NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Republican John McCain told The New York Times in an interview published July 13 he opposes adoption by homosexual couples and believes children need a mother and a father.
In a wide-ranging interview that covered everything from his faith to his beliefs on the teaching of evolution in public schools, the presumptive GOP nominee was asked whether he agreed with President Bush’s opposition to homosexual adoption.
“I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don’t believe in gay adoption,” McCain said, according to the transcript.
The newspaper then asked McCain if he would remain opposed to homosexual adoption “even if the alternative is the kid staying in an orphanage” or “not having parents.”
“I encourage adoption and I encourage the opportunities for people to adopt children,” McCain said. “I encourage the process being less complicated so they can adopt as quickly as possible. And Cindy and I are proud of being adoptive parents.”
“But your concern,” The Times’ Adam Nagourney responded, “would be that the couple should [be] a traditional couple.”
“Yes,” McCain answered.
McCain also was asked if he considers himself an evangelical Christian.
“I consider myself a Christian,” he said. “I attend church, my faith has sustained me in very difficult times. But I think it depends on what you call a quote evangelical Christian. Because there are some people who may not share my views on -– I mean, that covers a lot of ground. But I certainly consider myself a Christian.”
McCain has been attending North Phoenix Baptist Church — a Southern Baptist congregation — for approximately the past 15 years when in Arizona. He’s not a member, although his wife is. McCain said he doesn’t attend church as often as he should.
“When Cindy and I are in Phoenix, we attend,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate enough the last few weeks to be in Phoenix. During the primary before that we were not back in Phoenix much so -– again, not as frequently as I would like. I do appreciate the pastor of the North Phoenix Baptist Church, his name is Dan Yeary, and I talk to him frequently on the phone and I appreciate his spiritual guidance. He’s a great believer in redemption.”
On other issues, McCain said he believes the teaching of evolution in schools is “up to the school boards.”
“That’s why we have local control over education,” he said. “My personal view is that children should be exposed to as much as they possibly can so that they can make their decisions and be the best informed.”
McCain also reiterated his support for conservative Supreme Court justices — even if those justices issue rulings he opposes, such as the striking down of campaign finance laws.
“I think that the role of the Supreme Court is to strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States of America,” he said. “And I think [Justices John] Roberts and [Samuel] Alito are individuals I’m glad [I] supported, even if they may take contrary opinions. Their position is Supreme Court justices; mine is a legislator. So I don’t expect them to agree on every issue.”
Roberts and Alito were President Bush’s two Supreme Court nominees.
OBAMA WON’T ‘IMPOSE’ FAITH ON HIS KIDS — Democrat Barack Obama gave a brief interview with Newsweek about his faith as part of the magazine’s July 21 cover story about his religious beliefs. Newsweek asked him: “Do you and Michelle talk to your girls about having a God? Jesus?”
“Well, we do, but we don’t have a systematic course of study for the girls,” he said. “We say grace at the table. They are inquiring minds, so whenever they have a question about God or faith, then I have a conversation with them…. I’m a big believer in a faith that is not imposed but taps into what’s already there, their curiosity or their spirit.”
He also was asked how often he attended Trinity United Church of Christ, where controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright (now retired) preached.
“At the beginning, we went fairly frequently,” Obama said. “We were single, so I’d say we probably went two or three times a month. When we had Malia, our first child, we went less frequently, and that probably continued for a couple of years, just because — I don’t know if you’ve had the experience of taking young, squirming children to church, but it’s not easy…. As they got older, we would go back a little more frequently, probably twice a month. But then I started campaigning for the United States Senate, and at that point I was in church every Sunday, maybe two, three churches a Sunday, but they weren’t Trinity — because that was one of the most effective ways for us to campaign and reach out to people. So, there was quite a big chunk of time, especially during the Senate race, where we might not have gone to Trinity for two, three months at a time.”
IOWA GOP WANTS HUCKABEE VP — In an informal poll, attendees at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention July 12 picked Mike Huckabee as their favorite to be McCain’s vice presidential candidate, IowaPolitics.com reported. Several dozen attendees were polled. Mitt Romney came in “a distant second,” the website said.
“He really is a captivating speaker. You listen to him and know he means what he is saying and is passionate in his conviction,” attendee Sheila Bright was quoted as saying. “Plus, you look at how he energizes these young people and can’t help but be sure that he would be an asset to McCain in getting the youth vote in November.”
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Michael Foust is an assistant editor of Baptist Press.
