CNN Crosses the Line
Faith Forum Imposes Religious Test for Public Office
June 8, 2007
CNN TV's "The Situation Room" on Monday, June 4, 2007, was billed as a presidential forum on "faith and values," and was jointly sponsored with a Protestant evangelical. Although Soledad O'Brien of CNN moderated, a pool of exclusively Christian clergy and leaders were present to also ask questions. Drafted for this baptism by public piety were the top-tier Democratic presidential hopefuls: former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.
Among questions candidates were asked: what do you pray for, and what is your "biggest sin." The constitutional prohibition of a religious test for public office is meaningless in a climate of religious tribalism. Now even the secular media appear to expect candidates to genuflect before religious leaders, parrot piety, pledge allegiance to religion, preach to the choir and sing from the same hymnbook in order to be considered electable. When did "faith" become a qualification, much less a prerequisite, for public office? We don't need FOX TV when we've got CNN trying to outfox FOX. It looks like we don't even need a religious-right lobby--when we have the media taking over the religious agenda.
News coverage of the forum, FFRF's analysis and other background links can be found at the end of this alert.
Please Contact CNN!
Express your concern about the imposition by media of a religious test for public office, the alliance of secular media with a religious group, the embarrassing and intrusive nature of much of the questioning, and the lack of nonChristian and nonreligious representation from assembled questioners. Such pandering degrades the political discourse. If candidates are going to be asked about personal religious beliefs, then they should also be asked pointedly about their position on the separation of church and state, and whether they would attempt to impose their religious dogma upon our secular laws.
The Situation Room
CNN Washington Bureau
820 First St. NE
Washington DC 20012
Phone 202-898-7900
"Instant Feedback to The Situation Room"
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html
Jonathan Klein, President
CNN
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New York NY 10019
212-275-7800
More Background:
Statement by the Freedom From Religion Foundation
"The Democrats' Leap of Faith," by Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, June 6, 2007
MediaMattersforAmercia additional background