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You may be right, but I don’t know much about Islam.

I am Catholic, so I do know about the Catholic faith. Baptism is a sacrament, and confers sacramental grace. A child is welcomed into the Catholic Church through baptism. First Reconciliation and First Communion are received around 7 to 8 years of age, and are sacraments as well. Confirmation comes between 11-17 years old. Through confirmation, a student becomes a full Catholic, and becomes responsible for his/her own religious choices.

I don’t know much about Islam, so I don’t know if there is any similar ritual that labels a child as a Muslim. If, as you say, any child of a Muslim father is a Muslim, then wouldn’t it be more accurately described as a race rather than a religion? Like I said, I don’t really know, I am just trying to understand why this is so important to some.

My understanding is that Obama’s real father was a non-practicing Muslim. Obama did not live with him. He lived with a Muslim step-father, and a Christian Mother. He attended a Catholic private school, and a Muslim public school. I don’t see how you can say for certain what religion he was as a child. Does it really matter that much what religions a child is taught? A little confusion on his part seems quite reasonable.

Can’t we just concentrate on the many bad policies and ideas he has presented in this campaign?

Dear ga medic,

I’m Catholic, as well. I know a bit about Islam, and to me, in this regard, it seems to me more analogous to Catholicism, in that one can become a Catholic without any voluntary action on one’s own part.

The way one becomes Muslim without any voluntary action of one’s own is to be born. Without getting overly theological, according to Islamic belief, everyone is born Muslim.

The children of non-Muslims are brought up in other religions, and thus are converted from Islam while yet children. Don’t ask me why everyone in the world isn’t under a fatwa for “apostasy,” then. I don’t know why. I just know that this conversion away from Islam in childhood isn’t considered similar to adult apostasy.

In any event, for children brought up in Muslim families, obviously, these children aren’t converted away from Islam, and thus, retain their status as Muslims.

In this way, Mr. Obama was a Muslim as a child.

“If, as you say, any child of a Muslim father is a Muslim, then wouldn’t it be more accurately described as a race rather than a religion?”

According to Islamic teaching, yeah, a Muslim is a part of a race - the human race.

“He attended a Catholic private school, and a Muslim public school. I don’t see how you can say for certain what religion he was as a child.”

I can’t say for certain. You’ll notice that my original posts in this thread note uncertainty. However, the evidence suggests that he was raised nominally as a Muslim. The evidence shows that he was born Muslim, that the father that he knew was Muslim. The evidence further shows that attended a school where children were taught their religion.

The evidence strongly suggests that he was registered in this school as a Muslim, and received Islam religious education.

“Does it really matter that much what religions a child is taught?”

Without answering that question, I’d say what DOES matter is that presidential candidates tell us the truth when they tell us about how they were raised, including in which religion they were raised.

Knowing where someone comes from can be important in discerning who and what he is now. As well, it says something about the individual who is dishonest about where he comes from.

“A little confusion on his part seems quite reasonable.”

If he’s really confused, he’s too stupid to be president.

If he’s not confused, then he’s too deceptive to be president.

“Can’t we just concentrate on the many bad policies and ideas he has presented in this campaign?”

I’m not suggesting that we should ignore them.

But the fact that he’s dishonest about his childhood is relevant to the discussion, as well.

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