MOULTRIE — As John F. Kennedy fought for the presidency in 1960, he had to address voters’ concerns about his Catholicism. Now, Democratic candidate Barack Obama has faced similar concerns about whether he’s a Muslim (he’s not, according to his website) and because of angry remarks by the pastor of his church.

So, how much does a candidate’s religion sway voters? A lot, according to a poll at www.moultrieobserver.com.

The Observer posted the question “How much does a candidate’s religion influence your choice among presidential candidates?” Aug. 30. A week later, the results have been tallied. Of 109 respondents, almost 80 percent acknowledged it played some role in their choice.

Responses broke down like this:

• 22.94 percent said religion had no bearing on their decision.

• 16.51 percent said it weighed slightly.

• 17.43 percent said it weighed moderately.

• 28.44 percent said it weighed heavily.

• 14.68 percent said it weighed overwhelmingly.

So, among the Democrat and Republican candidates for president and vice president, who believes what?



Barack Obama

Obama was not raised in a particularly religious home. He went to work for a faith-based community organizing group in Chicago, drawn by the motivating component of faith. In his book, “The Audacity of Hope,” Obama related a salvation experience at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

“It was because of these newfound understandings — that religious commitment did not require me to suspend critical thinking, disengage from the battle for economic and social justice or otherwise retreat from the world that I knew and loved — that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized,” he wrote. “It came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions had did not magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.”

Obama remained a member of Trinity United Church of Christ until earlier this year, when the pastor of that church, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made comments that even Obama called “divisive” and “racially charged.” Obama tried to respectfully distance himself, but eventually he had to leave the church.



John McCain

McCain was raised in the Episcopalian Church, but for the last 15 years he and his family have been attending North Phoenix Baptist Church, a megachurch in the Southern Baptist Convention.

McCain said his faith helped him to get through the time he spent in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp.

“There were times when I didn’t pray for one more day or one more hour, but I prayed for one more minute,” he said in an October 2007 interview with the Christian Science Monitor. “So I have very little doubt that it was reliance on someone stronger than me that not only got me through, but got me through honorably.”

McCain has said that his wife and two of their seven children have been baptized, but he has not; he called the decision, “a personal thing.” He has also said that he has been in discussion with his pastor, but would not be baptized during the campaign because it would appear insincere.



Joe Biden

Born to Irish-Catholic parents, Biden briefly considered becoming a priest when he was young. He attends Mass at St. Patrick’s Church or St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, both parishes in the Diocese of Wilmington.

Biden had an hour-long private audience with Pope John Paul II in 1980 on the subject of Poland’s position in the former Communist bloc, and he met the pontiff three other times. He also attended the pope’s funeral in 2005.

Biden has come under fire from others within his denomination because of pro-abortion votes. The bishop of his diocese was pressured to deny him communion, along with other politicians who held views contrary to the Church on the issue; the bishop refused.



Sarah Palin

Palin was baptized a Roman Catholic as an infant, but when she was a teenager, she and her mother began attending Wasilla Assembly of God, where she was re-baptized.

She stopped attending Wasilla Assembly of God in 2002, according to the church’s website. Since then, she has attended a number of churches, including nondemoninational ones. The Palins’ baby, Trig, was recently part of a dedication ceremony at Wasilla Bible Church, a nondenominational, evangelical church.

Shortly after her selection as McCain’s running mate, Palin was asked by a reporter what her religion is. She responded, “Christian.” When asked if she was any particular type of Christian, she answered, “No. Bible-believing Christian.”



For more information

All of the information on the candidates’ religious views came from The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, www.pewforum.org/religion-politics, which contains a wealth of information on the candidates, their stances and on religion’s role in the political process.