Make us your home page!
Authors, sign in!Barack Obama is not a Muslim. You'd never know it from a tour around extremist websites and blogs or by listening to some talk radio.
But, let's be clear about the facts of Obama's religion -- and this is not about supporting/endorsing him or any other candidate, this is about being true to the facts, about living in reality. This is also not about bashing people who do adhere to the canons of Islam. This is about Obama and the faith that is his...
Obama is a professed Christian. Here's clear testimony from the Senator himself:
"So, one Sunday, I put on one of the few clean jackets I had, and went over to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. And I heard Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright deliver a sermon called 'The Audacity of Hope.'"And during the course of that sermon, he introduced me to someone named Jesus Christ. I learned that my sins could be redeemed. I learned that those things I was too weak to accomplish myself, He would accomplish with me if I placed my trust in Him.
"And in time, I came to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world and in my own life. It was because of these new found understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity one day and affirm my Christian faith.
"It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany. I didn't fall out in church, as folks sometimes do. The questions I had didn't magically disappear. The skeptical bent of my mind didn't suddenly vanish. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works." [Speech, 6/23/07]
Barack Obama is not and has never been a Muslim. Obama never prayed in a mosque. He has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Vote against him if you want. Work for another candidate if that is your decision.
Argue with his positions and policies. Decry his voting record. Question his ability. But, don't buy into the untruth some are spreading about his personal faith.
(both of these pictures depict Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago)
twitter
facebook
Technorati
digg
BuzzFlash
StumbleUpon
newsvine
del.icio.us
reddit
Google
Yahoo
Comments (1)
Good post Larry.
However, I do wish that Obama would be more forthcoming about the fact that his biological father (who named him) and his stepfather (who raised him) are both Muslim. It's as though he's trying to cover up the fact that both his fathers are Muslim. I personally think that if he would be upfront about his fathers' religion, then, some of the intrigue would dissipate. I also think that he should not be overly sensitive when people use his middle name "Hussain" since we Americans are accustomed to referring to our presidents with the middle names or middle initials. We say "Hillary Rodham Clinton" and "George W. Bush" so we should be able to say "Barack H. Obama" or "Barack Hussein Obama."
I just think that Obama should put his fathers' religion and his own name out there now and let the voters get used to it now - so that it doesn't hold any power later. These truths (his name, his fathers' religion) will only be Achilles heels in his campaign if he tries to hide these things. One of my favorite reminders is:
"In your defenselessness lies your strength."
Posted by Nora Thomason
|
February 29, 2008 8:53 AM
Posted on February 29, 2008 08:53