A new national survey by the Pew Research Center reports an increasing number of people in every group polled holds the wacky belief that President Obama is a Muslim. Sadly, the folks that look like me (conservatives, white evangelicals) are the ones most likely (34 percent and 29 percent) to believe this nonsense.
But if you look at the percentage increase, the most significant shift on the religious side is white mainliners (22 percent, a change of +12) and white Catholics (22 percent, a change of +13). The groups that have shifted the least are, naturally, African Americans and liberal Democrats. Yet both of these groups are now less likely to identify him as a Christian.
Almost as interesting—and not nearly as crazy—is the increase in the number of people who say they can’t identify his religion. A plurality—43 percent—now say they do not know what Obama’s religion is, up from 34 percent in 2009.
Being confused about Obama’s beliefs is understandable considering the confused way he defines himself.
In a 2004 interview Obama stated clearly, “I am a Christian.” Yet in the same interview he says “intellectually I’ve drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith” and “I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” While his grandparents “joined a Universalist church” his mother (“wasn’t a church lady” ) married a non-practicing Muslim and moved to Indonesia where Barack attended Catholic school: “So I was studying the Bible and catechisms by day, and at night you’d hear the prayer call.”
Obama thinks religion is “at it’s best comes with a big dose of doubt.” He thinks “Jesus is an historical figure . . . he’s also a wonderful teacher” and certainly doesn’t think Christ is the only way to salvation (“I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.”). He’s not sure about heaven and defines sin as “Being out of alignment with my values.” Additionally, he says he feels the most centered and most aligned spiritually when he’s being true to himself and that he’s a “follower, as well, of our civic religion.”
With answers like that, is it any wonder people are confused? Whatever that adds up to (Unitarianism?) it sure doesn’t look anything like the beliefs of a secret Muslim.
August 19th, 2010 | 2:05 am
What this poll does not elaborate on is that many people who say he is a Muslim KNOW that he has stated that he is a Christian. They just don’t believe him. He has lied about so many other things and been very sympathetic to Muslims without corresponding sympathy towards his own citizens. So it’s not that 21% of the country is simply “incorrect”. It is that 21% believe he is a Muslim in his heart. Given his behavior, why do you think the idea is such a wacky one?
August 19th, 2010 | 2:38 am
Obama’s beliefs pretty much reflect the beliefs of many Americans. Certainly not of Joe Carter’s fellow congregants but Caucasian evangelicals are still only one-quarter of the U.S. population. If you add in black churches — which sometimes look a bit like predominantly Caucasian evangelical churches in terms of basic theology — that still only gets you one third of the country.
Only 60% of Americans believe in a “personal God” while 25% believe God is an “impersonal force.” Additionally, only 60% of Americans believe there is a literal hell.
A whopping 70% of Americans agree with the statements “Many religions can lead to eternal life” and “There is more than one true way to interpret the teaching of my religion.”
These results are equally valid for Catholics and mainline Protestants as well. It is only white evangelicals (and sometimes members of black churches) who strongly agree with the orthodox teachings of Christianity.
All this is from the Pew report on religion in the U.S. It is a fascinating read.
In short, if Obama’s statements introduce doubt as to whether he is a real Christian or not, one can equally wonder whether up to 50% of Americans qualify as real Christians also. Such an observation would be fatal to the claim of America as a “Christian nation,” though.
August 19th, 2010 | 2:58 am
Really? Which of his statements contradicts Islamic doctrine?
And if he were a secret Muslim, he probably wouldn’t say anything to give the appearance of being Muslim.
August 19th, 2010 | 3:05 am
Not true. If you read the poll it says 10% believe Obama is Moslem from his actions. Most (60%) of the folks who admit to this odd belief said they came to this opinion from the media.
In other words, people are being manipulated by lies and untruths, and they are unable or unwilling to find out the truth for themselves.
It’s a shame that some members of the media have no qualms about spreading falsehoods and encouraging division among the American people. These hate mongers are not patriots; they are hurting America with their demagoguery.
August 19th, 2010 | 3:08 am
TLOS Really? Which of his statements contradicts Islamic doctrine?
Hmm. . . well, how about: “intellectually I’ve drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith”
That doesn’t sound very Muslim-like, does it?
And if he were a secret Muslim, he probably wouldn’t say anything to give the appearance of being Muslim.
Good point. Secret Muslims would probably do things like comment on blogs about how Obama was a secret Muslim so that it would give the appearance that the idea was kooky and . . . hey, wait a minute. How do we know you are not a secret Muslim? Are you now or have you ever been a secret Muslim?
(You’ll probably say no. But that is exactly what a secret Muslim would do.)
August 19th, 2010 | 4:54 am
“Hmm. . . well, how about: “intellectually I’ve drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith”
That doesn’t sound very Muslim-like, does it?”
Most of the Muslim religion is drawn from Judaism. Mohammed was familiar with Jewish texts when he wrote the Koran, and Muslims consider the Jewish Bible divine, but corrupted.
And you shouldn’t mock my use of the phrase “secret Muslim”, since you used the phrase in your original blog post. I think the best indication of Obama’s beliefs come from his policies, not his words. And so far, Obama’s foreign policy and domestic policy have both been extremely Islam-centric.
August 19th, 2010 | 5:46 am
[...] is a Muslim. Sadly, the folks that look like me (conservatives, … Read the rest here: Apparently, Everyone Now Thinks Obama is a Muslim » First Thoughts … Comments [...]
August 19th, 2010 | 5:47 am
Mr. Carter,
Maybe he’s on double-secret probation from Dean Newt Gingrich, and so he has to make sure his Muslim bona fides are well hidden, or at least until the ghost of John Belushi gives him a rousing (if factually inaccurate) speech.
August 19th, 2010 | 7:16 am
Mr. Carter,
Great response to TLOS’s conspiratorial view of Obama. There are enough grounds to criticize the President but the views of those like TLOS run the risk of making the President’s opponents look positively insane.
August 19th, 2010 | 7:37 am
Sorry. The people are not to blame. Obama is. He’s not trustworthy (he lies) and he’s running this country against the will of the people. That sort of behavior will lead others to think all sorts of wild things and even true ones. However, Obama’s record as the most radical pro-abort to be in the White House should quell some theories of him being a secret Muslim. Especially with our new health care laws where we have to pay for others abortions by threat of jail.
Unless of course Muslims are allowed to opt out of health care. Oh, wait they are. Because the concept of being compelled to participate in a program like health care offends Muslim sensitivities.
And we wonder why people think Obama is a secret Muslim?
But all that aside, there is the fact that the man, while identifying as a Christian, is raising two young children and he (or his wife) have not seen the need to get the girls to church, even on Christmas or Easter.
I do like though how the man is unifying the country -against him. True it’s not the way he promised he would unify us. But what other promises has he kept?
August 19th, 2010 | 8:13 am
First Bush derangement syndrome, now Obama derangement syndrome.The more things change, the more….
August 19th, 2010 | 8:19 am
The base of this problem is that the media never vetted Obama. While they sent dozens of reporters to dig up dirt on Palin…Obama’s personal history was taboo.
Does make you wonder if the MSM suspected they might find something in their candidate’s background?
We still don’t really know much about him.
August 19th, 2010 | 8:28 am
Which of his views contradicts Islam? How about this one:
He’s not sure about heaven and defines sin as “Being out of alignment with my values.”
You won’t find that in Islam, which is quite clear on both points. It’s not a compliment to say he sounds more like a Unitarian than a Muslim, it’s just the facts.
BTW, for the suspicious (and I agree that there’s good reason not to be entirely credulous about what President Obama says about most things) where does one find the concept of a “secret Muslim” either in Islamic thought or in history?
I have very little good to say about our current President, but just because you don’t trust him doesn’t mean there’s any actual reason to think he’s a secret Muslim. Or a secret Hindu. Or a secret professional interior decorator. A denial of something by an untrustworthy person does not equate to that thing being true or credible.
August 19th, 2010 | 8:38 am
If I were to believe any conspiracy story concerning Obama’s past, I would believe the one about him (and possibly his mother and step-father) being connected to the CIA. Taking cursory glance at Google will reveal the argument presented and it makes much more sense than him being some sort of “Secret Muslim Communist.”
As far as religious secrets go, he is more likely to possess atheistic or weak deistic views like a lot of our more liberal Americans- a common viewpoint but one that is perhaps more politically damaging.
August 19th, 2010 | 9:30 am
Per:
He’s not sure about heaven and defines sin as “Being out of alignment with my values.”
“my values”.
hahahahahahahahhahahahahaha
Gosh does he love himself. Not much of a religious man. I vote for he’s a secret interior decorator.
August 19th, 2010 | 9:34 am
He is clearly an Obamist.
August 19th, 2010 | 9:48 am
From what I’ve seen and read, it appears that Obama falls into the category of “spiritual but not religious.” A cop-out and a failure to commit to any structured set of theological and moral truths. (When does life begin? Above my pay grade.) In practice, he has consistently pandered to the Muslim world, from his pitifully abnigating speech in Cairo to his recent iftar dinner (sort of) defense of the proposed Ground Zero mosque.
August 19th, 2010 | 10:39 am
He’s an atheist. I would say he’s agnostic, but it’s obvious he doesn’t believe there is anything above him. If there was some being greater than him then morality would not be ambiguous or arbitrary.
He won’t tell anyone that though.
He does not say things to make us happy. He says things to make his paymasters happy.
Read those quotes again. They are drivel. They don’t mean anything because they were meant to confuse people.
August 19th, 2010 | 11:29 am
He’s not trustworthy (he lies) and he’s running this country against the will of the people. That sort of behavior will lead others to think all sorts of wild things and even true ones.
I do like though how the man is unifying the country -against him.
In the latest Real Clear Politics poll his favorable rating is 51%. Gallup has it at 44%. Thinking all sorts of wild things indeed. The hard Right’s response to Obama has been hate-fueled fantasy.
August 19th, 2010 | 11:48 am
The people who believe Obama is a Muslim are overwhelmingly conservative Christians. But the Pew survey shows that even secular liberals who’d scoff at the notion that Obama is a Muslim don’t believe Obama is a Christian.
What this suggests is that, no matter how many times Obama says he’s a Christian, millions of secular liberals remain convinced that NO intelligent, rational liberal could possibly be a Christian. And so, they tell themselves, “He’s too smart to believe that stuff. If he SAYS he’s a Christian, well, he’s just putting on an act to fool stupid Christian voters. A smart guy like him HAS to be an atheist like me.”
August 19th, 2010 | 12:03 pm
Hey, all you bright people, would you believe it if you heard it from his own lips? Obama confessed he’s a Muslim to George Stephanopoulos in a network interview (Stephanopoulos had to remind him that he poses as a Christian.) Does that count? Or is that irrational?
http://tinyurl.com/479ekj
August 19th, 2010 | 12:24 pm
Ahem, ahem. Yes, that’s irrational. Irrational people hear what they want to hear, which in this case is the opposite of the point was Obama actually making.
August 19th, 2010 | 12:43 pm
Hey Ahem,
I just saw Elvis on the Grassy Knoll….
August 19th, 2010 | 12:44 pm
Ahem, gee, nothing gets past you does it? Obama apologists will naturally point to the fact that he once ordered a smoked pork sausage at “Ben’s Chili Bowl” in full view of the press corps.
Which just proves how crafty Barack Hussein Obama is. Every secret Muslim knows how to pretend to eat pork to impress their infidel friends.
August 19th, 2010 | 12:59 pm
“Which just proves how crafty Barack Hussein Obama is. Every secret Muslim knows how to pretend to eat pork to impress their infidel friends.”
hahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Remember the good old days here at FT when Sarah Palin would be photographed wearing an Israel pin and that would have O’s friends here ask (in all seriousness) if this was an indication she was praying for the end times?
Oh my, were those wiping-the-tears-of-laughter-from-your-eyes days.
If Obama would like people to think he’s what he says he is– a Christian), going to Church on Sunday would’ve the most obvious way to achieve it. As well as not passing mandatory legislation that violates the religious beliefs of…wait for it…Christians.
What I love is that in this poll 1 out of 10 Democrats think the guy is a Muslim. And that the percentage of folks who don’t know what is he has gone *way,way up* after 18 months of his in office wagging his chin daily about who he is. With a normal president that number goes the opposite direction.
August 19th, 2010 | 1:08 pm
Mrs. Jackson, Obama’s not practicing his Christian faith in a public way, or even in a private way that you and I think indicates it’s deeply important to him (he does get a Bible verse delivered to his Blackberry each day) doesn’t make him a Muslim. Logic 101.
August 19th, 2010 | 1:12 pm
Ken, you’re like those jurors in the Rodney King case who were convinced by the sophistry of an attorney to disbelieve the evidence of their own senses: Clearly, the video showed King was controlling the actions of four hefty police officers from his dazed, prone position on the ground.
If you’re not working for Starbucks, you should be.
August 19th, 2010 | 1:12 pm
sadly Mr. Obama’s religion is “oportunism” and he’s not even practicing that very well these days.
August 19th, 2010 | 3:39 pm
“Mrs. Jackson, Obama’s not practicing his Christian faith in a public way, or even in a private way that you and I think indicates it’s deeply important to him (he does get a Bible verse delivered to his Blackberry each day) doesn’t make him a Muslim. Logic 101.”
And further, Obama not practicing Christian faith in ANY way, or not being a Christian (if that is your contention) STILL doesn’t prove he’s a Muslim. Every single thing about him points to the fact that he’s functionally a secularist progressive, not a traditional religionist of any stripe.
Ahem is one of those people who is more swayed by a single slip of the tongue, than by the fact that Obama’s supposed practice of Islam doesn’t look like the practice of any actual Muslim, but does look like the practice of secularist liberals who like to appease Muslims. What does that more likely make him, then?
August 19th, 2010 | 4:03 pm
Ahem is one of those people who is more swayed by a single slip of the tongue
I think rather that ahem is one of the many self-professed Christians for whom “love your enemy” means looking for every possible reason to think poorly of him. ahem isn’t swayed by a slip of the tongue, but by what he wishes to believe.
August 19th, 2010 | 5:30 pm
Who would ever believe a White House would have to do this?
White House says Obama is Christian, prays daily
The Associated Press
Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010 | 11:06 a.m.
The White House insisted on Thursday that President Barack Obama is a Christian…
——-
hahahahahahahaahahaha
Poor Robert Gibbs and Rahm Emauel. They know all too well this is also the same White House that insists the economy is improving. The the sea levels are rising. Or are they lowering? And that just because O was elected we are –for the first time -talking care of our sick.
Guess this was the religion we were waiting for…
August 19th, 2010 | 5:56 pm
You say:
Obama certainly doesn’t think Christ is the only way to salvation (“I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.”).
But this quote is about how many will be saved, or about how many God elects to salvation (as in Calvinism). I don’t think the quote makes one a rejecter of “salvation by Christ alone”.
August 19th, 2010 | 6:45 pm
I’m reasonably convinced he isn’t. Yet I also have my doubts regarding his commitment to the things of Christ. Be that as it may, what is most troubling is the fact that after being on the known political scene now for roughly six years nationally (since his speech at the Dem’s convention in ’04) I’d like to be able to say who and what he is. That’s why people are still asking the question. But I can’t answer that either. Does anybody know who & what Barrack truly is? Even Charlie Rose and Tom Brokaw expressed the question on the eve of the ’08 election. The answer remains elusive. And that cloud of unknowing regarding the question, at this stage of things, should’ve been answered already.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzMas1bVidw
August 19th, 2010 | 8:25 pm
Nicolas Thomas I don’t think the quote makes one a rejecter of “salvation by Christ alone”.
I just excerpted a piece of it. The fuller quote makes it clear where he stands on the issue:
August 19th, 2010 | 8:45 pm
I believe salvation is only possible because of Christ’s sacrifice. I see no reason to think that everyone who is saved has to know that. I think there are many things that keep godly people from professing Christianity.
Perhaps Obama believes the same.
August 19th, 2010 | 9:13 pm
“I think rather that ahem is one of the many self-professed Christians for whom “love your enemy” means looking for every possible reason to think poorly of him.”
That may be, but it isn’t even necessary to think he’s a Muslim to think poorly of him. That’s part of my point. Being a functional Unitarian/secularist progressive or however you want to label it is no real improvement over being a Muslim. And BTW, I agree with you that seeking reasons to think poorly of someone not a very Christian attitude, but I don’t SEEK to think poorly of him — it’s just hard to avoid, even when trying to be charitable.
August 19th, 2010 | 9:56 pm
I agree with you that seeking reasons to think poorly of someone not a very Christian attitude, but I don’t SEEK to think poorly of him — it’s just hard to avoid, even when trying to be charitable.
I don’t share your feelings, but I understand and respect them. It’s the folks who take such obvious glee in finding fault with him that I find fault with.
August 19th, 2010 | 10:24 pm
As stated in their report: “The new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life — conducted July 21-Aug. 5 among 3,003 respondents.”
20% of that was 600 people, of the 300 million in the USA. Anyone who has access to the Internet, reads newspapers or news magazines, or even carefully watches TV news would know that President Obama in a Christian. He is promoting freedom of religion, as did our Constitution, and trying to avoid bigotry toward Muslims. He probably has more sensitivity to it because he once lived in Indonesia
September 4th, 2010 | 8:40 am
[...] Not Muslim. Not Atheist. Not Christian. What’s left. Here. [...]
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