I have repeatedly read and seen, over the past year or so, from a variety of sources that Barack Obama (Democrat candidate for President) is or was a practicing Muslim. Even if he was, I’m not sure I understand how this makes him a good/bad (emphasis on bad) candidate/person. The term Muslim does not equate to radical Islamic terrorist – can we all agree on that at-least? In any case, to help set the record straight I looked up Mr. Obama’s background and although his father was raised a Muslim, Obama himself was not. In fact, Mr. Obama has been a member of the United Church of Christ for over 20 years.
A theme of Obama’s keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and the title of his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, was inspired by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. In Chapter 6 of the book, titled “Faith,” Obama writes that he “was not raised in a religious household.” He describes his mother, raised by non-religious parents, as detached from religion, yet “in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known.” He describes his Kenyan father as “raised a Muslim,” but a “confirmed atheist” by the time his parents met, and his Indonesian stepfather as “a man who saw religion as not particularly useful.” The chapter details how Obama, in his twenties, while working with local churches as a community organizer, came to understand “the power of the African American religious tradition to spur social change.” Obama writes: “It was because of these newfound understandings—that religious commitment did
not require me to suspend critical thinking, disengage from the battle for economic and social justice, or otherwise retreat from the world that I knew and loved—that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized.” He has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for over twenty years.” –wikipedia
The United Church of Christ claims the following people as famous past or present members:
* John Quincy Adams (1767–1848)
* Julian Bond — Chair NAACP (2004–present)
* Howard Dean — Former Governor of Vermont (Democrat)
* Bob Graham — Former U.S. Senator from Florida (Democrat)
* Judd Gregg — U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (Republican)
* Jim Jeffords — Former U.S. Senator from Vermont (Independent)
* Andrew Young — Civil rights leader, ordained UCC pastor, and former member of Congress, UN ambassador, and mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
I am not advocating Mr. Obama for president. To be honest, I haven’t selected a candidate. However, I would prefer to base my decision on facts and maybe even the truth! Or as close to the truth as we are allowed to get.
A couple of interesting articles on Barack Obama relayed from a friend:
Original Work 