STAR-BULLETIN / 2003 The Hawaii Christian Coalition and the Hawaii Family Forum have released voter guides that look at where political candidates stand on abortion, as well as their views on marriage and euthanasia. Here, anti-abortion protesters stand in front of the state Capitol during last year's Hawaii March for Life. Debra Uehara sang as part of the protest.

2 guides take religious
angle in evaluating
isle candidates

Pastors and preachers might jeopardize their churches' tax-free status if they endorsed political candidates from the pulpit.

For many, the solution is simple advice to the congregation: "Pick up an election guide on your way out."

Stacks of the Hawaii Christian Coalition Voter Guide and the Hawaii Primary Election Survey prepared by Hawaii Family Forum are to be found in dozens of island churches this weekend.

Both groups questioned political candidates about their views on marriage, abortion and euthanasia, which religious groups consider spiritual matters as well as hot political issues.

"Churches rely a great deal on the guide," said Christian Coalition President Garret Hashimoto. "We ask questions on moral issues that churches are concerned about.

"We also give churches the do's and don'ts, what a pastor cannot do," said Hashimoto. "They can speak on moral legislation; they cannot endorse a candidate." Many larger churches set up voter registration booths, urging members to put power behind the viewpoint they endorse.

STAR-BULLETIN / 2003 Anti-abortion protesters stand in front of the state Capitol during last year's Hawaii March for Life.

Hashimoto expected to have the voter guide on the group's Web page, hi-christian.com, this weekend, and printouts will be available in Christian bookstores.

Eva Andrade of Hawaii Family Forum estimates that 60,000 people have seen the election survey, which is produced in partnership with the Hawaii Catholic Conference, the diocese's public policy arm.

Printed copies are gone, but it can be viewed at hawaiifamilyforum.org.

"It is an educational tool for our readers," said Patrick Downes, editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, which distributed the survey to its 16,000 subscribers.

"It shows where candidates stand on some issues we don't think are covered in other surveys."

Downes said the survey addresses some social justice issues that reflect Catholic concerns but might not be seen as moral questions by others.

The questions were about raising the general excise tax to increase funding for education, increasing the minimum wage, repealing the gasoline price cap and funding sheltered housing for domestic violence victims.

"One of the questions has always been about marriage definition," said Andrade, who has worked on the survey since it was initiated in 1994 by the Catholic Conference. Back then, the question concerned a proposed state constitutional amendment; voters supported traditional marriage.

This year, that question was, "Would you vote for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman?"

Some 64 percent said yes.

It's a question that local legislators don't face, but, Downes said, "It's more of a question of 'Where do you stand?'"

Hashimoto said almost half of the candidates did not respond to the voter guide questions. He did not yet have a breakdown of the results.

"If they do not respond, people should draw conclusions from that. If they put importance on voting, they should put importance on a voter guide," he said.

The Christian Coalition also asked candidates if they support the federal bill seeking an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as between man and woman.

Questions about homosexuality and morality are being debated within several Christian denominations.

The Christian Coalition questionnaire approached the issue from several angles:

>> Among its six questions on education, one was about allowing public schools to teach that homosexual behavior is normal.

>> Among five health-related queries, one asked if adoption or custody of children should be limited to heterosexual couples.

>> Five questions in the government category included one about making another state's marriage of homosexual couples legal in Hawaii.

Hashimoto said other questions sought views about physician-assisted suicide, partial-birth abortion and legalized gambling.

His net will be spread wider for the general election edition, with queries for City Council and Board of Education candidates.

Hashimoto said the response gets better for the general election guide because by then the reluctant candidates are hearing from voters not impressed that they ducked questions.

Andrade said some candidates will always be reluctant. "I would think they don't want to be associated with what they perceive to be a religious organization or a more conservative group. If a liberal, they may not feel inclined to get involved."

Taking a stand Patrick Downes, editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald, said 54 percent of 166 candidates for Congress and the Legislature responded to 12 questions. They were asked if they would vote to: >> Legalize physician-assisted suicide. No, said 72 percent. >> Require parental notification before a minor obtains an abortion. Yes, said 82 percent. >> Allow public school buses to transport private school students in rural areas for a nominal fee. Yes, said 62 percent. >> Legalize gambling in the form of casinos, shipboard casinos and state lottery. None of the above, said 69 percent, but 11 percent wanted at least a lottery. >> Replace Hawaii's reciprocal beneficiary law with a civil union law exclusively for homosexual couples. Sixty-three percent were against it, but 29 percent were undecided.