Ground Zero Mosque: Is Obama a Muslim?

Is Obama really a Muslim after all?

If the proposed the so-called Ground Zero Mosque gets built, many Americas believe Obama would qualify as a member. Almost one in five Americans (18%) now think that the president is Muslim, according to new Pew survey. This is up from 11% who thought so in March of this year. Only about a third (34%) say he is a Christian. Over 40% say that they don’t know what his religious affiliation is.

The Pew survey was conducted before the president made his remarks supporting the proposed Muslim center. I’m sure his remarks converted even more Americans to the “he’s Muslim” side. The rising number of Americans who believe Obama is a Muslim correlates with the rising tide of disapproval of the president.

As the Pew report says, “Beliefs about Obama’s religion are closely linked to political judgments about him. Those who say he is a Muslim overwhelmingly disapprove of his job performance, while a majority of those who think he is a Christian approve of the job Obama is doing. Those who are unsure about Obama’s religion are about evenly divided in their views of his performance.”

Opponents hurl “Muslim” as an insult. For many, it’s a dirty word. It may even imply that the president is un-American.

Why is “Muslim” considered an insult in America? Why would those who disapprove of the president call him a Muslim?

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Comments

[Deborah]

All this talk about if he is.....what is he?....why does all this occupy so much attention? What difference does it all make?
I have lived in different locations around the United States and I've come to the conclusion that their a good many people that think by attending "church" This makes you a "Good" person. It is a very personal thing and is it really any of our business? He is the best role model of a compassion, thoughtfulness, loving, decent, respectful person that this office has ever seen since Jimmy Carter.

[Bob Bruttell]

Whom we are against. Whom we oppose. Whom we fear. These are powerful organizing tools and useful to demagogues. These voices who prey on our fears must be supplanted by even stronger voices of hope and goodwill.

If we asked Americans, Are you willing to submit to the will of God? somewhere between 50% and 75% would indicate their assent in some way.

Islam, interestingly, means "to submit" to the will of God. So most Americans could affirm that they intend to live their lives in a way that compliments Muslims. Yet many choose to be wary - even going out of their way to say that they are ill at ease with the idea of being a Muslim, some to the point of demonizing Muslims.

This latter group, the demonizers, are exceptionally dangerous for the health of our community.

Demonizing cannot possibly be anybody's idea of what God requires. In fact an opposite understanding is held by most believers. Thus believers who submit to the will of God must open themselves in loving friendship to all - most especially to those others who are likewise submitting to the will of God.