Compassion Forum -- Faith in Public Life


Faith in Public Life is sponsoring an interesting conversation between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I say conversation rather than debate because of its context. Sponsored by a progressive religious group and held at an evangelical college -- Messiah College in Pennsylvania -- it will be difficult for the candidates to get down and dirty. They must be on their best behavior or the press coverage will get ugly. The event will be held at 8 p.m. EDT/5 PDT on Sunday April 13.

I understand the dynamics here because I moderated a conversation between city council candidates, which was held at a church. The candidates challenged each other, but the tone was rather calm. They seemed to understand the context.

The conversation will be broadcast by CNN and features Campbell Brown and Jon Meacham as moderators. Both are good thinkers and should keep the conversation in focus. Issues apparently will include things like torture, war, poverty, climate change.
Here is information from the host of the event, Messiah College:

About The Compassion Forum

Messiah College has been selected to host The Compassion Forum, an unprecedented bipartisan presidential candidate forum dedicated to discussing pressing moral issues that bridge ideological divides within our nation. Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have accepted the invitation to participate in the Forum. Senator John McCain has thus far declined the invitation, which is still open. The Compassion Forum is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, in Brubaker Auditorium, and will be covered by mainstream media and religious media outlets alike. CNN is the exclusive broadcaster of The Compassion Forum and will televise and stream the event live from 8-9:30 p.m.

The Church Communication Network (CCN) will broadcast the event to tens of thousands of people of faith in at least 1,000 congregations nationwide on April 20, the Sunday evening before the Pennsylvania primary.

Now more than ever, Americans motivated by faith are bridging ideological divides to address domestic and international poverty, global AIDS, climate change, genocide in Darfur, and human rights and torture. The Compassion Forum will provide the opportunity for candidates to discuss how their faith and moral convictions bear on their positions on these important issues.

The Compassion Forum will be a unique and unprecedented event. Each candidate will participate in a separate substantive conversation. This will not be a debate. Questions will be posed by co-moderators Jon Meacham, editor of "Newsweek," and Campbell Brown, anchor of CNN's Election Center.
It's not surprising that John McCain has chosen not to participate. The topics don't fit the group he's trying to woo. But interestingly enough the forum has been commended by Mike Huckabee:
"The Compassion Forum will give the candidates a chance to talk straight to voters about what they'll do as president to fulfill God's command that we be our brothers' keepers," said Governor Mike Huckabee, a supporter of the event. "I'm proud that the faith community is taking the lead in asking the candidates to confront the most pressing moral challenges of our times."
Besides Faith in Public Life other sponsors include the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, the ONE campaign, and Oxfam America.

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