Ok. . . This is terrifying.

[Gaspar]

I think it's great that he and his family are making such a sacrifice.  It sounds like they really would love to be more involved with their faith, but simply don't want to put anyone out, and as mentioned in another thread, the handheld devices really represent a miracle, apparently more to some than others.

I don't go to church regularly and I am passing no judgment on him, my point remains that he has opened the door to speculation and is frustrated that people are speculating.  The media is outraged over the fact the the American public has an active imagination.  

[RecycleMichael]

I don't go to church regularly and I am passing no judgment on him, my point remains that he has opened the door to speculation and is frustrated that people are speculating.  The media is outraged over the fact the the American public has an active imagination.  

B.S. hypocrite.

You just want to take cheap shots and call it speculation.

I speculate you are really a alien from outer space. If anyone defends that you are not or tells me that your origin is none of my business, it will really piss me off.

[Conan71]

B.S. hypocrite.

You just want to take cheap shots and call it speculation.

I speculate you are really a alien from outer space. If anyone defends that you are not or tells me that your origin is none of my business, it will really piss me off.

He's not an alien from outer space and his origin is none of your business.

[Gaspar]

Damn dyslexia.  I thought you said Organ, and I agree that my organ is none of your business.

Don't get angry. I am simply making an observation.  There are a multitude of factors that are causing a significant portion of the American public to question President Obama's faith.  Perhaps it's easier to continue this discussion by exploring some ways that he could end this speculation.

Like it or not, when it comes to faith, it is his responsibility to control the message. At this point he is not in control.  What does he need to do to regain control?

[Conan71]

"I'm going to pistol-whip the next person who says "Shenanigans"'

"Hey Farva, what's the name of that bar you always go to?"

[nathanm]

It is not idiotic for us to question our ELECTED leader.  

It is idiotic, and a little offensive, (not because there's anything wrong with being a Muslim, but because the answer is so plainly obvious and well known that it shows ulterior motives when you get it wrong) to call someone who professes to be Christian a Muslim. Especially when there was so much coverage of his former church. It's not as if he's been secretive about exactly which religion he subscribes to. If he was less open about it, I could understand the confusion.

To my mind it's like asking "What does 2+2 equal?" and 52% of the sample stating that the answer is probably or definitely five. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of fact.

[RecycleMichael]

There are a multitude of factors that are causing a significant portion of the American public to question President Obama's faith.  Perhaps it's easier to continue this discussion by exploring some ways that he could end this speculation.

Like it or not, when it comes to faith, it is his responsibility to control the message. At this point he is not in control.  What does he need to do to regain control?

The multitude of factors can all be traced to political hacks repeating lies over and over again. He can never end unfounded "speculation" (lie after lie repeated).

He can't control the message. Not today. All it itakes is a couple of people commenting over and over again on FOX news and it will live forever.

[Townsend]

The multitude of factors can all be traced to political hacks repeating lies over and over again. He can never end unfounded "speculation" (lie after lie repeated).

He can't control the message. Not today. All it itakes is a couple of people commenting over and over again on FOX news and it will live forever.

It shouldn't matter any damned way.

[Hoss]

It shouldn't matter any damned way.

+1

We never heard this kind of rhetoric when Bush was elected.  I don't care what his name is, it should NEVER have been made part of the public discourse.  Last time it was made as such, it was JFK and his 'Catholicness'....

[heironymouspasparagus]

It is idiotic and a whole lot offensive!!

The Murdochian lie machine is in full force on the church thing as it has been on so many topics related to Obama.  And it is blatantly obvious from this that Rupert is not only an atheist, but a pedophile and terrorist supporter of Al Qaeda!!  I suspect him of John Waters style oddities, too - as in the epicurean delights of Divine in Pink Flamingoes.

http://www.nndb.com/people/420/000023351/

And where did Reagan and Baby Bush attend church in DC?  And why no outcry?

[Gaspar]

Again. . .It does no good to get mad at the american people and call them idiots.  They are the very audience that he needs to move. 

Fox News (and CNBC, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN) did not touch this story until after the original Pew Poll results back on August 19th.


http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1701/poll-obama-muslim-christian-church-out-of-politics-political-leaders-religious

And of the Democrats polled, only 46% claimed to believe he is a Christian.  Perhaps the rest are Fox fans?  I don't know?

I watch fox in the morning and CNBC for most of the rest of the day online.  Prior to this poll there was no discussion of President Obama's religious preferences.  None since the election.  There were a few quips here and there about him not attending prayer breakfasts and other noise, but nothing news worthy.  It was after this poll, that all of the networks made it a top story.  And continue to.

Now the more liberal of them have turned their anger and disbelief at the American people calling them everything from stupid, to idiotic.  The blame game has started and of course FOX is going to be a target as they should be.

None of this changes the FACTS that a significant number of the american population questions the president's faith.  So back to the question.  How does he take control?

[nathanm]

Again. . .It does no good to get mad at the american people and call them idiots. 

And of the Democrats polled, only 46% claimed to believe he is a Christian.  Perhaps the rest are Fox fans?  I don't know?

I'm not mad, I'm annoyed that I'm sharing a country with people who are that dense. It's one thing to not know (in fact, that could be considered a good thing, who cares what religion he is?), but it's another thing entirely to say that he's probably or definitely a Muslim.

FWIW, in the Newsweek poll, only 17% of Democrats claimed he's a Muslim. I think the question about whether he favors Muslims to be even more interesting, where 59% of Republicans said he generally favors the interests of Muslims over other groups, while only 9% and 28% of Democrats and Independents believe that to be the case.

A large part of the issue is probably that mainly only the true believers nutballs are willing to identify themselves as Republican these days.

[Conan71]

+1

We never heard this kind of rhetoric when Bush was elected.  I don't care what his name is, it should NEVER have been made part of the public discourse.  Last time it was made as such, it was JFK and his 'Catholicness'.... Romney and his moronism

FIFY, and yes, I'm aware I left an M out.

[Townsend]

+1

We never heard this kind of rhetoric when Bush was elected.  I don't care what his name is, it should NEVER have been made part of the public discourse.  Last time it was made as such, it was JFK and his 'Catholicness'.... Romney and his moronism

FIFY, and yes, I'm aware I left an M out.

I'll stick with Kennedy.

Beck can't say much about Romney and the only ones who ever grumble about someone else's religion are the ones who seem to hate that there are other religions...and hindu, islam, et al teach it's ok that there are other religions. 

I'm pretty sure the agnostics and athiests were pretty quiet about Kennedy and catholicism.  I'm thinking it was the Protestants having the fits then and I'm sure it's the same now.

Again, it should not matter.

[Hoss]

FIFY, and yes, I'm aware I left an M out.

It was more of his own party that were giving him a hard time than anything else.