FACTBOX: The faith factors for Obama and McCain

(Reuters) - Following are some of the religious issues that presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and likely Democratic challenger Barack Obama are expected to face in November's U.S. presidential election.

Faith will play a big role in a country where high levels of belief and church attendance mean religion and politics often converge.

ARIZONA SEN. JOHN MCCAIN

- Raised in the mainline Episcopal faith but for more than 15 years has attended a church in Phoenix affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest evangelical denomination.

- Widely seen as not being comfortable talking about his personal faith -- a product perhaps of his being raised in the reserved Episcopal fold, which is the U.S. version of the global Anglican church.

- Support for stem-cell research and failure to support a federal constitutional ban on gay marriage has made him suspect in the eyes of many conservative evangelical Christians, who comprise a key part of the Republican base.

- About one in four U.S. adults count themselves as evangelical.

- Consistent opposition to abortion goes down well with many evangelicals who regard it as the crucial issue of the age.

- Support for immigration reform, his unequivocal condemnation of the use of torture by U.S. forces and his calls for action on climate change have won him support from centrist evangelicals who seek a broader agenda for their movement that goes beyond opposition to abortion and gay rights.

ILLINOIS SEN. BARACK OBAMA

- An adult convert to the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination with about 1.2 million members.

- Father was raised as a Muslim in Kenya but Obama has said he was not religious. But this fact and his exotic sounding name to the American ear have given rise to spurious rumors that the Illinois senator is a Muslim.

- Biggest drawback on the faith front remains the fiery anti-American sermons made by his former pastor Jeremiah Wright that have angered many voters. Obama's own comments about some small-town voters clinging to their "guns or religion" have also alienated potential voters of faith.

- Comfortable talking about his personal faith and has an outreach program targeting religious voters.

- Supports abortion rights and the granting of civil unions for gay couples. These positions go down well among liberal people of faith as well as many secular voters.

(Sources: Reuters, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, candidates' websites)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/ )