Compare Presidential Candidates on the Issues

After last night's final debate and with less than three weeks to go until Election Day, I thought it might be helpful to give you an update on the 2008 presidential candidates. In this post you can compare them on some of the issues that are particularly important to Christian voters. Although these are not the only crucial issues Christians care about, they represent some of the hot-button topics that believers will want to carefully consider in each candidates' platform.

John McCain - Republican

• Abortion: McCain opposes partial birth abortion. He supports the reversal of Roe vs. Wade and the banning of abortion except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incest. He supports the protection of children who are born alive and survive an abortion procedure. Read more...
• Cloning: McCain opposes human cloning. Read more...
• Death Penalty: McCain is a supporter of the death penalty.
• Education: McCain supports "No Child Left Behind." He also supports vouchers for public and private education.
• Homosexual Education: McCain opposes curriculum that promotes homosexuality.
• Energy: McCain supports expanded drilling for oil. Read more...
• Faith-Based Programs: McCain supports faith-based initiatives.
• Gun Rights: McCain opposes a ban on assault weapons. Read more...
• Iraq War: McCain supports the war in Iraq and opposes a timetable for withdrawal of troops. Read more...
• Marriage: McCain supports Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Read more... He supports state marriage amendments in CA and FL. Read more... He believes marriage should be limited to a man and a woman.
• Stem Cell Research: McCain supports public funding of stem cell research on embryos left over from fertility treatments, but not on cloned human embryos.

Barack Obama - Democrat

• Abortion: Obama supports the protection of abortion rights and opposes the reversal of Roe vs. Wade. Read more...
• Cloning: Obama supports human cloning.
• Death Penalty: Obama is a supporter of the death penalty.
• Education: Obama supports "No Child Left Behind." He opposes vouchers and tax credits for private schools.
• Homosexual Education: Obama supports curriculum that promotes homosexuality.
• Energy: Obama opposes expanded drilling for oil. Read more...
• Faith-Based Programs: Obama supports faith-based initiatives.
• Gun Rights: Obama supports a ban on assault weapons. Read more...
• Iraq War: Obama opposes the war in Iraq and supports immediate withdrawal of troops. Read more...
• Marriage: Obama opposes Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Read more... He opposes state marriage amendments in CA and FL. Read more... He believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but supports civil unions for same-sex couples.
• Stem Cell Research: Obama supports loosening federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and supports federal funding of the research.

• To see "faith snapshots" of each candidates and compare them on faith, beliefs and religious upbringing, visit this Faith Comparison of the 2008 Presidential Candidates.

• For full election coverage go to About.com's 2008 Election Headquarters.