Defending the Facts on Obama's Faith

I don't endorse political candidates, but I will defend them when it becomes necessary. On this, I agree with my friend, Richard Land, the conservative Southern Baptist leader who is often identified with the Religious Right. Richard and I agree that faith has a place in politics and, when we agree on fundamental moral questions, have worked together. Richard says, "I have defended various candidates from time to time when I've felt that they have been unfairly or inaccurately criticized. At other times, I have been asked by the media for my assessment of a particular candidate's chances or weaknesses and strengths. Neither defense nor assessment should be confused with endorsement. As a matter of policy, I have not endorsed, do not endorse and will not endorse candidates."

So I am going to defend my friend, Barack Obama, from an increasing number of ridiculous and scurrilous attacks on the Internet and in the media. The latest incident occurred when a loud-mouth radio talk show host in Cincinnati let loose with a barrage of disparaging remarks against Senator Obama and kept using his middle name--Barack HUSSEIN Obama--over and over, seemingly to tie into the Internet accusations that Obama is really a Muslim who, as a child, attended a Muslim "madrassa" school in Indonesia that taught Islamic fundamentalism, etc. As a Chicago Tribune blog piece commented, "Anyone who uses Obama's middle name repeatedly, like Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham the other day, knows what he or she is doing and what feelings they are trying to evoke. There's simply nothing innocent about it."

The occasion for the shock jock's diatribe was his introduction of Senator John McCain at a rally. To his great credit, McCain denounced the remarks when he heard about them, disassociated himself from this kind of attack, and reaffirmed that his campaign would be conducted on higher ground. Good for you, John McCain. So of course, the local loud-mouth, Bill Cunningham, quickly withdrew his support from McCain and now is denouncing him too; which, of course, was quickly picked up by his mentor, the national radio loud-mouth Rush Limbaugh (whom the local Cunningham seems to desperately "wannabe"). And, of course, Rush is now denouncing both Obama and McCain.

I watched last night as other cable news shows told this story and subtly tried to add more fuel to the fire. Lou Dobbs downplayed the Cincinnati outburst as unimportant and suggested it was no different that telling the world that John McCain's middle name is "Sydney." Sure Lou; and it was interesting that Dobbs followed with more innuendos and rolled eyes over the moment in the Tuesday Democratic debate when Obama was asked about Louis Farrakhan, about suspicions that Barack's home Trinity Church on the south side of Chicago was "black nationalist," and about why Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, wouldn't come on Lou's show to discuss his alleged sympathies for Farrakhan, etc. It is certainly no mystery why Pastor Wright didn't cancel his retirement celebrations and drop everything to come on Lou's show. Would anyone?

An Associated Press story titled "Obama Fights False Links to Islam" commented on the new flare-up, "For Barack Obama, it is an ember that he has doused time and again, only to see it flicker anew: links to Islam fanned by false rumors, innuendo, and association."

During the Democratic debate, Obama again "denounced and rejected" the ugly anti-Semitic comments that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has often made, as he had done many times before. Farrakhan hadn't actually endorsed Obama, but recently said, "This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better." Asked on Tuesday night about whether he would accept Farrakhan's support, Obama said: "I live in Chicago. He lives in Chicago. I've been very clear, in terms of me believing that what he has said is reprehensible and inappropriate. And I have consistently distanced myself from him."

So let's set the record straight. I have known Barack Obama for more than 10 years, and we have been talking about his Christian faith for a decade. Like me and many other Christians, he agrees with the need to reach out to Muslims around the world, especially if we are ever to defeat Islamic fundamentalism. But he is not a Muslim, never has been, never attended a Muslim madrassa, and does not attend a black "separatist" church. Rather, he has told me the story of his coming from an agnostic household, becoming a community organizer on Chicago's South Side who worked with the churches, and how he began attending one of them. Trinity Church is one of the most prominent and respected churches in Chicago and the nation, and its pastor, Jeremiah Wright, is one of the leading revival preachers in the black church. Ebony magazine once named him one of America's 15 best Black preachers. The church says it is "unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian," like any good black church would, but is decidedly not "separatist," as its white members and friends would attest.

And one Sunday, as Obama has related to me and written in his book The Audacity of Hope, the young community organizer walked down the aisle and gave his life to Christ in a very personal and very real Christian conversion experience. We have talked about our faith and its relationship to politics many times since. And after Obama gave his speech at a Sojourners/Call to Renewal conference in June 2006, E.J. Dionne said that it may have been "the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican."

Like his politics or not, support his candidacy or not - but don't disparage Barack Obama's faith, his church, his minister, or his credibility as an eloquent Christian layman who feels a vocation in politics. Those falsehoods are simply vicious lies and should be denounced by people of faith from across the political spectrum.

Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening, Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

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Comments

[drband36]

Thank you, Jim. It's wonderful to hear these words from someone with obvious sense, as well as someone who knows Barack personally.

http://barackfacts.blogspot.com/

[stanjz]

I read in one of the business magazines, I don't know if it was Newsweek, that one of the two people Pastor Osteen wanted to meet is Barack Obama. Pastor Osteen leads the largest evangelical church in the country and of course Texas. Too bad Senator Obama couldn't drop by. If some people don't want to vote for Senator Obama based policy, that is ok, but it shouldn't be based on mis-information. I feel that I'm adept at determining who is being honest with me when they speak, and Senator Obama is the most honest politician I've heard.

[Crowhaul]

Indeed. What difference, if any, would it make if Obama were in fact a Muslim.

Wouldn't make a shred of difference to me, that's for sure.

I'd still vote for the guy.

[Larry of Corrales]

I don't really care what Obama's religion is. What I care about is what he does about fixing the problems our nation has, and these problems do not include what the religious fanatics in this country consider them to be.. I believe strongly in the separation of church and state. You are entitled to your beliefs just keep them to yourself.

[filmunas]

Why is so much fuss being made that Obama is NOT a Muslim? What difference does it make if he was one? This whole discussion seems to me like a vicious attack on Islam, a major and important
global religion, rather than an attack on Obama himself. Shame on us Americans!

[HGalal]

TO ALL OBAMA SUPPORTERS:

For the certain Republican onslaught to come, a suggested show of support against at least one probable tactic, using Obama's middle name as a way to instill fear and bigotry.

Start signing your posts and include as your middle name: "Hussein"

Signed: H 'Hussein' Galal

[Najam]

This is what I just read on CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations) website and my comments are at the end of this posting.

"Rep. Keith Ellison said Wednesday that attempts to insinuate that Barack Obama is Muslim won't have any effect on the presidential candidate, arguing that Americans won't fall for such a "bigoted" appeal.

Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Muslim member of Congress, also said he has no doubt a Muslim could be elected president.

"There has been a concerted effort to whip up fear, anxiety, bigotry against Obama based on his Muslim roots, but he is in fact a Christian, and on top of that, those people's efforts are going to fail," Ellison said. "And they won't fail because he's proven that he's really not a Muslim; they'll fail because Americans will come to the conclusion that the organizing principle of our nation is freedom of worship."

Obama's father and stepfather were Muslim, and he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, a largely Muslim country — but Obama was not raised Muslim.

"Assuming that the American public is bigoted, and infused with religious bigotry against Muslims, is incorrect," Ellison said.

And he insisted that a Muslim could become president.

"Look, we elected a Catholic," Ellison said. "Mitt Romney was a viable candidate in this race. I don't think that his decline had to do with him being Mormon." Romney, a GOP candidate, dropped out of the race earlier this year.

"So I think that certainly America could elect a Muslim president," he said. "America could elect a woman president. I think we probably are going to elect a black president. And we'll all be better for it."

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which fights anti-Muslim bigotry, said he agreed with Ellison.

"There clearly is a level of anti-Muslim attitude in our society, but I think it's still a minority," he said. "It's a vocal minority, but it's still a minority. The majority of Americans respect people of all faiths, and I think while taking faith into consideration, it would not be the main factor in their voting." (End Qoute)

There are many people who have or had Muslim parents and they were never raised Muslims but they are called Muslims. According to Islam if your seeds come from a Muslim father you will always be identified as a Muslim. Whether the father divorced the mother at age 2 or died before the child was born, the child is a Muslim. In his case even the step father who took him to Indonesia and enrolled him in a pre-dominently Muslim school, was also a Muslim. Mr. Obama is playing on both sides Muslims' and then his association with a church for 20 years.

Change, change and another change should be truth, and nothing but the truth. Poor Mr. Obama and let us not forget Mrs. Obama the lady with the angry face need not to manipulate the facts. What if he is was or will be Muslim, both of them and other Obamas of this world need not spin the facts.

All this rhetoric of change, USA is not a Kingdom or an Empire, our President and even the President-Elect works with the Congress. When the rhetoric and euphoria is over the rude awakening will open all these eyes.

Mr. Obama is against Florida and Michigan delegates to not to allowed to vote at the convention and also has spoken about 750+ super delegates should not be able to change the writ of the people. What of the Millions of voters of FL and MI and writ of those American voters? Oh' I understand it is because he did not win those states. Race card is being played so much that people have forgotten the facts. Have be become so arrogant?

I am a Democrat, if this man gets the nomination, I will vote Republican under the doctrine of "SAME DIFFERENCE", Mr. McCain walks like a robot and this one talks like a robot.

Regards.

Najam

[itmaybetoolate]

Okay, I will just criticize his silence on the subject of the impeachment of george bush. As a Constitutional scholar, he should be loudly and consistently calling for the impeachment of this rogue president. Yet, he doesn't, and there are only three possible explanations - he doesn't think bush should be impeached; he doesn't have the courage to do it; it is not the politically expedient thing to do. And, in the end, the explanation doesn't matter because they add up to the same thing - he doesn't deserve to be president (nor does Hillary who has also shown no leadership on impeachment). In fact, no one running deserves to be president.

[billbee]

Jim, thanks to the Almighty you know for who you are on. Many are drunk the foolishness out here, and someone's got to drive the daggum car home.

[TishiJo]

Two questions:
1) Why do we not ever hear the middle names of other presidential candidates? Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, John McCain, Hillary Clinton (no, Rodham is not her middle name, its her maiden name) Does anyone know their middle names?
2) Why do we not ever hear about the leadership of all the Black churches that the Clintons have attended over the years? Those leaders should be scrutinized equally for their ties to Muslim fundamentalism, and to Black Nationalism. Perhaps, Bill Clinton & H.W. Bush's partnership and many trips to Africa are linked to something very sinister and evil. H.W. was formerly head of the CIA, what have they really been up to?

[kirksong]

Reading and listening to Jim Wallis is a complete breadth of fresh air! I hope more Christians will begin to listen to Mr. Wallis's intelligence, compassion, reason, and wisdom. If you go to Wikipedia to study Christian demonations, at least 300 are listed, and up to 38,000 mentioned. There is no ONE Christian view and there are many differing concepts and interpretations. The American evangelical community would do well to lose its righteous indignation and learn how to agree to disagree with dignity and respect! Jesus warned against being stiff necked and hard hearted. Pride and cruelty don't further the Christian agenda.

It is too bad that a non-Christian doesn't have a prayer to win the White House. There many millions of Americans who are 'spiritual but not religious', whom are born into all forms of Chrisitianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and non-religious households. I fully support Senator Obama's candidacy and am hopeful he will make a great president in the most troubling of times. As Jesus taught: you will know them by their deeds, he who follows my teachings is my brother and sister.

[carmen63]

There is a constituitonal separation between state and church in the USA, so it shouldn't matter who has which faith in a presidential nomination/ race. What angers me is to see such biased ignorance from some people who believe there are 'acceptable or unacceptable' religions, based on whose standards?? As long as they are not messing up your life, then all religions, whatever they are, should be respected. Don't you live in America?? A country which stands for freedom? Guess who were the first pioneers? They were escaping from religious persecution! So it is just pathetic to still see insensible and biased generations of Americans living in the USA, and just because Sen. Obama embodies exactly my point of view he gets my vote.

[vsign]

When deciding who has or will likely have the better judgement when the phone rings at 3am - both senority and performance matters.

Knowing history, world leaders and the inner workings of our government & military - matters.

Hillary has both. Obama is weak on both. Hillary can beat McCain. Obama has little chance.

Resumes do matter. A recommendation from one's pastor is not enough. A million man march is not enough.

One anti-war speech followed by support for the war - both when it was SAFE personally, politically to do so - does not prove courage or good judgement.

It proves the willingness to just "go along" with the wave.

Creating such a wave of belief based on an actual resume of "playing it safe" - proves arrogance of power.

[Orikinla]

I am 100% Black African and follower of the Black Consciousness Movement and was actively involved in the anti-Aparthied struggle.

All the jazz about Black Liberation Theology is HYPOCRISY and RUBBISH.

African Americans have been suffering from Persecution Complex and plagued by Identity Crisis.
Most fake African American religious preachers have conned millions of their ignorant race and Barack Obama is another African American conman who claims to be a born-again Christian, but what he does and what he says contradict the tenets of True Christianity.

Christianity is neither White nor Black, but pure faith based on truth and not lies and hypocrisies.

Please, read what Jesus Christ preached and how he practiced what he preached and not the lies and hypocrisies circulating in the whited sepulchres called churches.

How you live your life will prove whether you are Christian or not and not the church you go to or what you preach.

Let us stop fooling ourselves.

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 I will ask the Father. And he will give you another Friend to help you and to be with you forever. 17 The Friend is the Spirit of truth. The world can't accept him. That is because the world does not see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.
18 "I will not leave you like children who don't have parents. I will come to you.

19 "Before long, the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father. You will know that you are in me, and I am in you.

21 "Anyone who has my commands and obeys them loves me. My Father will love the one who loves me. I too will love him. And I will show myself to him."

~ John 14:15-21 (New International Reader's Version)


34 Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples. He said, "If anyone wants to come after me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross and follow me.
~ Mark 8:34 (New International Reader's Version)

[Bagger]

Arguing over a religion is pointless. There are no right or wrongs...just differences. Calling it rubbish is your opinion but it is not a fact.

[rwe]

I am a white Catholic, my mother in law at the age of 59 or 60 became a member of the 7th Day Adventist Church.. In the 27 years she has been a member , she has become the only white member of her congreagation... While I disagree with most of Barack Obama's politics his Faith in Christ comes forth in true sincerity.... Faith and religion are not synonomous. Experience a black or hispanic or Asian Christian service and you will come away with something special