In a country that prides itself on the separation of church and state, I was surprised to find that the Democratic candidates have turned down an opportunity to discuss science, but accepted one to discuss faith. Both Democratic candidates have accepted an invitation to a bipartisan debate, called The Compassion Forum, on faith and moral issues to be aired by CNN on Sunday. Earlier this week, a bipartisan science and technology debate called Science Debate 2008 failed because all three candidates declined.

Hopefully this faith debate will discuss climate change, the health of our oceans, loss of biodiversity and the need to balance species loss with the needs of humans. I hope they discuss the failing health care system, stem cell research, medical research and health insurance coverage. Oh, and our food supply, genetically modified organism crops, educating children and securing jobs. Science and technology have driven half the growth of our economy since World War II. Yet by 2010, 90 percent of the world’s scientists will live in Asia. I hope the candidates discuss some of these very important issues during their debate on faith.