Barack Obama Goes to Church, Talks About His Faith Amid Internet Muslim Rumors

Fox News ^

[Blue Turtle]

MASON CITY, Iowa — Democrat Barack Obama on Sunday confronted one of the persistent falsehoods circulating about him on the Internet.

He went to church.

His attendance here at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, with the news media in tow, was as much an observation of faith as it was a rejoinder to baseless e-mailed rumors that he is a Muslim and poses a threat to the security of the United States.

[Beckwith]

While living in Indonesia, Obama attended the Assisi Primary School, a Catholic school, and Besuki Primary School, a government school. He was enrolled as Barry Soetoro, Muslim, in both.

All Indonesian students were required to study religion at government schools and a young Barry Soetoro, being registered as a Muslim, would have been required to study Islam daily in school.

He would have been taught to read and write Arabic, to recite his prayers properly, to read and recite from the Quran and to study the laws of Islam.

In his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," Obama, himself, mentions studying the Quran and describes the public school as "a Muslim school."

According to Tine Hahiyary, one of Obama's teachers and the principal from 1971 throuh 1989, Barry actively took part in the Islamic religious lessons during his time at the school. His teacher was named Maimunah and she lived in the Puncak area, the Cianjur Regency.

"I remembered that he had studied "menjaji" (recitation of the Quran)" she said.

Classmate Rony Amiris describes young Barry as being a very devout Muslim. Amir said, "Barry was previously quite religious in Islam.

You want more?

The Obama File

[Neoliberalnot]

Obama is a guaranteed muslim. According to the Koran, deception and lying are acceptable tactics to assist in killing and/or subjugating the infidels. Obama’s lying is all part of the game to persuade the gullible that he is what he says he is, not what he was and remains.

[rogue yam]

This whole “Hussein squelches internet Muslim rumors” thing has a certain Clintonian whiff to it. I surf this here internet dealy more than most and I simply did not see any particular “Obama is a Mulim” rumor mongering over the last few days or weeks. So here is a specific question to my fellow FReepers: Who here has seen a substantial uptick in rumors of Barry’s Islam-ticity over the last little while that would justify his campaign staging an event such as yesterday’s church visit? Anyone?

[AppyPappy]

No evidence at all. He went to a Muslim school but it doesn’t mean he became a Muslim, especially in a Catholic school. He was a major dope smoker in Hawaii as a teen. That would be the time he would convert.

[vidbizz]

Someone here had a link for a concise life timeline of Obama. Would love to get that!

[vidbizz]

Nevermind! I just saw it in a previous post.

[sitetest]

Dear AppyPappy,

There isn’t any evidence that he ever embraced Islam as an adolescent or as an adult.

However, there is evidence to suggest that while in attendance at school in Indonesia, he was counted as a Muslim, and engaged in Muslim religious practice.

That he “grew out of it” is entirely possible. Many kids do grow out of the religion in which they grow up.

But just as we would count someone as a former Catholic who was baptized Catholic, but who in his adulthood left the Church for another religion, it seems that Mr. Obama is likely a former Muslim.

sitetest

[MeSpikeLibs]

I would not go that far. I have been to a few services. But some of their churches support Gay marriage, they are totally against Iraq and Afghanistan. Not all UCC churches are the same, but overall they are very liberal.

[VeniVidiVici]

As I understand it, its a hate whitey church. I would hardly classify that as christian.

I would venture to say that as the campaign progresses, particular if he gets the nomination, he's *current* house of worship choice will hurt him more than attending an Islamic school as a child.

[AnAmericanMother]

Wait a sec.

If he was reciting the Koran and was registered at the school as a Muslim, that's all he needed to do to BE a Muslim, under Islamic law.

Did you read about the Coptic Christian lady who is being prosecuted in Egypt, because her estranged father briefly converted to Islam? The government is requiring that she BE Islamic, or be deemed an apostate.

It opens up a serious can of worms.

[AppyPappy]

Muslims are not allowed to join Christian churches. If he is a clandestine Muslim, I would think he would be spending time with some Muslims.

Only Hillary is doing that.

[NeoCaveman]

He is a member of the UCC which is the most liberal Christian church out there.

Isn't the UCC the Unitarians Considering Christ?

[AnAmericanMother]

It's not so much that he's a clandestinely practicing Muslim at this time (Hillary would have dug THAT up), but that he presents a problem as an apostate Muslim.

That could put all sorts of pressure on him as president. Think of the propaganda value to the various terrorist organizations. Do we really want to go there?

I think his current black-supremacist church is also a problem, because the line they spouted (until they changed their website) is creepily like Farrakhan's organization.

As for Hillary, I think her interest in Islam is purely financial (and possibly extracurricular).

[PLD]

If he isn’t a Muslim then he is not much of a Christian..

Here are their points, written by a committee back in 1981:

Commitment to God
Commitment to the Black Community
Commitment to the Black Family
Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness”
Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

This is where the post came fromI had read before the church he attended wasn’t far from muslim both hate whites......http://camelsnose.wordpress.com/2007/02/18/is-barack-obamas-trinity-church-racist/

[RatRipper]

Then where did he get his name? At the local synagogue? He was as a child.

[gridlock]

Let’s hear him stand up and recite the Nicene Creed.

From memory...

[Optimus Prime]

No kidding. Voting for someone named Barack Hussein Obama in this day and age would be like voting for someone named Karl Mussolini Hisler during WWII.

[OKSooner]

He’s the Manchurian muslim. People don’t realize that any Muslim can lie his ass off about his faith and not be in violation of anything, so long as it benefits his position as a muslim. I’ve seen this personally with a (former) associate of mine who was a muslim - I didn’t even know it.

[Hiddigeigei]

Of course he’s a Christian. With the name Hussain he can address “a billion Muslims.” Therefore, he should publicly address them now; telling them they should embrace “the Lord Jesus Christ” and renounce the false religion based on the “satanic verses” of an Arabian bandit. Right?

[AppyPappy]

He’s no Christian. He’s just not a Muslim either.