Questions of Obamas Religion: Use the Power of Words!

Since they allude to JFK relatively often, I think Barack and is team may need to give a speech about his faith in much the same sort of way JFK addressed questions of his faith on Sept. 12, 1960.

At the time, many questioned Kennedy's Roman Catholic faith  Kennedy addressed those concerns and it may be time to take a chapter from Kennedy's campaign and meet the Muslim whispers head on.

Follow me over the fold for some ideas.

Senator Obama has a wonderful chapter in "Audacity of Hope" that addresses his spiritual journey very well, it is forthright and inspiring no matter your own spiritual journey and it wouldn't hurt to draw from his own biography for such a speech.

In my work I meet many folks, mostly women, they are generally liberals here in Seattle and time and again during recent conversations I am finding that even they think he is Muslim.  This of course doesn't bother them but my point is if thoughtful, reasonably well read liberals in Seattle are confused about this then less informed, and potentially less tolerant folks who otherwise might be open to his message on a wide range of other issues, need to know the truth so that they can have context to understand the rest of what he is talking about.

He is so eloquent and I can imagine a speech by Barack about the importance of faith in his own life, but more importantly the importance of faith to all Americans and how we as Americans have a history of honoring all religions and creeds.

I can see him refute the central idea behind these smears, dismantle the religious tests of the religious right that has become such a divisive litmus test these past eight plus years, and then invoke the power of Our Constitution to protect all matter of faith including the faith that gives comfort and context to the life he, Michelle and their girls live, Christianity.

I realize that there will be those who say it shouldn't matter and I agree, in a perfect world it shouldn't, but for some it does, and so they need to understand who he is and what he believes. Putting these sort of things to rest, inoculates  against the rumors and whispers so that we can talk about things that do matter.

Just my $.01

•  BHO's faith is sufficiently out of the mainstream

  that it might be a gamble to draw attention to it.  I think most voters that are up for grabs dismiss the Muslim stuff as the crank garbage it is.

  by burrow owl on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:39:14 AM PDT

  •  What do you mean "outside of the mainstream"?

    I saw Obama interviewed ( I think on 60 Minutes ) and he talk about religion alot and I didn't hear anything "outside the mainstream" and I too have been wondering why he doesn't attack these rumors more forthrightly.

    by casamurphy on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:51:28 AM PDT

    •  Liberation theology is outside of the

      mainstream.  It's a fascinating theology, but empirically it's outside of the mainstream.

      by burrow owl on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:55:49 AM PDT

      •  His "faith" is not liberation theology.

        His "faith" is mainstream Protestant.

        by Mother of Zeus on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:03:08 AM PDT

        •  I've looked in to his church.

          They have a "non-negotiable commitment to Africa".
          I understand that people with simplistic views can misunderstand what that means, but there has to be a really effective way to explain it.
          For example, I've looked at their website, clicked on all the options, and from what I can tell, it simply means that they contribute to aid for Africa and they teach African heritage classes to the youth in the community.  Let me add, they don't teach the African heritage classes to all the youth in the church, they're like optional after school type classes.
          I find his church to be fairly spiritually uplifting, regardless of denomination or the ethnic tone.

          Disclaimer:  I'm an agnostic, born to Jewish parents, who likes what Jesus had to say...

          by Mannabass on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:10:55 AM PDT

          •  It's a UCC church.

            We also have churches that still hold some services in German.  When they came to America, they often found that the Lutheran church with its top-down hierarchy would not allow them any German liturgy.  Thus the German Congregational Church was born when the Congregational Church's more inclusive congregational polity allowed them to continue their own ways of worship.  (The Congregational Church was one of the denominations that merged to become the UCC in the 1950s, some of which were German Reformed, that is Germans who were already Calvinists.)

            I really don't see Trinity's African focus as being all that different.  It's a predominantly African-American church!  I actually rather honor their commitment to Africa.

            by Progressive Witness on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:59:57 AM PDT

            •  agreed. eom

              by Mannabass on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 01:19:05 PM PDT

        •  It's just got the language of liberation theology

          If you'd prefer to say that it's a "mainstream protestant" church that just happens to use the language of lib theo, it doesn't matter to me.

          by burrow owl on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 12:07:09 PM PDT

          •  I just don't think that lib theo is

            a "faith."  It's more of a philosophical orientation, or at least that is how I've thought of it, a way of applying faith in a given social context.  

            I mean, as far as the faith tenets - God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Baptism, the Sacraments - it's all pretty standard fare.

            by Mother of Zeus on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 12:24:35 PM PDT

            •  Jesus christ.

              Either discuss honestly or don't at all.  

              by burrow owl on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 04:46:58 PM PDT

              •  Yeah, that was called for.

                Bye now.

                by Mother of Zeus on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 05:57:09 PM PDT

  •  I think you might want to do a little

    background research on Obama's faith if you believe that.  I highly recommend starting with this.

    I also highly recommend sharing this video with others.

    by Mother of Zeus on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:55:04 AM PDT

    •  Toal BS

      I will listen to everything the lady has to say. But the "attends Barack Obama's church" says it all. I mean you get how meanless that is right?

      by webranding on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:59:09 AM PDT

      •  Uh, no, please explain what you are talking about

        I honestly do not know what you are trying to say.

        by Mother of Zeus on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:03:51 AM PDT

      •  Please explain. eom

        by Mannabass on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:11:31 AM PDT

      •  What is meanless?

        Your comment is unintelligable.

        by Inventor on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:22:29 AM PDT

•  Tips and comments

  Thanks for your input and insight

  by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:40:48 AM PDT

•  Nah.

  Kennedy had to defend being Catholic, and did much more than that with that speech.

  Obama would have to deny being Muslim, which is quite a different thing. It could be seen as very negative toward Islam.

  We just have to be vigilant about refuting claims that he's an extremist or something like that. And frankly the nuts who believe that he's an extremist aren't going to vote for ANY democrat. They'll be lucky if they can find the right end of the pencil to vote at all.

  by leftilicious on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:43:15 AM PDT

  •  No I said

    importance of faith in his own life, but more importantly the importance of faith to all Americans and how we as Americans have a history of honoring all religions and creeds.

    It allows him to embrace all Americans and their fatih. It says, I am you, you are all people of faith, we are Americans. Lets stop letting these people divide us by our creed because the Constitution directs us to allow encourage religious freedom.

    by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:32:27 AM PDT

    •  We aren't

      all people of faith. Don't go all Romney on me now.

      by Carey A on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 11:01:47 AM PDT

      •  ahhh

        But we all have faith in something, even if it is in the Flying Spaghetti Monster:)

        I suppose there are those who have a faith in NOTHING. But it could be argued that they have faith in nothing:)

        by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 11:52:02 AM PDT

        •  Bah Humbug

          It's incorrect to say I have have faith in nothing. What is correct is that I do not have faith in anything.

          This is an important distinction, because I can't stand it when the religious refer to atheism as a religion. It is no more a religion than NOT collecting stamps is a hobby (I borrowed that from somewhere, didn't make it up myself).

          by Carey A on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 12:06:26 PM PDT

          •  I give up :)

            But the Constitution still guarantees your right to believe or not believe according to your own conscience. To me that is the important message he can deliver.

            by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 12:44:00 PM PDT

•  The problem I have with the "He's a Christian!"

  defense is that the vehement denial implies there's something wrong with / he'd be disqualifed if he were a Muslim.  
  It's why the Christian Charlie Chaplin never denied rumors that he was a Jew - - Chaplin said that denying it would mean he felt it was something to be ashamed of.

  by Barry in MIA on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:43:34 AM PDT

  •  I am not saying "He"s a Christian"

    I am saying that is it an opportunity to remind us all of our Constitutional obligation to be tolerant and embrace people of all faiths. It is typical of this campaign not to deny but to remind that we have obligations as citizens to live our Constitution.

    by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:34:17 AM PDT

•  I handle Obama's "religion question" like this:

  The people who claim Obama is a Muslim are
  the same ones who claimed George W Bush is a Christian!

  by labradog on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:45:13 AM PDT

  •  Hahahah!

    Love it!

    by leftilicious on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:46:41 AM PDT

  •  excellent!

    by Pandoras Box on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:51:31 AM PDT

  •  FTW!

    by LoLoLaLa on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:31:44 AM PDT

•  I Have To Beat Back

  the Muslim shit via email on my end 24/7. I did it even when I wanted another to beat Obama (that would be Edwards). IMO you don't win this debate by forwarding his religion. It won't matter. You do it with facts.

  by webranding on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:47:07 AM PDT

•  Kennedy's speech...

  has been misrepresented recently in light of Romney's speech.

  Kennedy didn't defend being Catholic, he defended his right to full participation in the government regardless of his religion.

  Mitt pandered, Kennedy said Kiss Off!

  I think ridicule is the best way to address this meme.

  by gooners on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:49:50 AM PDT

  •  Yes, If I Understand It

    Kennedy's speech was I won't look to the Pope or church to run America. I'll run America if elected. And as you said, "piss off" if you don't like it.

    by webranding on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:52:45 AM PDT

    •  it's pretty strong, and worth reading...

      text of speech

      These are the real issues which should decide this campaign. And they are not religious issues — for war and hunger and ignorance and despair know no religious barriers.

      I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute

      Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice

      I would not look with favor upon a president working to subvert the First Amendment's guarantees of religious liberty. Nor would our system of checks and balances permit him to do so. And neither do I look with favor upon those who would work to subvert Article VI of the Constitution by requiring a religious test — even by indirection — for it. If they disagree with that safeguard, they should be out openly working to repeal it.

      by gooners on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:00:02 AM PDT

  •  EXACTLY

    he defended his right to full participation in the government regardless of his religion.

    I am saying that Kennedy had to defend his right to participation BUT for Obama I am saying he can remind us that WE ALL HAVE A RIGHT TO PARTICIPATION and that those who would have a litmus test are unpatriotic because they ignore and dismiss what is plainly there in OUR CONSTITUTION.

    by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:37:00 AM PDT

•  He did give that speech

  Back in 2006 - "A call to renewal".

  It works equally well for debunking the Muslim rumors, appealing to Christians, and appealing to atheists like myself. It also gives me a great deal of confidence that he could go toe-to-toe with Huckabee for the Evangelical voters, in the unlikely event that McCain implodes before the convention.

  There's video of it around somewhere too but I'm afraid I don't have the link for that.

  by sab39 on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:50:52 AM PDT

  •  It may be time to go there again...

    now that he has a wider audience with more scrutiny, But the bigger issue is to remind us of our obligations of citizenship.

    Thats what I love about this guy, he asks us to participate.

    Who'd have thunk it?

    by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:39:22 AM PDT

•  Question for a Muslim or someone knowledgable . .

  some religious memberships are by matrilineal descent, others patrilineal descent, and others confessional - - ie, (and grossly generalizing) in the eyes of most Jewish authority, youre a Jew if your mother was a Jew; in the eyes of most Baptist authority, you're a Christian if you accept Christ.
  What is the Muslim belief?

  by Barry in MIA on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:57:35 AM PDT

  •  my mom is muslim

    It depends on how much of a religious purist you are.  The Koran states that religion cannot be inherited, but has to be accepted as an adult.  Muslims, as far as I know, don't have the equivalent of 'baptism' since a child cannot be a muslim.  Once you are of age (age itself is disputed) you have to choose islam.  There is also no concept of original sin, so if you die as a baby before you choose a religion you are innocent.

    by sunshineonthebay on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:08:52 AM PDT

    •  Interesting

      Forgive my ignorance, but does this mean that even though Sen. Obama's father and grandfather were Muslims, unless he accepts the faith as an adult, he would basically be a clean slate with no religious affiliation until he decides to accept either Islam or some other religion?

      In another thread someone mentions that it doesn't matter what Sen. Obama says now, the fact that his father and grandfather were Muslims makes him a Muslim.  I've often wondered about this since I heard that a person born of a Jewish mother is Jewish...but then I thought being Jewish is more than a religion, it's an actual ethnic group?

      by fumie on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:40:31 AM PDT

      •  depends which version of islam

        Some muslims would agree with that statement, but it depends more on if you are from a paternalistic society, than islam itself.  If one were to practice islam in its purist form, no, he is not automatically muslim because of his father.
        Islam is not an ethnicity like Judaism.  In fact, islamic followers have made a point of showing that it spans race and ethnicity since the early days (one of the very first converts was a free black slave), hence the large number of AAs who are muslim.

        by sunshineonthebay on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:45:39 AM PDT

      •  Islam is a religion

        not an ethnic group. Muslims are Arab, Semitic, Aryan, East African, West African, Southeast Asian, Pacific, etc. etc.

        So you can't "inherit" a religion, if the rules of the religion state that you have to choose that religion as an adult.

        by Carey A on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 11:07:47 AM PDT

    •  THANKS!! I DIDNT KNOW THAT !!!!

      by Barry in MIA on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 05:57:06 PM PDT

•  I'm gonna stick with this:

  "What are you, a fucking idiot?  You believe this shit?  Cant you freaking think for yourself?  Cant you possibly do your own research?  Its no wonder you got duped into voting for GWB (or Nader) you jackass.  Think for yourself."

  Its worked thus far.

  by environmentalist on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:58:48 AM PDT

  •  oh and

    then I'm gonna call them an 'asshat'.

    Just because I like saying "asshat".

    by environmentalist on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 09:59:41 AM PDT

    •  My preferred answer:

      "You must be an incredible embarrassment to your family."

      by Finck II on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:14:06 AM PDT

      •  That works too!

        by environmentalist on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:26:16 AM PDT

•  Barack Obama is a Christian.

  He has belonged to the same church, the United Church of Christ, for 20 years.  It's a mainline Protestant church.  He attends Trinity United in Chicago, a very large congregation that is majority African American.  Here is an outstanding video that talks about his church and denomination:

  Don't "deny" he is a Muslim.  Don't even use the name "Barack Obama" and the word "Muslim" in the same sentence.  Not because there is anything wrong with being Muslim, but b/c we're dealing with a bias that cannot be confronted directly in an competitive electoral context and "denials" merely reinforce the meme.  If someone persists in asking questions, say you think the e-mails got started as a smear campaign based on the fact that he has his grandfather's first name as a middle name, and that Hussein is not an uncommon name in Kenya, where Barack's grandfather is from.  Barack went to Catholic and secular public schools in Indonesia.  Indonesia is a majority Muslim country, but Barack did not go do religious schools there except for his years at the Catholic school.

  by Mother of Zeus on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:01:57 AM PDT

•  Obama has already...

  ...laid out his religious stance via an interview with Christianity Today...

  http://www.christianitytoday.com/...

  I would assume Christianity Today's audience is about 90% red state fundamentalists.

  So you have to give props to C.T. for allowing Obama to use their forum to set the record straight.

  You would think C.T. would be the type outfit that would try to play gotcha games with Obama concerning his alleged Muslim allegiance.

  But they didn't:  They  showed class.

  by wyvern on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:04:32 AM PDT

  •  Yes but his power as we have

    heard over and over again is his words, particularly when he speaks them.

    by Seattlite on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:40:44 AM PDT

•  1st: It's a lie,

  2nd: Discriminating on religion is unconstitutional, unamerican and disgraceful,
  3 Muslim ≠ terrorist.

  by Leo in NJ on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 10:06:43 AM PDT