Rick Warren Interviews Obama and McCain, A Great Service to Society

Yesterday, August 16, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, interviewed candidates Barack Obama and John McCain separately in its "civil forum," a Church ministry. The civil forum had a national audience as radio and television aired the two hours of the interview, the first hour with Obama, and the second hour with McCain. Both candidates were asked identical questions. A coin toss determined who would go first on the interview while the other was sequestered in a room so that he couldn't hear the questions.

Warren's interview format surpasses that of previous adversarial debates. It was enlightening to see the vastly different responses the candidates gave to the questions. It gave good insights into each candidate's ideology, passion or lack of it, character, and priorities. The Saddleback Church's civil forum has done the nation a great service.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."

Matthew 5:13-15