I have recently been too busy to post. Watching all four daily presidential debates takes up a lot of my time. One thing you can certainly say is that it’s been an exciting political season. There isn’t really anyone I’m excited about voting for, but It’s still fun to watch.

So, now that we’re down to just 8 candidates, I think it’s time to look at their stances on religious issues. Of course, I’m not suggesting that anyone (even evangelical atheists) should vote on only these issues, but as our secular nation continues its slow, silent slide toward theocracy, we should certainly be aware of how much influence is exerted on each of the candidates by their big imaginary friends. I have to pluralize that just for Mitt Romney. I lot of other people can’t seem to agree whether or not it’s the same god, so I won’t assume.

So, let’s take a look at Clinton, Edwards, Giuliani, Huckabee, McCain, Obama, Paul and Romney on abortion. There’s a rumor going around that Alan Keyes is also running for president, but if he can’t be bothered to tell us, I can’t be bothered to include him. It’s not a good sign for your campaign when you show up at a debate and even the media pundits aren’t sure why you’re there, but it’s always seemed to work for Dennis Kucinich, so maybe it’s a strategy I just don’t understand

Clinton: Hillary Clinton has stated repeatedly that she wants abortion to be “safe, legal and rare.” The health plan she proposed under her husband’s administration would have included RU-486, and she fought to get Plan B on the market for years. Her personal ethical code would have prohibited her from having an abortion. As first lady, she led efforts to make the adoption process easier. In 2006, Clinton pushed to increase federal funding for abortion providers. She supports late-term abortions only when the mother’s life or health is at risk. She voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. Her voting record received a 100% rating from NARAL and a 0% rating from the NRLC.

Edwards: John Edwards believes the right to choose is constitutionally protected. He voted against a ban on partial-birth abortions. His voting record received a 100% rating from NARAL.

Giuliani: Rudy Guliani claims to personally oppose abortion but support a woman’s right to choose. If a federal ban on all abortions came across his desk as president, he said he would “probably” not sign it. In his 2000 senate race, he ran as a pro-choice candidate. Giuliani wants to seek a bipartisan way to reduce abortion and increase adoption. He would not have an abortion “litmus test” for judicial appointments. In a questionnaire from NARAL in 1997, he said he supported Medicaid funding for abortion with no restrictions, opposed parental notification for minors and opposed a ban on partial-birth abortions. In the 1990s, Giuliani made at least six personal contributions to Planned Parenthood. In a debate, Giuliani said it would be “OK” if Roe v. Wade were overturned.

Huckabee: Mike Huckabee opposes states’ rights on moral issues, such as abortion. He stated that he would deny federal funds to any organization that promotes abortion. Huckabee led Arkansas to pass a state constitutional amendment stating that life begins at conception. He said in regard to Giuliani’s position that hating abortion but supporting choice is akin to hating slavery but allowing it to be practiced. Huckabee said that he would have signed the South Dakota legislation banning all abortion, even in cases of rape or incest.

McCain: John McCain said in 1999 that he would not support the repeal of Roe because American women would be forced to have illegal and dangerous abortions. He has said over and over again that this comment was taken out of context and that he has always felt Roe was a bad decision. He wants to prosecute abortion doctors, not the women having abortions. McCain supports abortion in the case of rape and would not require proof of rape. He opposes partial-birth abortions and federal funding of abortion.

Obama: Barack Obama supports Roe and voted against parental notification and a ban on partial-birth abortion. He also voted to spend $100 million on reducing teen pregnancy through education and contraceptives. He has stated that he is afraid an abortion ban would force women to seek unsafe abortions. His voting record received a 0% rating from the NRLC.

Paul: Having delivered 4,000 babies, Ron Paul says he is sure that life begins at conception. He wants the federal government completely out of the abortion debate, believing that it is a state issue. He would remove federal funding for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Paul voted against restricting interstate transport of minors for abortions and also voted against making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. He voted for a ban on partial-birth abortion except to save the mother’s life. His voting record received a 0% rating from NARAL and a 56% rating from the NRLC.

Romney: Mitt Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts as a pro-choice candidate, pledging never to waiver on a woman’s right to choose. After taking office, he quickly changed his mind and vetoed any law put before him that would have expanded abortion rights. He also promoted abstinence education in Massachusetts schools. He is opposed to punishing women for having partial-birth abortions. If a ban on all abortions came across his desk as president, he would be “delighted” to sign it into law. Romney has stated that his position on abortion when running for governor was the “defining mistake” of his life. As governor, he vetoed emergency contraception for rape victims but, in 1994, endorsed legalization of RU-486.

This series will continue over the coming weeks, covering stem cell research, gay rights, school prayer, separation of church and state, creationism and Islam. Stay tuned.

~I AM~