FAIR AND BALANCED:
By: Tucker Wincele, Assistant State of Mind EditorPosted: 9/17/08
For voters in a presidential campaign, trustworthiness is probably the most important factor in selecting a candidate. More important than endorsements, campaign promises or even catchy slogans, the peace of mind granted by electing a seemingly honest and straightforward president is a high priority.
So what are we to make of Sen. Barack Obama's dubious background, in which he was registered as a Muslim and learned Islam in his religion class in primary school, attended a local mosque, has ties to a terrorist living in his Chicago neighborhood and spent 20 years attending a church with a controversial pastor quoted as preaching "God damn America" from the pulpit?
On Sept. 7, during an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos in which he discussed his religion, Obama referred to his "Muslim faith" which was immediately corrected by Stephanopoulos as a "Christian faith" - the discussion then continued without a hitch. The problems raised by this nationally broadcasted exchange are twofold: How well does America know Obama? And, why isn't the media digging deeper into his past?
Obama has vehemently denied ever adhering to Islam and his campaign has asserted, "Obama has never been a practicing Muslim." Yet Obama cannot deny that Islam was a factor in his life growing up. At age two, his mom's second marriage was to a Muslim and as a result, the family moved to Indonesia. Although Obama downplays the importance of Islam in his childhood and highlights his mother's Christianity, according to his Christian and Muslim teachers, he was registered as a Muslim in school. He attended weekly Islamic classes to learn about the faith and the local mosque for community events.
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