WASHINGTON (ABP) — Evolution, abortion rights and other issues important to religious conservatives reared their heads once again in the third debate between Republican presidential hopefuls June 5.
Following a question that made headlines at the first GOP debate a month earlier, one of the debate moderators asked specific candidates about their views on evolution. At the previous debate, three had raised their hands when asked if they did not believe in evolution.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — a Southern Baptist minister — subsequently criticized the question. In the most recent forum, he attempted to illuminate his views.
“To me, it's pretty simple: A person either believes that God created this process or believes that it was an accident and that it just happened all on its own,” he said. “And the basic question was an unfair question because it simply asks us in a simplistic manner whether or not we believed … there's a God or not.”
Huckabee said he believes there's a God who created the universe. “Now how did he do it, and when did he do it, and how long did he take?” he said. “I don't honestly know, and I don't think knowing that would make me a better or worse president.”
Many Southern Baptists and other conservative Protestants believe evolution is inconsistent with Christianity and insist the Bible teaches that Earth was created thousands, not millions, of years ago in six 24-hour days.
When pressed on whether he agrees with that view, Huckabee echoed an interpretation of the Genesis creation stories that many moderate and liberal Protestants have long asserted.
“My point is, I don't know. I wasn't there,” he said, to laughter. “But I believe whether God did it in six days or whether he did it in six days that represented periods of time, he did it, and that's what's important.”
Arizona Sen. John McCain — who did not object to evolution in the first debate — said the governor's explanation of his view was akin to his own position.
“I admire [Huckabee's] description because I hold that view,” said McCain, who is listed in his biographical materials as an Episcopalian but reportedly attends a Southern Baptist church when in Phoenix. “There's no doubt in my mind that the hand of God was in what we are today.”
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who joined Huckabee in expressing opposition to evolution in the first forum, also praised the Arkansan's view. “I am fully convinced there's a God of the universe that loves us very much and was involved in the [creation] process. How he did it, I don't know,” the Methodist-turned-evangelical-turned-Catholic senator said.
Also, as in previous debates, attention turned to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's support for abortion rights. Giuliani is the only GOP candidate who remains officially pro-choice.
While being asked about a Rhode Island Catholic bishop's recent statement slamming Giuliani on abortion rights, a lightning strike disrupted the sound system of the auditorium where the debate was being held. “Look, for someone who went to parochial schools all his life, this is a very frightening thing that's happening right now,” a startled Giuliani said.
When asked about their views on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, all 10 GOP candidates expressed support for continuing the so-called “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy now in place at the Pentagon.
Although the policy was designed in 1994 as a compromise between opponents of homosexuals serving in the military and those who wanted them to serve openly, gay-rights activists have lambasted it ever since.
Although Giuliani has been a strong supporter of gay rights in the past, he said he did not believe the policy should be changed “in a time of war.”
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who once expressed opposition to the policy and once campaigned as a strong gay-rights supporter, said he also had changed his mind.
Gays have served in the military forces of most of the United States' closest allies — including the United Kingdom and Israel — for years. Recent polls have suggested a majority of the American public supports following suit.
The GOPers' views were a strong contrast to a debate between Democratic candidates on the same stage two nights before. All of the Democrats agreed it was time to do away with “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”
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