and have written about how Democrats make an error
when they don’t show up and speak directly to people’s faith. The same is true with respect to gun owners. I have large numbers of sportsmen and gun owners in my home state, and they have supported me precisely because I have listened to them.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Apr 16, 2008
Faith is not just something to cling to in hard times
Q: [to Obama]: You said people in small towns get bitter, and they cling to guns & religion. Now, you’ve said you misspoke?OBAMA: I meant: People are going through very difficult times right now. When people feel like Washington’s not listening to
them, then politically they end up focusing on those things that are constant, like religion. They end up being much more concerned about votes around things like guns, where traditions have been passed on.
CLINTON: I am the granddaughter of a factory
worker from the Scranton lace mills, who was also very active in the Court Street Methodist Church. I don’t believe that my grandfather clung to religion when Washington is not listening to them. I think that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the
role of faith in times that are good and times that are bad. And I similarly don’t think that people cling to their traditions, like hunting and guns, when they are frustrated with the government. I just don’t believe that’s how people live their lives.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary
Barack Obama on Education
: Apr 13, 2008
Evolution & science aren’t incompatible with Christian faith
Q: If one of your daughters asked you, “Daddy, did God really create the world in 6 days?” What would you say?A: What I believe is that God created the universe, and that the 6 days in the Bible may not be 6 days as we understand it. My belief is that
the story that the Bible tells about God creating this magnificent Earth, that is fundamentally true. Now whether it happened exactly as we might understand it reading the text of the Bible, that I don’t presume to know. But one last point--I do believe
in evolution. I don’t think that is incompatible with Christian faith. Just as I don’t think science generally is incompatible with Christian faith. There are those who suggest that if you have a scientific bent of mind, then somehow you should reject
religion. And I fundamentally disagree with that. In fact, the more I learn about the world, the more I know about science, the more I’m amazed about the mystery of this planet and this universe. And it strengthens my faith as opposed to weakens it.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Apr 13, 2008
Faith sustains us in bitter times; faith isn’t bitterness
Q: You have written of how faith sustained you in bitter times, as have many people of faith. A: I believe people are people of faith because it is part of their whole being; it is what gives them meaning in life, through good times and bad times.
It is there as a spur, an anchor, to center one in the storms, but also to guide one forward in the day-to-day living that is part of everyone’s journey.
Q: You have been extremely critical of Senator Obama’s recent comments in which he argued that som
economically hard-pressed Americans have “gotten bitter and cling to guns or religion.”
A: Well, he will have to speak for himself. Those comments do seem elitist, out of touch and, frankly, patronizing. That has nothing to do with him being a good man
or a man of faith. We had two very good men and men of faith run for president in 2000 and 2004. But large segments of the electorate concluded that they did not really understand or relate to or frankly respect their ways of life.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College
Barack Obama on Welfare & Poverty
: Apr 13, 2008
Cut poverty in half in 10 years, with faith-based help
Q: In the faith community, we want a new commitment around a measurable goal, something like cutting poverty in half in 10 years. Would you commit to such a goal?A: I absolutely will make that commitment. I make that commitment with humility because
we’ve got a lot of work to do economically in this country to bring about a more just and fair economy. It starts with recognizing the wages for average families have gone down during the most recent economic expansion. That’s never happened before.
We’ve got to shore up the mortgage market. We’re going to have to change our tax code. It is a moral imperative to provide health care to every single American. And invest in early childhood education. Many of these can be part of faith-based initiatives
I want to keep the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives open, but I want to make sure that its mission is clear. Faith-based initiatives should be targeted specifically at the issue of poverty and how to lift people up.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Feb 21, 2008
Called by my faith & upbringing to serve others at young age
I resolved at a very young age that I’d been blessed and called by my faith and by my upbringing to do what I could to give others the same opportunities and blessings that I took for granted. That’s what gets me up in the morning. That’s what motivates
me in this campaign. I am honored to be here with Obama. I am absolutely honored. Whatever happens, we’re going to be fine. We have strong support from our families & our friends. I hope that we’ll be able to say the same thing about the American people.
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Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Newt Gingrich on Crime
: Dec 18, 2007
Supports Prison Fellowship InnerChange Freedom Initiative
The Prison Fellowship program creates a faith-based center of commitment and activity aimed at changing the prisoner's outlook on life. Its results have been impressive. The graduates of Prison Fellowship's InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) in
Texas found that they were two times less likely to be rearrested.You don't have to believe in the power of faith to appreciate the benefits
IFI provides to the community: fewer victims, safer neighborhoods, reduced court cases, and fewer prisoners.
Many government officials find a faith-based solution unacceptable. They would rather have people commit more crimes and do more prison time than risk changing their lives with a faith-based approach.
Click for Newt Gingrich on other issues.
Source: Real Change, by Newt Gingrich, p.214-216
Mitt Romney on Principles & Values
: Dec 16, 2007
Ok to appoint atheists or agnostics--no litmus test of faith
Q: If you determined that the most qualified person for the Supreme Court or for attorney general or secretary of education happened to be an atheist or an agnostic, would that prevent you from appointing them?A: Of course not.
You look at individuals based upon their skills and their ability, their values, their intelligence. And there are many who are agnostic or atheist or who have very different beliefs about the nature of the divine than
I do, and, and you evaluate them based on their skills. But I can tell you that I myself am a person of faith and respect the sense of the common bond of humanity that comes from that fundamental belief.
Q:
But there’d be no litmus test?
A: No, no. There’s no litmus test of that nature.
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Source: Meet the Press: 2007 “Meet the Candidates” series
Hillary Clinton on Welfare & Poverty
: Dec 1, 2007
Partner with faith based community in empowerment zones
Q: What leadership would you take to ensure that young people and Latino and Black communities not only have access to capital but to ensure that economic development is more inclusive of black and brown youth?A: In New York City we have seen the
transformation of Harlem from a combination of government action creating an empowerment zone, the private sector coming in to take advantage of that and an explosion of entrepreneurial dynamism. We’ve also seen the faith based community like
Abyssinians & others that have been partners with it and of course we’ve seen a lot of hip hop participants and leaders taking advantage of that. So we need this partnership. We need this partnership between the public and private sector and the
not-for-profit and faith-based sector. And we need to make sure that young people have a particular stake in what we are going to present. That’s what I’ve worked on in NYC and in upstate NY and I intend to put that to work when I’m president.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum
Ron Paul on Welfare & Poverty
: Oct 25, 2007
Bush’s faith-based initiative is “a neocon project”
In a 2003 statement, Paul derisively labeled Pres. Bush’s faith-based initiative “a neocon project” that “repackages and expands the liberal notion of welfare.” In 2001, he proposed legislation to “amend” the faith-based initiative by offering a tax
credit for private donations to faith-based organizations that provide social services. “Churches should not become entangled with government subsidies and programs because truly independent religious institutions are critical to a free society,” he said
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Source: The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Joe Biden on Welfare & Poverty
: Oct 25, 2007
No faith-based initiative; it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it
Biden expressed reservations about President Bush’s faith-based initiative in 2001, commenting, “They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and I’m not sure we’re not going to break something that’s already fixed.” In 2004, Biden co-sponsored the
Second Chance Act; the bill, which still hasn’t passed in the Senate, would, among other things, provide $15 million in federal grants to community and faith-based groups that help former prison inmates.
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Source: The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Ron Paul on Homeland Security
: Sep 17, 2007
Protect military chaplains’ right to pray in preferred faith
Q: I’m a former Navy chaplain who was punished for praying in Jesus’ name, 1 of 68 chaplains now suing the Secretary of the Navy. Would you sign an executive order to protect a military chaplain’s right to pray according to the dictates of his conscience
--and enforce the law that’s been on the books since 1860--to protect military chaplain’s right to pray according to their faith?- HUCKABEE: Yes.
- TANCREDO: Yes.
- COX: Yes.
- BROWNBACK: Yes.
- PAUL: Yes.
- HUNTER: Yes.
- KEYES: Yes.
Click for Ron Paul on other issues.
Source: [Xref Keyes] 2007 GOP Values Voter Presidential Debate
Barack Obama on Principles & Values
: Sep 13, 2007
Reach out to faith community;faith has role in public square
Q: We’ve heard a lot of talk about Democrats courting the Christian evangelical vote. But there are no commandments saying do not rape, do not torture, or do not commit incest.A: Yes, there are some inconsistencies and hypocrisy of people who mix
religion and politics sometimes. I have said it’s important for Democrats to reach out to the faith community, and the reason is because 90% of Americans believe in God. It’s a source of values. It’s a source of their moral compass.
And I know it’s a source of strength for me and my family. I think it’s important for us not to presume that faith has no part in the public square. Look at Martin Luther King, the abolitionists, the suffragettes.
We have a long history of reform movements being grounded in that sense often religiously expressed that we have to extend beyond ourselves and our individual immediate self-interests to think about something larger.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Huffington Post Mash-Up: 2007 Democratic on-line debate
Mitt Romney on Principles & Values
: Aug 31, 2007
Americans want person of faith as president, whatever brand
One by one the other presidential campaigns have committed “accidental” attacks on Romney’s religion. The presidential candidates were all quick to apologize for the actions of their campaign workers. In each case the candidates expressed regret and
disappointment as they disavowed any attacks on religion. All stressed that they disavowed any attacks on religion. All stressed that they wanted to run a clean campaign that would not tolerate bigotry.Gov. Romney accepted the apologies, saying,
“Clearly, any derogatory comments about anyone’s faith--those comments are troubling. The fact they keep on coming up is even more troubling.”
It’s not all negative, however. At an early campaign stop a man in the audience challenged Romney directly,
telling him that he would surely go to hell. The crowd groaned, then booed the man. Romney responded with what has become his signature comment on religion. “I believe Americans want a person of faith to lead the country. It doesn’t matter what brand.”
Click for Mitt Romney on other issues.
Source: The Man, His Values, & His Vision, p. 93-95
Barack Obama on Principles & Values
: Aug 26, 2007
Active in the Trinity faith community
Obama has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, a Protestant Church in Chicago, for over 20 years. He, his wife Michelle & his daughters are active in the Trinity faith community.Obama’s faith shapes his values, as it does for millions of
Americans. As he said in a recent speech on faith and politics:
Our values should express themselves not just through our churches or synagogues, temples or mosques; they should express themselves through our government.
Because whether it’s poverty or racism, the uninsured or the unemployed, war or peace, the challenges we face today are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten-point plan. They are moral problems, rooted in both societal indifference
and individual callousness--in the imperfections of man. And so long as we’re not doing everything in our personal and collective power to solve them, we know the conscience of our nation cannot rest.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Campaign website, BarackObama.com, “Resource Flyers”
Barack Obama on Welfare & Poverty
: Aug 26, 2007
Engages people of faith on all aspects of his public service
Obama has a record of engaging people of faith on all aspects of his public service. His first job out of college was bringing churches together to help address the poorest Chicago neighborhoods’ pressing problems. After Hurricane Katrina,
Obama united relief organizations and churches to discuss rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Obama also passed legislation that saved tithing from bankruptcy courts. In June of 2006, Obama delivered what a Washington Post columnist called perhaps the most
important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own Christian faith and the need for a deeper, more substantive conversation about the role of faith in
American life.
In December of 2006, Obama joined Pastor Rick Warren to discuss moral leadership and Global AIDS. And in June of 2007, Obama challenged Americans to come together around a ‘Politics of Conscience’ to move our nation forward.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Campaign website, BarackObama.com, “Resource Flyers”
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Aug 19, 2007
I believe in prayer; I’m dependent on my faith
Q: Do you believe that, through the power of prayer, disasters like Hurricane Katrina could have been prevented or lessened?A: I don’t pretend to understand the wisdom and the power of God. I do believe in prayer. And I have relied on prayer
consistently throughout my life. I like to say that, if I had not been a praying person before I got to the White House, after having been there for just a few days I would’ve become one. So I am very dependent on my faith, & prayer is a big part of that
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Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate on “This Week”
Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values
: Jul 18, 2007
Endured Monicagate through faith and inward spirituality
[In 1968, with regards to revelations of Bill’s affair with Monica Lewinsky,] the strange press release from the first lady’s office referred to her husband in a political as well as a personal way, saying that she “is committed to her marriage
and believes in this president and loves him very much.” Nonetheless, she turned inward. Her press secretary stated, “Clearly this is not the best day in Mrs. Clinton’s life. This is a time she relies on her strong religious faith.”
Hillary elaborated, announcing, “I’m not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith.”
There were in fact spiritual sources that
Hillary tapped at this time, taking guidance from certain ministers. One such was civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.
Source: God and Hillary Clinton, by Paul Kengor, p.168-170
Mitt Romney on Principles & Values
: May 3, 2007
Every person of any faith has deeply-held values
Q: You criticized Gov. Romney for saying his faith wouldn’t get in the way of his governing.HUCKABEE: I never criticized Gov. Romney for that. When a person says, “My faith doesn’t affect my decision-making,” that the person is saying their faith is
not significant to impact their decision process. I tell people up front, “My faith does affect my decision process.”
Q: But you answered a question on Feb. 11 about Romney in this way: “I’m troubled by a person who tells me their faith doesn’t
influence their decisions.“
HUCKABEE: A person’s faith shouldn’t qualify or disqualify for public office. But we ought to be honest and open about it.
Q: Gov. Romney, do you accept that he wasn’t talking about you?
ROMNEY: Everyone who’s a person
of faith has values that are deeply held. That’s what makes America such a powerful land: that comes from being a people of faith, but not people of a particular church or a particular synagogue. Rather, the great values we share are American values.
Click for Mitt Romney on other issues.
Source: 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC
Sarah Palin on Education
: Nov 3, 2006
Faith-based materials ok in homeschooling
Ideally, the purpose of administration is to ensure that our schools offer such choices to parents, students and teachers. Choice in public education is a relatively new idea, but is already widely implemented.
We see from our experience that innovation such as charter schools, homeschools, correspondence, Montessorri, and various other alternative schools have a broad appeal to parents, students, teachers and administrators.
There is still room to grow our choices to serve more families.I support and respect the rights of independent homeschoolers and those who partner with local and state-wide school districts.
There must be equity in treatment of all homeschoolers in all programs across the state. The use of privately-purchased, faith-based materials should not be a reason for withholding funding.
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Source: Palin-Parnell campaign booklet: New Energy for Alaska
Sarah Palin on Welfare & Poverty
: Oct 22, 2006
Funding for faith-based initiatives is adequate today
Q: Do you support an increase in state-funded, faith-based initiatives?A: We see an adequate level of funding for faith-based initiatives today.
Q: What, specifically, would you do to help make rural Alaska sustain itself economically?
A: I support a municipal revenue sharing so local areas can prioritize their own needs. The state needs to establish a rural energy plan. Commercial fishing is a mainstay for many villages, and I oppose actions that cut off Alaskans from our fisheries.
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Source: Anchorage Daily News: 2006 gubernatorial candidate profile
Barack Obama on Abortion
: Oct 1, 2006
Extend presumption of good faith to abortion protesters
[An abortion protester at a campaign event] handed me a pamphlet. “Mr. Obama, I know you’re a Christian, with a family of your own. So how can you support murdering babies?” I told him I understood his position but had to disagree with it. I explained
my belief that few women made the decision to terminate a pregnancy casually; that any pregnant woman felt the full force of the moral issues involved when making that decision; that I feared a ban on abortion would force women to seek unsafe abortions,
as they had once done in this country. I suggested that perhaps we could agree on ways to reduce the number of women who felt the need to have abortions in the first place.
“I will pray for you,” the protester said. “I pray that you have a change of
heart.” Neither my mind nor my heart changed that day, nor did they in the days to come. But that night, before I went to bed, I said a prayer of my own-that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that had been extended to me.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.197-8
Rick Santorum on Welfare & Poverty
: Apr 30, 2006
Discriminatory to NOT give money to faith-based groups
In the Welfare reform Act of 1996, many liberal churches supported the concept of charitable choice, and it was about doing good works for the poor with the government still controlling the purse strings, but nevertheless, they were still supporting an
idea that STRENGTHENED CHURCHES. It wasn't until 2001, that "armies of compassion" would be eligible for social service grants.What happened between the late 1990s and 2001? America had elected a president who was actually going to
IMPLEMENT the 1996, 1998, and 2000 charitable choice laws.
Liberal senators have now effectively blocked any expansion of charitable choice, claiming that it promotes discrimination.
I argue that not giving money to faith-based organizations to perform social services, services that serve the common good, is the real discrimination.
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Source: It Takes A Family, by Sen. Rick Santorum, p.104-105
Rick Santorum on Welfare & Poverty
: Apr 30, 2006
Promotes Individual Development Accounts set up by churches
Sen. Lieberman and I have been promoting Individual Development Accounts. IDAs act like a 401(k) program for low-income individuals. These programs are set up, many by faith-based organizations, with a mix of federal, state, and private dollars. These
organizations help their low-income clients set up accounts at their local banks, provide training on how to manage these accounts, and then match individual contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $500 a year. These accounts earn tax-free interest and can
be used to pay for education, to buy a home, or to start a business. In other words, these accounts launch low-income people into the asset accumulation game.Our legislation will create approximately $2 billion in tax credits for financial institution
and private investors that create IDAs. We have tried for years to create a federal IDA tax credit as part of a broader initiative called the Charity Aid Recovery Empowerment (CARE) Act, which would help charitable organizations help the poor.
Click for Rick Santorum on other issues.
Source: It Takes A Family, by Sen. Rick Santorum, p.151-152
Herman Cain on Principles & Values
: Jun 14, 2005
Religious faith & political views inextricably intertwined
We live in a nation where most people have conservative social and economic values and where most people try to live their lives according to the morals and values taught to them in church and by their parents. The majority of the public does not support
removing the words "one nation under God" from our Pledge of Allegiance. They do not support removing the words "in God we trust" from our currency. They do not support presidents who carry on extra-marital affairs with interns in the Oval Office of the
White House. Democrats simply cannot understand why most people involve their faith in making the big decisions in their lives. They cannot understand why people do not and cannot switch their faith on and off because of a notion of "separation
between church and state"--a phrase that does not even appear in our Constitution! For most people, their religious faith, their personal and business lives, and their political views are inextricably intertwined.
Click for Herman Cain on other issues.
Source: They Think You're Stupid, by Herman Cain, p. 75
Hillary Clinton on Abortion
: Nov 1, 2003
Advocates birth control but OK with faith-based disagreement
Mother Teresa had just delivered a speech against abortion, and she wanted to talk to me. Mother Teresa was unerringly direct. She disagreed with my views on a woman's right to choose and told me so. Over the years, she sent me dozens of notes & messages
with the same gentle entreaty. Mother Teresa never lectured or scolded me; her admonitions were always loving & heartfelt. I had the greatest respect for her opposition to abortion, but I believe that it is dangerous to give any state the power to enforc
criminal penalties against women & doctors. I consider that a slippery slope to state control in China & Communist Romania. I also disagreed with her opposition--and that of the Catholic Church--to birth control. However, I support the right of people of
faith to speak out against abortion and try to dissuade women, without coercion or criminalization, from choosing abortion instead of adoption. Mother Teresa and I found much common ground in many other areas including the importance of adoption.
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Source: Living History, by Hillary Rodham Clinton, p.417-418
Mitt Romney on Principles & Values
: Jun 2, 2001
Values family, faith, education, sport, & healing
Giving yourself to great things is the only sure path for successful living. I have spoken of some of those choices. To them I might add family and children, faith, scholarship, exploration, healing, teaching, athletics, and creation.
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Source: Commencement Speech, Westminster College, UT
Page last updated: Feb 08, 2012