Poll shows Americans are confused on Obama’s religion
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A year and a half into his presidency, Americans appear to be growing more uncertain about Barack Obama’s religion.
A Pew Research Center survey shows that nearly one in five Americans — 18 percent — believe Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009. Meanwhile only about one third of Americans surveyed correctly describe Obama as a Christian, a sharp decrease from the 48 percent who said he was a Christian in 2009.
The survey was completed in early August, before Obama backed the controversial construction of a proposed mosque and Muslim cultural center near the site of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York.
Obama said last week he believed Muslims had the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in the country and supported their right to build the center in lower Manhattan – comments that could add more confusion about his religion.
The Pew poll said the view that Obama is a Muslim is more widespread among political opponents than his supporters. In addition, beliefs about Obama’s religion appear closely linked to his job approval rating.
Among those who say Obama is Muslim, 67 percent disapprove of his job performance while a majority of those who think he is Christian approve of the job he is doing.
The poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life was conducted July 21-Aug 5 among 3,003 respondents.
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Photo credit: REUTERS/John Gress (Obama at a church during presidential campaign)
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Who cares what religion his is, or what race he is, or if he’s left handed or right handed.
Why does Reuters even publish crap like this?
We care about his performance.
Reuters, you are a news agency, so start publishing news instead of rubish.
Everyone knows that the Muslim label is a substitute for the N-word when it comes to many of Pres. Obama’s opponents. The real motivation behind this “slander” is only thinly veiled. That’s the reason the use of the term “Muslim” so tightly correlated with his approval ratings. It’s not about the President’s religion, which anyone with a 3rd Grade reading level should know by now. Reuters and other news agencies should make this clearer when reporting on it.
June 28, 2006 “Call to Renewal” Conference. Watch the speech on youtube. The way Obama jokes about the Sermon on the Mount, how could he be a Christian?? Anyone who would sarcastically joke about one of the most fundamentally Christian excerpts cannot claim to be a Christian. He may be well read, and may have studied scripture but serious doubts should be obvious if you watch this speech.
The myriad Web postings directed against the President by fervent opponents, many of whom assert he is Moslem, are more damaging to the United States than if President Obama WERE a Moslem. We are revealed as a nation of bigots and hypocrites who aren’t even honest enough to own up to our prejudices. Lead the world? Who would trust us?
This nation (America) is fine, much better than a whole lot of other nations around the world. So what if there are a few bigots and hypocrites. Where are they NOT found. Leadership doesn’t mean one has to pay attention to all and sundry. In fact most leaders don’t listen to many.
Is there something of relevance to be gained by this post?
What difference does his religious affiliation make?
All politicians lie anyway, so we’ll never really know.
My questions are; is he qualified for the job?
Will he actually do the job?
My life and community have not improved since he has been in office, and it didnt with Bush either. We need to find better “Public Servants” we do pay them after all…
Probably the same 18% who still think Iraq had WMD and George Bush was a great president because he was a Christian man.
Americans are not confused about Obama’s religion. They’re simply Foxed.
none of the world leaders believe in God(s) or Religion(s)… they gain knowledge and come across many cultures and religions… slowly they loose belief in one God… but they all know that what they should talk and how they should act in public ! just for your and my satisfaction… many leaders participate in religious activities just just to make you and me happy…
Are these the same people who complained incessantly during the 2008 campaign about Obama going to the same church and listening to the same preacher’s caustic remarks for 20 years? The church where his daughters were baptized? Isiden’s post is right on the money, this is about racism. There are people so desperate to delegitimize Obama’s presidency that they will cling to any idiotic idea they can find, but won’t simply come out and say that they don’t think a black man can possibly handle being president.
I could not care less what religion Obama is or if he is religious or not, I can’t see how it matters at all. We have a separation of church and state in our constitution for a reason.