Religion has been a major and hot topic among Republican presidential contenders. It also was a major topic in the 2008 campaign.

What do YOU want to know about a presidential candidate’s faith? What do you NOT want to know?

I for one get weary of one candidate trying to out ‘religion’ the other. Frankly It seems more a ploy than anything else. I’m interested in a candidate’s core values. Are the elderly, the poor, the children important to the candidate? Is quality and affordable medical care for our most vulnerable citizens a value for the candidate? Is the candidate’s historic behavior consistent with the values or beliefs he or she espouses? Does their economic strategy favor those of us who have plenty while penalizing those who have not had the same opportunities? Our actions, whether a politician, business person or pastor, springs from the internal values/beliefs we embrace. And while that’s difficult to exegete in a political campaign since all we get are sound bites, I try to ascertain a candidate’s core values against the Old and New Testaments: love of neighbor, care and concern for the poor, justice for those who are often treated unjustly. There are candidates who say they are Christians but whose values frankly contradict the values that Christ espoused. At the same time, there may be candidates who are not at all vocal about their faith but are far more in line with the values of Christianity.