He was raised as a Muslim.

His mentor is a director of Farrahkhan's church. He said so in his book. Take it for what it's worth.

Why does everything always have to be someone is racist !!!! It always comes down to whites are racist and it is okay for the black community to have the
Negro College Fund or Black Mrs America --
If the white people did something like that -- oh my gosh hold on to your hats.
By the way I am not RACIST - I just see that things area double standard..
Also, on Obama -- He was brought up in the early years of his life as a Muslim. That is not easly forgotten. Don't you remember that the Muslims said that the would destroy this country 'from within' -- as president you can't get much more 'within' than that !!!!!

Sheesh people... He is NOT a muslim, he is Not a Racist; open your minds a little and listen to him - he calls on Black people to be better parents, and to understand that they have a part in the racism in this country. He has been a christian and attended a christian church for 20 years, his children are baptized. Stop spreading around lies and miunderstanding. Don't hate, Educate!

Oh and as for Kevin's FACTS:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: Obama Stepped Forward, Did a Wonderful Job. "And finally, Senator Obama. I chose personally Senator Obama last year to work on ethics and lobbying reform, and he's done a wonderful job... And I admire and respect his stalwartness in moving forward on this." [Press Conference Transcript, Federal News Service, 1/18/07]
Other sources:
[Madison Capital Times, 1/12/07]

"Obama is Democrats' point man on ethics," [Chicago Tribune, 1/18/06]

OBAMA ALSO PASSED SWEEPING ETHICS LEGISLATION IN ILLINOIS

Obama Passed Illinois State Gift Ban Act "Heralded As the Most Sweeping Good--Government Legislation in Decades." In 1998, Obama passed the Illinois Gift Ban, [HB672, 3R P 52--4--1, 5/22/98; PA 90--0737, 8/12/98; Chicago Tribune, 8/13/98; Chicago Independent Bulletin, 6/4/98]

It essentially listed Illinois, a state with a deep history of illicit, pay--to--play politics, into the modern world when it came to ethics restrictions. The bill gave Obama a legislative success, but his public criticism of Springfield's old school politics did not sit well with some of his colleagues who already considered the Ivy League lawyer overly pious." [From Promise To Power, 124]

I don't hate Obama -- I think he is a very intelligent and articulate man
I just don't think he needs to be president .... nor do I like Hillary.
I'm not against a black or a woman for president .. I really wish Colin Powell would run --- I would even like
Condeliza Rice ..

Who cares what Obama's religion is. Obama is still a loser. Obama is just fanning these flames again to pull the race baiting game in very BLACK south Carolina to show the white man is picking on him. OBAMA GROW UP

"His mentor is a director of Farrahkhan's church. He said so in his book. Take it for what it's worth."

Ummmm... no. Farrakhan is head of the Nation of Islam. Not actually a church, of any kind. On the other hand, Obama is a member of Trinity church, a large Christian church with a predominently black membership in Chicago. That church's founder, Reverend Wright, has a daughter who runs a magazine that gave Farrakhan an award. This is the sum total of all connections between Obama and Farrakhan. Obama has said the following of Farrakhan: "I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decisions with which I agree."

Also: "He was raised as a Muslim." Again, no. He was raised by his white Kansan mother, who was not a member of any religion. His father, who left when Barack was 2 years old, was not a Muslim either - he described himself as an atheist. It is true to say that Barack's grandfather, who he never actually met, does appear to have been a Muslim, but since Obama's been attending a Christian Church for over 20 years that doesn't seem to have rubbed off on him so much.

I'm not saying you people have to like Obama but please do some minimal, basic fact checking before you spout lies and smears.

Thanks.

"He is muslim no matter what he says!!!" - really, what is your evidence? Please provide.

Can you tell me why the Bushes have been friends with the Saudis for a very long time, yet most of the 911 attackers came from Saudi Arabia. By your logic Bush is more of a Mulsim than Obama.

How frightening to read such uninformed drivel! Is it any wonder this country is in the shape it is? We've lost our moral compass because we're becoming less and less capable of separating fact from fiction - or even having the desire to do so. If you're smart enough to use the internet, allow yourself to be educated by reading respected sources and using your own power of reasoning. Name calling and outright hatred of what you fail to learn is a sign of ignorance. If this country is going to hold on to its place in the world, the citizenry had better look inside themselves and see why they, not the government, are responsible. You get what you ask for, and if you ask for half-truths and spin, that's the government you'll get. Haven't you had enough yet? Do your homework - no matter which candidate you support. God help us if some of you are representative of who's voting.

God please help these Obama supporters... they seem to be EASILY confused by the FACTS.

'xyz', 'smokescreencleared', 'Martin laugh', 'rw3', and 'Macy's'...and the list goes on and on in oither posts on this blog, and 'Political Punch', too. They seem to change names often, but the message is the same--Obama is muslim, or he doesn't recite the Pledge, or his church is racist, or he played the race card--whatever. ALL LIES!!! All great examples of what needs to change in this country. Whoever your candidate is, or if you're undecided---maybe you should do what I do when I read those posts--just smile, and move on. It's what the country is doing right before your eyes, 'xyz', 'smokescreencleared', 'Martin laugh', 'rw3', and Macy's'.

Who needs religion when people are seemingly more than willing to make professional liars (Oops, I mean canidates) their false IDOLS. Humans are not gods, they are mortals. "I don't pity idols, I pity a person who needs them."

Everybody already knows Hilliary/Obama is the D ticket. What are you all complaining about??? Seems like the women's vote and the racist shouters can't take success. What are you all insecure for, it's a done deal. There's no competition. Their fate is sealed. You've marginalized Edwards. They've got it. Why are you guys so insane??? Enough already. Where's all the blind hate-filled advocacy get you? If your willing to forgo reason so be it. But not everybody is wiliing to check their critical thinking at the door. And if that offends you, I'm sure alot more does.

I don't see what America's problem is. I believe he isn't muslim, but I don't see why it matters. We should be able to vote for a muslim, just as we should be able to vote for a jew, a mormon, or a catholic. Not all muslims are extremists, just like not all christians are fundementalist wackos (far too many are, though.) We should be able to judge the canidate as an individual, not as a member of a group, no matter if that group is a political party, a gender, a race, or a religion.

Obama is a Christian and that is a fact. People that are saying he is not are either misguided, just playing stupid, or simply intolerant bigots. Look people, even if he was a Muslim, we should be celebrating it!! It would be about time we put someone in the White House that can understand the Middle East from a Muslim perspective. Look what mess Bush got us into because he didn't understand anything about Islam or cultural affairs in Iraq.

This discussion on whether Barack Obama is Muslim makes it sound as if it is a bad thing to be Muslim if you're running for political office. And in the Las Vegas debate it sounded liked swearing on the Qur'an when taking the oath of office is a bad thing. I am an agnostic who was raised in the Catholic faith, but I have respect for people of all faiths. Obama says he is a man of faith. Leave it at that. People should be evaluated on their actions because we can never know what is going on in their hearts and minds. For the most part, our actions reflect what is in our hearts and mind. By playing up this nonissue, the press is demeaning all the wonderful Islamic people in the entire world. I would like to see the candidates demonstrate their leadership by bringing an end to this discussion on religion as well as race and gender.

in 1984, Obama traveled to Cuba to teach Christians about the value of nonviolent protest and to Libya to visit Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, along with the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Mr. Wright said his visits implied no endorsement of their views.

Obama church is an afro centrist church. On you tube I watched over 2 hours of rev. wrights sermons I never once heard christ mentioned. I did hear the girl that disappeared on a church trip in Aruba last year referred to as whitey and comparison made had she been black no media coverage would have happened... Prior to last week the church tucc.org had this on their front page>>>
"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."
Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981.

We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:

1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.
Try substituting white for black, sounds a tad KKKish huh...

It's not 'uninformed drivel', but part of a targeted campaign in South Carolina.

Sleaze and whisper campaigns have no shame - don't you remember Lee Atwater? Warren Tompkins, Karl Rove and plenty of others are still around. At least John McCain didn't have to relive 2000 this time around.

Still, makes you wonder if there's something in the water in South Carolina that attracts all of these cowardly bullies.

I agree, Tom J, but believe ignorance perpetuates smear campaigns. (Oh, yes, I remember Atwater, et al. and how they played to that ignorance.) The real conspiracy is in keeping people ignorant so they can't think beyond a 10 second sound bite. Imagine an educated electorate that saw through it all! Now that would make for interesting politics of substance. It's not only frustrating, but sad that in this country founded on religious freedom and liberty and justice for all we continue the bigotry that stops progress dead in its tracks. Our problems are so much bigger than what religion, if any, a candidate practices. Vision, honesty and ideas to move us ahead to reach our potential as a people and a country is what I'm looking for and what I want to vote FOR. I'm old and tired of voting against the lesser of evils ...