Why do people insist Obama is Muslim when he's Christian and Black when he's biracial?

Question

CNN: Obama rumor we disproved still spreading
Politics – Almost a year after it debunked false claims that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) had attended an Islamic school as a child, CNN reports that the presidential hopeful is still struggling to quash rumors that he is a practicing Muslim.

He can't help what he was named and even if he were Muslim so what. The FBI , CIA and the rest of the government would have investigated him and his family by now.

Answer 1

The black part of the queston is easier to answer. Although America has largely progressed past that "one drop" criterion that was an insult to every race involved, we still tend to consider as black anyone with enough black ancestry to show. Whether or not we should is another matter, but the fact at present is that we do.

As for calling Obama a Muslim, he can't help having been given Arabic names, but his religion is his choice, and he attends and belongs to a church. Granted, doing so doesn't automatically make one a Christian, be it increases the likelihood! And if he says he's a Christian, isn't that acknowledging Jesus before all men?

In any case, it's unlikely that anyone not prejudiced against Islam would call Obama a Muslim, since it's evidently meant to be a reason not to elect him President. Those who do so are saying more about themselves than about him. An analogy: less than 100 years ago, the rumor that some apparently white person had "***** blood" was seriously damaging, but today an attempt to pass on such a rumor would probably elicit a response of "So what, you bigot?"

Answer 2

1. The government of the US should NEVER investigate some solely based on religious background or belief. The founding fathers would be rolling in their graves at the very idea.

2. He looks more black than he does bi-racial, but when you look at someone in the US and someone in Africa, most American blacks look very mixed (and many are) because of lighter skin tones.

3. He belongs to one of the more liberal Christian denominations and there are those who think that one can't be both liberal and Christian. Newsflash - not every Christian agrees with the GOP on everything, even though the ones that do (Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell for examples) are the ones that mostly get the air time. I was only 5 when Jimmy Carter was elected, so I don't remember if back then people tried to doubt his Christian faith because he was a Democrat.

4. People just forward e-mails without checking them out at places like Snopes.com or other urban legend sites. They just believe what they read no matter what it says or what the source happens to be.

Answer 3

It is sick that every one thinks you should get a pass just because you came clean. No ex drug head should be a senator or a president. If bush is one as well then he should also not be in office. Its ok to give an ex drug user a pass and a second chance but not in office. Has anyone ever heard the word relapse. Anyone who spends all their money on it had a big problem with it. We can find someone who has no past in drugs to run our country.

Answer 4

Oldmarine - Your facts as you state them are incorrect.

Obama's mother was not and is not an atheist, you see his father was raised as a Muslim but later became an atheist. His mother was raised in a secular household more accurately described as non-religious.

Obama is a self professed Christian, There is nothing Obama has done in his Adult life where anyone would question his Christian beliefs. Why must we continiously debunk these idiotic claims of Obama's religion.

Answer 5

Believe or not, both parties are playing this up, thats why.

Candidates in both parties are scared of Obama winning, not just this election, but any future Presidential election.

Sadly, it also speaks very poorly on many citizens in the US. The fear and sensationalism towards Islam is truly sickening and brings back memories of what we did to Japanese-Americans during WW2.

Answer 6

Slight correction: neither the FBI nor the CIA check out any one in politics unless they are associated with subversive organizations. Now here's where I will duck because tomatoes will thrown at me -- WE AMERICANS are sometimes so bias, ignornant and just plain stupid. If he walks like a duck, quacks like a duck then he must be a duck is the mentality of most Americans. Jesus was not a Christian yet he formed the most powerful Christian religion in the world that has stood the test of time, right? He was a Jew, yeah, didn't you know that? Right now the words Muslim and any Islamic surname stirrs up emotions in Americans like German, Japanese did in WW II. Besides CNN is not a creditable source of news in my book because they used to report according to Saddam's wishes, so we found out after Saddam was dethroned. But not withstanding that, we are known to be BIAS, IGNORANT bordering on STUPIDITY sometimes. Who became our best ally? The Japanese inspite of the thousands we had in American concentration camps. We fail to let history be done and use it only as a guide not to let us repeat our mistakes. Now I urge all Americans NOT to vote for Obama but not because of his name or alleged religious ties. When a candidate stands without holding his hand over his heart as any red blooded American would and did (New Mexico gathering) and that person is asking for my vote to be my Commander-in-Chief. I say NOT. I also hear he refuses to say the Pledge. C'mon if that is true then I will personnaly make sure everyone I know does not vote for him. Now try that one on for size.

Answer 7

Because a great deal of whites in this country want to make sure their redneck brotherhood feel uneasy about voting for the man. They'll spread lies and other falsehoods just to make sure that a white man keeps the Presidency.

Answer 8

there have been rampant rumors launch by ability of the media. ordinarily Fox information, pointing out that Obama became into raised Muslim and went to a Muslim college. jointly as all of them corrected themselfs, the standard public innovations became into pemanently affected.

Answer 9

Obama strength come form the lies which some people tried hard to paint him with.
Obama is a Muslim but people discover that he is Christian.
Obama is a black racist but people discover that his mom is White.
Those lies made him stronger by the hour.

Answer 10

Why do you THINK people are saying that? Because they don't want a liberal President, and they certainly don't want a black President. Fortunately, these individuals are in the minority -- with irony noted! For the moment, I'm for Hillary, but if Obama wins the nomination, he'll have my support 100 percent.