I think Obama's mailer is smart for South Carolina.  I don't think it's okay to bring religion into politics, but the fact that we have so much bigotry directed toward muslims in this country, I think he has to do it.  But in that same mailer, he should point out that bigotry against muslims is just as bad as any hatred toward any religious groups.  It's really too bad he has to do this.  But I understand.  I think it's completely different than what Huckabee is doing.  Huckabee wants to change the constitution to fit the bible, Obama just wants people to know he's a Christian.  

I hope Hillary supporters like myself, recognize this MSNBC crap for what it is and don't feed into it.  Let's keep this race about the issues. I want to see Hillary win fair and square and not because of a bunch of bigots spreading lies about Obama's heritage and religion.  

Hillary 08!

LMAO, we have Obama right where we want him, get on board the Hillary express!!! we are running the board on the states now. Say bye bye Obama

The media would go crazy if this was a Republican candidate!

As a Christian myself, I am not sure I can support Trinity United's "missison statement"
If you were to replace every "black" with "white" and "Africa" with "Europe" and assign this web site to a white male.....?  I think there would be some real hell to pay.

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:

A congregation committed to ADORATION.
A congregation preaching SALVATION.
A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

Click here to read about Dr. Wright’s talking points for Trinity United Church of Christ its Web site and the Black Value System.

 
 
 

Obama's form of religion is bothersome.  No, he is not a Mulism, but this southside Chicago, Trinity Church, and its pastor, and Obama friend, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright preach "black power" and support Nation of Islam lead Farrahkan.

I was "okay" with the idea of Obama for president, though he certainly isn't my first choice.  This mailer has changed my mind about that, and I hope before November we'll have choices on the ballot that will uphold separation of Church and State, and place the will of the people, of all faiths of none, above their own personal beliefs.

His father (I read) was Muslim. My father is Baptist, so am I, for 50 years. He has been a member for 20 years, was he Muslim the first 30? His middle name may be funny to him, heck his whole name gives me concern, but it is his name. Stop giving excuses for your lack of experience. Your religion is yours. What you will do to American is my concern. You don't have a record to show what you have done, so I'll stay with proven leadership and vote Hillary.

Oh man, I am soooo disappointed with Obama pulling out the religious card. I has chosen him over Hillary until now. That cooked his goose with me. I am Episcopalian and attend church often, and that really turned me off.

Clintons don't even use the religion card shame on you Obama .Maybe you really do think you are Ronald Reagan .

Folks, he is not playing a religious card he is simply rebutting false and anonymous accusations that he is a Muslim.  Plain and simple.

Plus, any of you that think Obama does not cherish the separation of church an state need to get your heads out of you know where.

Oh man, I am soooo disappointed with Obama pulling out the religious card. I has chosen him over Hillary until now. That cooked his goose with me. I am Episcopalian and attend church often, and that really turned me off.
Roger, Connecticut

Dude, he's not playing the religious card. He's simply trying to fight the misconceptions by some out there that he's a Muslim extremist trying to take over the government. It's sad that he even hads to so this but there are so many idiots out there...

This seems to be yet more pandering on the part of the Obama camp. Apparently he is willing to exploit ANYTHING he can for votes, whether it's race or religion, and all in the name of "HOPE". There is something so slick about the way he handles himself and his campaign. Once again he will play  the "Mr.
innocent and pure card" and allow others around him to carry out the dirty work. Also, just because you send out a mailer claiming to be Christian doesn't really clarify anything. It's like everything else he claims about himself...we're supposed to believe him on BLIND FAITH, just because he says so! I'm not overly comfortable with the fact that his church pledges their commitment to AFRICA, NOT AMERICA! I thought a presidential candidate's highest commitment was supposed to be to OUR COUNTRY..... HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT!!!!

Please educate yourselves before you form such hardened opinions. Hear Obama's views on the role of faith in American life.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/faith/


As for Obama's Kenyan father, he was born into a Muslim family but disavowed religion at an early age.  He could more aptly be described as agnostic or athiest.  Furthermore, Obama's father left his mother when Barack was two years old.  

When Obama lived in Indonesia with his mother and Indonesian step-father, he attended a secular school.  Furthermore, having played on the streets and yards of the most populous Muslim nation is viewed by many to give him important credibility and insights into Muslim perceptions of US actions.  

Listening to his speech above and having read his eloquently-written memoir "Dreams from My Father" I see no problem with Obama introducing voters to his faith and clarifying bigoted rumors that have been circulated about him.

His Church...His Speeches....His way of thinking...is all geared to the Black community.And AFRICA...He wants to be President of ALL of us...Yet he is very one sided and understandbly so....But this country isn't ready for President Obama......not yet....

OBAMA WILL SAY ABSOLUTELY "ANYTHING" TO GET ELECTED. I WOULD NOT TRUST HIM, AT ALL.

>> don't believe rumors that "say I have a funny name."

This is the funniest and lamest thing I've heard in a while. Obama is disowning his middle name as a rumor?

If by this he is referring to the false 'Mohamed' claim, then in the process he is insulting Muslims by claiming that the name is 'FUNNY'. If he is referring to his own middle name of Hussein as funny, then he is  disowning his name.

Big mistake! IMHO he should just ignore the issue, nobody believes it anyway. Those rumours were out before IOWA and he won.

Well it is kinda sad that Clinton smears have forced Obama to do this, and God I hope it works. I really don't want the Repubs in the White House another 4 years. But then when you can't win on your own merits I guess lies and dirty politics is all you have. I still have hope that America will wake up, and not vote for the same old politic.
I live in a Republican state, none of the Dems in this state support Clinton, why? Because they know Clinton will strengthen the hurting Republicain's.

I am a Deist and firmly believe in science, logic, and reason over waiving prayers at problems.  BO just lost my vote. Hillary, I'm yours!

I have read many comments to other stories and there are always a few that suggest Obama is Muslim. He is only trying to break through the many lies that have been spread. As sensitive as I am to the separation of church and state, being an agnostic, I don't find a problem with the mailer.

This is sicken for all those on here who are criticizing Obama for what he is doing. I have been an independent voter for years because the garbage that both camps throw at each other is a complete turn off. I am from Illinois and I have known and met both Obama and Clinton, and the are both good people. I think Obama is doing something that he needed to do to get the record straight. Now for those who judge the man   harshly on this should look in the mirror and judge yourself before you do it to someone else. If you have seen the mailers and the emails that I have seen that really hit him for having a Muslim father and having a  Muslim middle name and are saying completely false things about him, I feel hurt as an American that we are still living in a society that is full of bigotry and hatred towards people of different faiths that are really trying to identify themselves as an individual and not base their character on their skin color or their religion. If individuals feel as tho they will not support him because of what he is doing to clear his name then you never supported him anyway. I for  one have not made up my mind yet on whom I will vote for, but I must give support on Obama on this one issue that he needed to clear the air on.    

It discusts me that this is even an issue.  It is ridiculous that an individual's religious view should be considered at all.  Its a job as a representative of a country that claims religious freedom.  When religious views are brought into the arguement it brings us down to the political level of third world countries.

On the other hand, Dems play nice.  This is not nearly as bad as what the republicans (with their Wholesome Christian values) will do in the final election.  If Obama cant take the heat he should get out now.

Obama is going to need prayer to survive the lies and smears directed his way by the "Clintons" campaign.

I'm sure Obama would depend on prayer as a guide, he sure doesn't have experience to use.

Barack Obama, damned if you do, damned if You don't!!!!. No wonder Hillary get's Most support from UNEDUCATED voter's!

I clicked the link above, and couldn't find on the flier where it stated Obama would be "guided by prayer when he's in office".

It's unfortunate that thanks to Hillary's volunteers forwarding the "Obama is secretly a muslim" lies, Obama even has to defend his Christianity. It's even more sad that it MATTERS whether or not he's Christian.

It will be a great day when the constitution is actually followed, and presidents don't have to pass a religious litmus test.

You better pray Obama..pray that all those mean ole white folks stop picking on you and leave you alone...because your such a "perfect"guy. Oh yuck! Hillary has bigger you know whats than he does.

GET OFF IT!  Whether or not OBama is a christian or not certainly doesn't qualify or disqualify his as presidential quality.  You 'dirt throwers' need to focus on the real issues.  By the way, do you honor the same Constitution that I do?  When is the last time you read it?  The founders of this nation, that you like to refer to as home, most definatly DID NOT intend to have a separation of church and state in the  skewed way that you are trying to twist it.  I read this article and all of the responses because I as an conservative, educated, white, christian American really am interested in getting an unbiased and twisted version of things!  (Is there such a thing?)I don't believe everyone has to (nor ever will) believe  as I do but some facts are undisputable....we're voting for someone who can represent us the people of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (not Africa or Egypt or anywhere else).  Be smart, don't let someone else's slant tell you what our constitution states, read it yourself..  

It looks to me that most of the posts here are made and pushed by Clinton,s supporters who are trying yet againg to avoid talking about the real issues and the solutions that Obama is proposing. The same old same old tactics, (Rove sounds familiar) ; Obama is clearly saying "I am a Christian" and like he said the other day in Nevada in refrence to Yucca "what part of I am a Christian" you Clinton supporters do not understand. My belief is that the Clinton supporters are being challenged by Obama today when he said he is going to take it to Bill Clinton about distorting his record, and accusing him of being a Muslim is just the last distortion that came to the fore and he feels it is time to address these accusations head on; in fact I find it remarkable for a former President to go on and make a series of personal attacks on Obama on the campaign trail since December. Obama finally retaliated today, describing the former president's behaviour as "troubling" and inappropriate. Definitely H.Clinton is feeling the heat going into SC and this is part of the overall Clinton's tactics to derail Obama. I hope Obama stays on message and avoids Clinton's ambushes. Maine is waiting to put you over the top.

If the Clinton camp says Obama is a Muslim, then that's good enough for me.

I think this site is polluted with paid Clinton Bloggers. No other reason to condemn a Man whose proud of his Faith. Clinton-esque, to say the least.

Now I know why Obama wouldn't put his hand over his heart or join in the Pledge of Allegiance at senator Tom Harkin's steak fry in Iowa. The Trinity United Church of Christ where Obama has been a member for 20 years, has a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA...NOT AMERICA. Is this the man we want as our next Commander in Chief? That really scares me.

Barack Obama, damned if you do, damned if You don't!!!!. No wonder Hillary get's Most support from UNEDUCATED voter's!

Rick,ky (Sent Monday, January 21, 2008 1:44 PM)

It's, "gets, no apostrophe and, "voters", and the word, "most", shouldn't be capitalized.

Spreading hate and lies about a candidate is not only hurtful to the candidate it is very hurtful to the voter.  We could only be a better America by having voters who are choosing candidates based on facts and not on lies spread to scare people from voting a particular way.  I for one am tired of scare tactics, we have been living with them for too many years now.  

Obama consistently has to defend himself against the statements that he's some kind of muslim manchurian candidate.

It's sad that he even had to put this statement out to try and innoculate himself against the attacks that will most certainly come.

This is no different than McCain having to send out mailers to protect himself against the "black illegitimate baby" racist claims the Bushes made against him 8 years ago. Of course it didn't help him against the POW-as-traitor mailers that went out against him.

SC just seems to have some really despicable politics.

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking on “Social Justice and the Emerging New Age” said, “We must face the fact that the church is still the most segregated major institution in America.  At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing and Christ has no east or west, we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation. This is tragic.”

Forty years later, only 7% of ALL Americans worship in a place that is integrated.

Do not act smug nor presume to lecture Barack Obama about his community church and its mission, if yours is not in that 7%. Do not profess umbrage, if you are among those spreading any rumors about his faith.

We have the freedom, opportunity and choice to worship any number of different ways and different religions. It is a sad testament to our times when the fears and prejudices and bigotry of one small group of people taint one of the world's great religions (Islam) and create an environment of hatred so strong that a decent and religious man must repeatedly define and describe his faith by telling us what he is not, rather than who he is.

We must co-exist. Judaism, Islam and Christianity spring from the same font. We must transcend. The values that we share as religious peoples must bind together more than prejudices seek to tear us apart. We must overcome.

Happy MLK, Jr. Day... pause reflect and believe in the dream,

Shame on those of you who have said Obama is playing the race and religion card.  What is the man supposed to do when his race, religion, and experience is being questioned on a daily basis?  His candidancy has never been about his race or religion, but the media and some of the american people have made it out to be about race and religion. Colin Powell was on the View today and he said something that was truly an eye opener.  MLK helped black people with his activism, but he also helped white people take a look in the mirror to see who they really were and what they stood for.  It is 2008, and many of you still have not looked in the mirror.  

Oh man, I am soooooo disappointed that Obama has to defend being religious!

Please educate yourselves before you form such hardened opinions. Hear Obama's views on the role of faith in American life.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/faith/


As for Obama's Kenyan father, he was born into a Muslim family but disavowed religion at an early age.  He could more aptly be described as agnostic or athiest.  Furthermore, Obama's father left his mother when Barack was two years old.  

When Obama lived in Indonesia with his mother and Indonesian step-father, he attended a secular school.  Furthermore, having played on the streets and yards of the most populous Muslim nation is viewed by many to give him important credibility and insights into Muslim perceptions of US actions.  

Listening to his speech above and having read his eloquently-written memoir "Dreams from My Father" I see no problem with Obama introducing voters to his faith and clarifying bigoted rumors that have been circulated about him.

Watch the debates! Be informed!! Stop wasting time on issues that are not essential to addressing the real problems in our society. Rhetoric is designed to get you and I focused off of the issues and the Clinton camp is doing this very well. Know where the candidates stand on key issues and choose the candidate that will address your needs, not on the basis of religion, color, or gender.

Education
Healthcare
Homeland Security
Jobs
Mortgage Crisis
Recession

WAKE UP AMERICA.  WE BELIEVED BUSH AND ALL HIS PROMISES AND LIES.  ONCE HE GOT IN,  HE DID WHATEVER HIS WANTED AND HIM AND CONGRESS IGNORE THE AMERICAN VOTERS AND OUR LAWS AND CARE MORE ABOUT FOREIGN INTEREST.  I AS A PROUD AMERICAN CITIZENS AM SICK AND TIRED OF BEING LIED TOO.  CANDIDATES, ESPECIALLY BARACK OBAMA CAMPAIGN WILL SAY ANYTHING TO GET EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS SUPPORT.  DON'T FORGET ONCE HIS IN HE'LL DO WHATEVER HE WANTS OR PLEASES.  I FEEL UNEASY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND OUT TRUTH ABOUT HIS MOM BEING A ATHEIST OR CHRISTIAN.  SO MANY SPINS HAVE BEEN THROWN TOWARD THIS SUBJECT THAT TRUTH IS SHADED.  I GET THE FEELING THAT THIS IS THE INTENT TO THROW AMERICAN CITIZENS OFF REAL TRUTH.  I SAW PHOTO OF HIS DAD AND HIM IN MUSLIM TYPE GARB AND SOME RELIGIOUS CEREMONY HIS DAD WAS CONDUCTING ON HIM  . MUSLIM DOCTRINE ONCE A MUSLIM ALWAYS A MUSLIM.  I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST ANY RELIGIONS. THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS LYING TO GET THE RIGHT'S VOTES.  I'M A CHRISTIAN SINCE 1976, BEFORE THIS I BELIEVED IN ABORTION AND DIDN'T CARE WHO GOT PRESIDENCY.  SOMETHING SIFTED WHEN I SAID " LORD JESUS COME INTO MY HEART AND REIGN OVER MY HEART LORD JESUS.  OUR CREATOR'S DNA IS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA..  OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PRAYERS AND AMERICAN SCHOOL CHILDREN PRAYERS, PRAYED BEFORE DELETING PRAYER FROM SCHOOLS,  GOD SAYS," THESE PRAYERS ARE STILL IN MY THRONE ROOM BEFORE ME.  AMERICAN DON'T LOOSE  HOPE, FAITH, KEEP BELIEVING.   LIKE YOUR FOREFATHERS, THEY HAD HARDSHIP AND LOST LIVES BUT THEY MADE IT AND STARTED AMERICA TO BE FREE .  FREEDOM  CAME AT A COST OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND AMERICAN CITIZENS BLOOD AND LIVES TO HAVE US NOW HAND OVER YOUR SOVEREIGNTY AND  FREEDOM, "LORD GOD, JESUS CHRIST SAVIOR OF THE WORLD MAKE YOURSELF REAL IN THIS SITUATION TO ALL CHRISTIANS AND ALL AMERICANS AND ALL PEOPLE IN ALL THE WORLD BECAUSE YOU GAVE UP YOUR SON A FLESH LIVING BLOOD FLOWING  SACRIFICE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SAVE  US FROM OURSELVES DESTROYING EACH OTHER AND OURSELVES WITH LIES AND DECEPTION .  THE ENEMY ONLY HAS ONE WEAPON, LIES AND DECEPTION.  EACH HUMAN BEING ON THIS PLANET SHOULD GET ALONE, BY THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE RIGHT WAY INSTEAD OF BELIEVING MAN.  I WOULD RATHER BE SAFE THEN SORRY WHEN WORST COMES TO WORST AND ITS TOO LATE WHEN WE AS A HUMAN RACE HAVE BELIEVE THE LIES THAT HUMAN BEINGS USE TO DISTORT  TRUTH INCLUDING THE BIBLE TO REACH THEIR ENDS AND SATISFY THEIR OWN PRIVATE ISSUE DRIVEN AGENDAS,  I WONDER.....IF OSAMA BIN LADEN WOULD HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRISTIAN VALUES, LOVE, SUPPORT,UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, FAITH ,  LOVE, HOPE.  WHAT ISSUES WOULD HE HAVE HAD TO DRIVE HIM TO EVIL AND TERROR OR FOR THAT MATTER   ANYONE WHO DOES EVIL.                 OUR CREATOR DOES NOT CONDONE EVIL AND ANYTHING THAT SAYS, "THIS IS DONE FOR GOD'S SAKE IS A LIAR!! ALIAS devil, fallen angel!!!!!!!

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