Obama is a Protestant Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote in "The Audacity of Hope" that he "was not raised in a religious household." He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents, as being detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person... I have ever known," and "a lonely witness for secular humanism". He described his father as a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change." In January 2008, Obama told "Christianity Today": "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian.
Religious views
Barack Obama
Barack Obama | Religious views
Obama commented on his religious views, saying: I'm a Christian by choice. He stated "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life..." He told "Christianity Today": "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life." Protestant Christian
who elected senators under the provisions of the constitution as originally ratified
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State legislative election.
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who proposed this amendment?
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The Seventeenth Amendment (Amendment XVII).
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when did it become the part of constitution?
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On April 8, 1913.
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what were the issues related to it?
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Legislative corruption and electoral deadlocks.
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who were reformers for the calls for constitutional amendment?
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Barack Obama (President), Joe Biden (Vice President), Hillary Clinton (Secretary of State), and Ken Salazar (Secretary of the Interior).
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who is the first one?
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He is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States.
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where was he from?
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Honolulu, Hawaii.
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what is his religious stance?
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Obama is a Protestant Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life. He wrote in "The Audacity of Hope" that he "was not raised in a religious household." He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents, as being detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person... I have ever known," and "a lonely witness for secular humanism". He described his father as a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change." In January 2008, Obama told "Christianity Today": "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian.
Barack Obama | Religious views
Obama has stated that he "felt a beckoning of the spirit" at this time. He has also said that his political/ethical beliefs are "guided by his Christian faith" including belief "in the power of prayer." Although Obama is a Christian, some July 2008 polls showed that some Americans incorrectly believed that he is Muslim or was raised Muslim (12% and 26%, respectively, in Pew and "Newsweek" polls). Citing the latter poll by CNN's Larry King, Obama responded, "...I wasn't raised in a Muslim home," and he said that advancement of the misconception insulted Muslim Americans. Much of the speculations and allegations began with chain e-mails of unknown origin during Obama's presidential campaign.
Public image of Barack Obama | Religion
I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life." On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views, saying: I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me.
Barack Obama | Religious views
The entire speech was recorded by C-SPAN. During his speech to the largely Muslim audience, Obama declared, "I’m a Christian." In an interview with NBC journalist Brian Williams on August 29, 2010, Williams asked Obama about a poll that said that 20% of the American public do not believe that he is a Christian or American born. Obama gave a similar answer to the one he gave in the January 2008 debate. During the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast, the President stated, "My Christian faith then has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time".
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | In person
In "The Audacity of Hope", Obama writes that he "was not raised in a religious household". He describes his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists") to be detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He describes his father as "raised a Muslim", but a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful". His spiritual change of heart as an adult and his coming to believe in Christianity is a major part of his autobiography "Dreams from My Father".
Public image of Barack Obama | Religion
In addition to Obama's personal responses, the 2008 Obama presidential campaign responded to the false claims made against him by people opposed to his candidacy by launching a website called "FightTheSmears.com". One of the false claims countered by the website is that he is a Muslim and not a Christian. In October 2010 the White House announced that it was cancelling a stop at the Golden Temple during Obama's trip to India. The decision to cancel was received with disappointment by the Sikh community, and it was speculated that the decision was in response to a photo that was circulated during the 2008 campaign of Obama wearing Kenyan traditional wardrobe during a 2006 trip to Kenya.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Institutional
Obama has publicly responded to questions regarding his religion on more than one occasion. During a debate of Democratic presidential candidates on January 15, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the moderator, Brian Williams, asked Obama about the rumor that he was "trying to hide the fact that he is a Muslim". Obama responded that "the facts are: I am a Christian. I have been sworn in [to the US Senate] with a Bible." He then said "in the Internet age, there are going to be lies that are spread all over the place. I have been victimized by these lies." On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University titled "A New Beginning".
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | In person
Many of these "birthers" argued that because Obama was (allegedly) not a citizen, he was not eligible to serve as president under the natural-born-citizen requirements of the Constitution. Despite Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate, which affirmed that Obama was born in Hawaii, a 2015 CNN poll found that 20% of Americans believed that Obama was born outside of the country. Many also claimed that Obama practiced Islam, and a 2015 CNN poll found that 29% of Americans and 43% of Republicans believed Obama to be a Muslim. Even prior to his election as president, Obama had clarified that he was a long-time member of a church affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination.
Presidency of Barack Obama | Approval ratings and other opinions
Obama met Trinity United Church of Christ pastor Jeremiah Wright in October 1987 and became a member of Trinity in 1992. During Obama's first presidential campaign in May 2008, he resigned from Trinity after some of Wright's statements were criticized. Since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2009, the Obama family has attended several Protestant churches, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church, as well as Evergreen Chapel at Camp David, but the members of the family do not attend church on a regular basis.
Barack Obama | Religious views
On August 19, 2010, when asked by CNN correspondent John King if he had doubts that President Barack Obama is a Christian, Graham stated, "I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim; his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name." Graham continued, "Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done.
Franklin Graham | Barack Obama (2009–2017)
"The Obama Nation", a book (published August 1, 2008) by Jerome Corsi, openly speculated that Obama had concealed a religious affiliation with Islam. His book opens with a quote by Andy Martin, who "The Nation", "The Washington Post", and "The New York Times" have identified as the primary source for the allegations that Obama is concealing a Muslim faith. Speculation about Obama's Muslim heritage has been widely denounced in the news media by both political supporters and political opponents (such as David Freddoso in his book "The Case Against Barack Obama") of Obama.
Public image of Barack Obama | Religion
Obama was baptized into the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination and formally joined it in 1988. He left the UCC in 2008 because of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy. He later worshiped with a Southern Baptist pastor at Camp David but has not become a formal member of any church since 2008. Though according to his own profession and some others, Obama is a practicing Christian and he was chiefly raised by his mother and her Christian parents, his father, Barack Obama Sr., with whom he lived only as a baby, was characterized by Obama as being a Muslim-raised atheist.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Claims that Obama secretly practices Islam
However, the study also showed that some people who had initially believed Obama to be a Christian later believed the rumor that he is a Muslim. The survey found that respondents who had shifted to the misconception were generally younger, less politically involved, less educated, more conservative, and more likely to believe in Biblical literalism. According to Professor Barry Hollander, "These are groups of people who are generally distrustful of the mainstream media...So therefore journalists telling them that this is not true could actually have the opposite effect and make them more likely to believe the rumor." In August 2010, a Pew Research poll showed that 18% of Americans and 30% of Republicans believed that Obama is a Muslim.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Polls and surveys
President Barack Obama, claiming that his beliefs "counter my convictions and the convictions of masses of believing Americans."
Lou Engle | Prayer and politics
Obama has encouraged Democrats to reach out to evangelicals and other church-going people, saying, "if we truly hope to speak to people where they’re at – to communicate our hopes and values in a way that’s relevant to their own – we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse." He supports separation of church and state and contends that: "I also think that we are under obligation in public life to translate our religious values into moral terms that all people can share, including those who are not believers. And that is how our democracy’s functioning, will continue to function.
Social policy of the Barack Obama administration | Religion
In March 2004, Falsani conducted an interview with Barack Obama. At the time of the interview, Obama was a state senator from Illinois and democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in the 2004 election. The interview focused on Obama's religious beliefs and spiritual predilections.
Cathleen Falsani | Interview with Obama on religion
Obama is a Protestant Christian. While in his twenties, Obama was involved with the Black churches. From 1992 until 2008, he was a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ—a Reformed denomination. Obama left it in the wake of the Jeremiah Wright controversy. Since 2008, he attends various Protestant churches, including Baptist, Methodist and Episcopalian churches.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Introduction
The Democratic Party receives support from secular organizations such as the Secular Coalition for America and many agnostic and atheist Americans. Exit polls from the 2008 election showed that voters with a religious affiliation of "none" accounted for the 12% of the electorate and voted for Obama by a 75–25% margin. In his first inaugural address, Obama acknowledged atheists by saying that the United States is not just "Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus but non-believers as well". In the 2012 election cycle, Obama had moderate to high ratings with the Secular Coalition for America while the majority of the Republican candidates had ratings in the low-to-failing range.
Democratic Party (United States) | Secular Americans
Public opinion surveys carried out, beginning in 2008, have shown that a number of Americans believe that Obama is a Muslim. In March 2008, a survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that 10% of respondents believed that rumor. Those who were more likely to believe he is a Muslim included political conservatives (both Republicans and Democrats), people who had not attended college, people who lived in the Midwest or the South, and people in rural areas. A study conducted by the University of Georgia found that the percentage of Americans who believed that Obama is a Muslim remained constant at approximately 20% in September, October, and November 2008, despite frequent attempts by the media as well as the Obama campaign to correct this misconception.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Polls and surveys
At a November 2011 campaign event, in response to a question about how Biden viewed Mitt Romney's Mormon faith in November 2011, Biden said, "I find it preposterous that in 2011 we're debating whether or not a man is qualified or worthy of your vote based on whether or not his religion ... is a disqualifying provision. It is not. It is embarrassing and we should be ashamed, anyone who thinks that way." Biden cited the anti-Catholic prejudice encountered by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election.
Political positions of Joe Biden | Religious faith
He also added that he was "troubled" by the "false intimations that Obama was Muslim." Powell stated that "[Obama] is a Christian—he's always been a Christian... But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America." Powell then mentioned Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, a Muslim American soldier in the U.S. Army who served and died in the Iraq War. He later stated, "Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower [...] I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me." Powell concluded his Sunday morning talk show comments, "It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen.
Colin Powell | Role in presidential election of 2008
Senator Clinton denied the allegations. When interviewed by "The New York Times", Kuhner did not name the person said to be his reporter's source. Obama attended two schools during the four years he lived in Indonesia as a child (1967–1971). From the first grade until some time in the third grade he attended the Roman Catholic St. Francis Assisi School, where classes began and ended each day with Christian prayers. He was registered there as Muslim because of his stepfather's nominal religion. At some point during the third grade he transferred to State Elementary School Menteng 01, also known as Besuki School, for less than a year.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Madrasah claim
Caldwell endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary, supporting him against John McCain in the presidential election. In August 2010, after media reports that 18 percent of Americans thought President Obama was a Muslim, Caldwell told reporters he had known Obama for years as a Christian who prays daily. He described the media questioning Obama's religion as "a 24-hour noise box committed to presenting the president in a false light".
Kirbyjon Caldwell | Relationship with Barack Obama
In 2007, he visited State Elementary School Menteng 01 in Indonesia which the then presidential candidate Barack Obama had attended for one year and found that each student received two hours of religious instruction per week in his or her own faith, contrary to some false rumours that were then circulating.
John Vause | Introduction
The Democratic Party receives support from secular organizations such as the Secular Coalition for America and many agnostic and atheist Americans. Exit polls from the 2008 election showed that although a religious affiliation of "none" accounted for 12% of the electorate, they overwhelmingly voted for Obama by a 75–25% margin. In his inaugural address, Obama acknowledged atheists by saying that the United States is not just "Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus but non-believers as well". In the 2012 election cycle, Obama had moderate to high rankings with the Secular Coalition for America, whereas the majority of the Republican candidates had ratings in the low-to-failing range.
Factions in the Democratic Party (United States) | Irreligious Americans
Conspiracy theories about Obama's religion appeared at least as early as his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign in a press release by Illinois political candidate Andy Martin, and, according to a "Los Angeles Times" editorial, as Internet rumors. From the start of March 2008, rumors that Obama was born in Kenya before being flown to Hawaii were spread on conservative websites, with the suggestion that this would disqualify Obama from the presidency. In April of that year, some supporters of Hillary Clinton circulated anonymous chain emails repeating the same rumor; among them was an Iowa campaign volunteer, who was fired when the story emerged.
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories | Origins of the claims
A chain e-mail circulating during the presidential campaign claimed that Obama took his oath of office as a U.S. Senator in 2005 while placing his hand on a Qur'an rather than a Bible. This claim is false, as Obama was sworn into office using a Bible that he owned. The claim may have been inspired by a photo-op re-enactment of the 2007 swearing-in of U.S. Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who used a Qur'an that had belonged to Thomas Jefferson.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Qur'an claim
Also, his stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, with whom he lived during his early childhood, was nominally Muslim. This familial connection to Islam, among other things, is a basis of claims that Obama secretly practices Islam. According to the "Los Angeles Times", false rumors saying that Obama was secretly a Muslim started during his campaign for the United States Senate in 2004 and had expanded through viral e-mails by 2006. The "Times" compared these rumors to earlier false rumors about 2000 presidential candidate John McCain fathering a dark-skinned child out of wedlock. The rumors were subsequently promoted by conservative talk show hosts, including Michael Savage.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Claims that Obama secretly practices Islam
It's distracting. It gets annoying. And let's just stick with what really matters." Although she believes Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, she did give praise to Donald Trump's questions regarding Barack Obama's birth certificate saying, "There is something there that the president doesn't want people to see on that birth certificate."
Political positions of Sarah Palin | Birth status of Barack Obama
That’s what the founding fathers intended." In July 2008, Obama said that if elected president he would expand the delivery of social services through churches and other religious organizations, vowing to achieve what he said President Bush had fallen short on. His 2008 campaign web site contains his Faith Statement.
Social policy of the Barack Obama administration | Religion
Various criticisms were made during the campaign concerning Obama's religious background and heritage, both by political opponents and by some members of the media. In 2004, conservative columnist Andy Martin issued a press release alleging that Obama had "sought to misrepresent his heritage," indirectly triggering one of the first viral emails spreading false rumors about Obama's background. The issue lay fallow for almost three years, but picked up again in late 2006, as the announcement of Obama's presidential candidacy approached. In October, a conservative blog, Infidel Bloggers Alliance, reposted Martin's press release in response to a question about Obama's heritage.
Barack Obama 2008 presidential primary campaign | Religion, citizenship, and loyalty
Allegations that Barack Obama secretly practices Islam, or that he is the antichrist of Christian eschatology, have been suggested since he campaigned for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and proliferated after his election as President of the United States in 2008. As with conspiracy theories surrounding his citizenship status, the claims are promoted by various fringe theorists and political opponents, with American bloggers and conservative talk radio hosts particularly promoting the theories. Belief in these claims in the public sphere endured and, in some cases, even expanded during Obama's presidency according to the Pew Research Center, with 17% of Americans (including one third of conservative Republicans) believing him to be a Muslim in a 2012 poll.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Introduction
Obama was criticized for inviting Reverend Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, and Reverend Hezekiah Walker – who all have a history of making anti-gay remarks – to participate in a three-day gospel music campaign tour called "Embrace the Courage", as part of Obama's "40 Days of Faith and Family" campaign in South Carolina. The Obama campaign responded to criticism in a press release, saying, "I strongly believe that African Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin's views and will continue to fight for these rights as president of the United States to ensure that America is a country that spreads tolerance instead of division." For events held on Sunday, October 28, 2007, Obama added Reverend Andy Sidden, an openly gay pastor.
Social policy of the Barack Obama administration | LGBT and religion
The "Times" further noted that while Obama is a Christian, the book contains statements arguing that he has "extensive connections to Islam". One of Corsi's statements is that Obama's childhood friend, Zulfin Adi, had stated that Obama was a practicing Muslim. Contradicting that, Kim Barker, a foreign correspondent for the "Chicago Tribune" reported: "Interviews with dozens of former classmates, teachers, neighbors and friends show that Obama was not a regular practicing Muslim when he was in Indonesia". Corsi also fails to reveal that Adi later said he couldn't be certain about his claims and confessed to knowing Obama for only a few months.
The Obama Nation | Disputed accuracy
In his 1995 memoir "Dreams from My Father", Barack Obama wrote, "My mother's confidence in needlepoint virtues depended on a faith I didn't possess... In a land [Indonesia] where fatalism remained a necessary tool for enduring hardship ... she was a lonely witness for secular humanism, a soldier for New Deal, Peace Corps, position-paper liberalism." In his 2006 book "The Audacity of Hope" Obama wrote, "I was not raised in a religious household ... My mother's own experiences ... only reinforced this inherited skepticism. Her memories of the Christians who populated her youth were not fond ones ... And yet for all her professed secularism, my mother was in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I've ever known." "Religion for her was "just one of the many ways—and not necessarily the best way—that man attempted to control the unknowable and understand the deeper truths about our lives," Obama wrote: Dunham's best friend in high school, Maxine Box, said that Dunham "touted herself as an atheist, and it was something she'd read about and could argue.
Ann Dunham | Personal beliefs
At the February 2010 National Prayer Breakfast, Obama commented, "Surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith. Or for that matter my citizenship." He directly addressed the issue in August 2010, in an interview with Brian Williams. Williams asked Obama about the fact that a fifth of the American people do not believe that he is either American born or a Christian. Obama responded that "there is a mechanism, a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly". He then added, "I can't spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead." On a few occasions, Obama has joked about the conspiracy theories surrounding his birth certificate and citizenship.
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories | Barack Obama's response
She was always challenging and arguing and comparing. She was already thinking about things that the rest of us hadn't." On the other hand, Dunham's daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng, when asked later if her mother was an atheist, said, "I wouldn't have called her an atheist. She was an agnostic. She basically gave us all the good books—the Bible, the Hindu "Upanishads" and the Buddhist scripture, the "Tao Te Ching"—and wanted us to recognize that everyone has something beautiful to contribute." "Jesus, she felt, was a wonderful example. But she felt that a lot of Christians behaved in un-Christian ways." In a 2007 speech, Obama contrasted the beliefs of his mother to those of her parents, and commented on her spirituality and skepticism: "My mother, whose parents were nonpracticing Baptists and Methodists, was one of the most spiritual souls I ever knew.
Ann Dunham | Personal beliefs
Some of his opponents question Obama's religious faith; see Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories. In a 2017 Survey done by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, only 15% of American Muslims wanted Donald Trump to win the 2016 presidential election, compared to 54% wanting Hillary Clinton to win.
Islam in the United States | Politics
President Barack Obama. She urged fans to vote for Obama and claimed that he is a "Black Muslim" which was largely seen as offensive since Obama is a Christian and has discussed about his faith in the past. Madonna clarified her statements by saying that she merely being ironic and said "Yes, I know Obama is not a Muslim — though I know that plenty of people in this country think he is. And what if he were? The point I was making is that a good man is a good man, no matter who he prays to. I don’t care what religion Obama is — nor should anyone else in America." Madonna's support for President Obama has generally been met with cheers from her audience.
Controversies of The MDNA Tour | Political
Besuki is a secular public school. Students there wear Western clothing, and the "Chicago Tribune" described the school as "so progressive that teachers wore miniskirts and all students were encouraged to celebrate Christmas". Soon after "Insight"s story, CNN reporter John Vause visited State Elementary School Menteng 01 and found that each student received two hours of religious instruction per week in his or her own faith. Hardi Priyono, the deputy headmaster of the school told Vause: "This is a public school. We don't focus on religion. In our daily lives, we try to respect religion, but we don't give preferential treatment."
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Madrasah claim
Madowo self identifies as a Christian, although he is quoted as saying that there is probably no God, suggesting that he holds agnostic views. He is critical of the religious in Kenya, having written in his old "Daily Nation" column ""Atheists don’t harm anyone, let them be!"" that they exhibit the affliction of the inability to hold divergent views. This had come as a response to the outrage by religious Kenyans after the group; Atheists In Kenya, attempted to register themselves as an organization. He has spoken out about racism while writing about his experience as a Black man in the United States.
Larry Madowo | Views
In 2008, "The Washington Times" published a column by Frank Gaffney that promoted the false conspiracy theories which asserted that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and was courting the "jihadist vote." Gaffney also published pieces in 2009 and 2010 promoting the false assertion that Obama is a Muslim. In a 2009 column entitled "'Inner Muslim' at work in Cairo", Pruden wrote that President Obama was the: "first president without an instinctive appreciation of the culture, history, tradition, common law and literature whence America sprang. The genetic imprint writ large in his 43 predecessors is missing from the Obama DNA." In another 2009 column, Pruden wrote that Obama had "no natural instinct or blood impulse” for what America was about because he was “sired by a Kenyan father” and “born to a mother attracted to men of the Third World." These columns stirred controversy, leading the paper to assign David Mastio, the paper's deputy editor, to edit Pruden's work.
The Washington Times | Coverage of Barack Obama
The 2006 photo was used to raise doubts about Obama's religion.
Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories | Institutional
According to a report by journalist Chris Hayes for "The Nation", Martin issued a press release shortly after Obama's keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that he had evidence Obama "lied to the American people" and "misrepresent[ed] his own heritage." Martin claimed that Obama was really a Muslim, was possibly hiding this fact "to endanger Israel," and that "[Obama's] Muslim religion would obviously raise serious questions in many Jewish circles." Within a few days, the conservative site "Free Republic" picked up Martin's press release, triggering a long discussion. However, according to Hayes, the issue went dormant after Obama's election to the Senate, only to pick up again in 2006 as rumors spread that Obama was considering a presidential run.
Andy Martin | Allegations of Obama being a Muslim
It is common knowledge that African men, coming from the continent of Africa — especially for the first time — do diligently seek out white women to have sexual intercourse with. Generally the most noble of white society choose not to intercourse sexually with these men. So it's usually the trashier ones who make their determinations that they're going to have sex. Manning defended his sermons in an interview on Fox News, saying that "we also have to talk about his character." The sermons drew the attention of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service objecting to alleged violations of laws granting tax-free status to churches on the condition that they refrain from certain forms of political activity.
James David Manning | Criticism of Barack Obama
The president opened his speech seeking a common ground between Muslims and the United States. He quoted from the Quran, "Be conscious of God and always speak the truth." Obama described Muslim contributions to Western civilization, citing the founding of algebra, the development of navigational tools, the invention of the fountain pen, and the influence of Islamic architecture. He described his own personal experiences with Islam, including having Muslim family members, growing up in Indonesia, a majority-Muslim country and hearing "the call of the azaan", and working "in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith".
A New Beginning | Speech
And if Reverend Wright thinks that that's political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought either. ... What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for, and what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing. Anybody who knows me and anybody who knows what I'm about knows that I am about trying to bridge gaps and I see the commonality in all people.
Jeremiah Wright controversy | Obama's response
Bush has repudiated the Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories ("birtherism") and religion conspiracy theories espoused by Rick Perry, Donald Trump, and others. In 2011, Bush wrote: "Republican candidates should categorically reject the notion that President Obama was not born in the United States." In 2015, Bush stated of Obama: "He's an American, he's a Christian."
Political positions of Jeb Bush | President Obama conspiracy theories
Godsey used the platform of the National Day of Prayer to exercise his freedom of speech and religion to express his displeasure at both NBA player Jason Collins' admission of homosexuality and President Obama's congratulatory phone call. Mr. Collins' admission was significant as he was first openly homosexual major professional sports figure.
Steve Godsey | Defending Christian Values
BeDuhn holds a B.A. in Religious studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, an M.T.S. in New Testament and Christian Origins from Harvard Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in the Comparative Study of Religions from Indiana University Bloomington. He first gained brief national attention at the age of 18 when remarks he made in a speech to the high school graduating class of Rock Island, Illinois, sharply critical of oppressive attitudes towards youth by older generations of Americans, were widely reported in the American press. He defended his remarks in subsequent radio and television appearances by pointing to the historical contribution of youth to social idealism and cultural innovation.
Jason BeDuhn | Biography
On March 7, 2008, during his press engagements to announce his reelection campaign, King made remarks about then U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his middle name "Hussein", saying: I don't want to disparage anyone because of their race, their ethnicity, their name—whatever their religion their father might have been, I'll just say this: When you think about the optics of a Barack Obama potentially getting elected President of the United States—I mean, what does this look like to the rest of the world? What does it look like to the world of Islam? I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaida, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11.
Steve King | President Barack Obama
Birth notices for Barack Obama were published in "The Honolulu Advertiser" on August 13 and the "Honolulu Star-Bulletin" on August 14, 1961. Obama's father's immigration file also clearly states Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. One of his high school teachers, who was acquainted with his mother at the time, remembered hearing about the day of his birth. Obama's parents were divorced in 1964. He attended kindergarten in 1966–1967 at Noelani Elementary School in Honolulu. In 1967, his mother married Indonesian student Lolo Soetoro, who was also attending the University of Hawaii, and the family moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, where Obama attended the Catholic St.
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories | Early life of Barack Obama
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America." Obama noted his interracial and international heritage: he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Kenyan immigrant father and a white mother from Kansas. He emphasized the power of education, recounting the privilege of attending the exclusive Punahou School and Harvard Law School despite his family's poverty, and criticized the perception that poor black youths who read books are "acting white." He went on to describe his successful career in law and politics while raising a family in Chicago.
2004 Democratic National Convention | Barack Obama's keynote address
In Detroit, Wright "also defended Obama and lashed out at the news media for running excerpts of his heated sermons, media pundits and those who have tried to connect him to Islam because of his full name—Barack Hussein Obama." At the Press Club, Wright said that Obama "had to distance himself from me, because he's a politician." He also suggested that Obama is not a regular attendee at church, and reiterated his earlier views on terrorism, HIV, and other issues. Obama held a press conference on April 29 in which he went further than he had in his Pennsylvania speech, appearing to disown the pastor himself rather than just his controversial remarks.
Barack Obama 2008 presidential primary campaign | Impact of Rev. Jeremiah Wright
When the callers asked him if he wrote the release, Martin replied, "They are all my children."
Barack Obama 2008 presidential primary campaign | Religion, citizenship, and loyalty
Obama was specifically asked by Bill O'Reilly if Wright had said white people were bad, to which Obama replied that he hadn't. In his book "Dreams from my Father", Obama had quoted Wright as saying in a sermon "It's this world, where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where White folks' greed runs a world in need." Obama said that the remarks had come to his attention at the beginning of his presidential campaign, but contended that because Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of Obama's strong links to Trinity, he had not thought it appropriate to leave the church.
Jeremiah Wright controversy | Barack Obama
And many of these people we've brought in, I'm afraid, are under the Muslim Brotherhood. In an open letter response, Graham apologized to President Obama, saying, "I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama. The president has said he is a Christian and I accept that." In the open letter closing Graham stated, "In this election season and challenging economic time I am praying for our country and for those who lead it—for we are commanded in Scripture to do so."
Franklin Graham | Barack Obama (2009–2017)
In the fall of 2012, Dr. Whelan joined forces with two former University of Notre Dame law professors and law school deans, Douglas Kmiec and Ed Gaffney, to write the book “America Undecided: Catholic, Independent and Social Justice Perspectives on Election 2012.” Prof Gaffney is a religious liberty scholar and Prof Kmiec a nationally known constitutional law expert. They argued that there was no merit to the idea that the Obama administration was opposed to religious liberty or hostile to Catholicism. The book begins by chronicling the Catholic influence on the early life of President Barack Obama, who attended Catholic school in Jakarta Indonesia as a child.
Catholic Democrats | “America Undecided: Catholic, Independent and Social Justice Perspectives on Election 2012"
Anderson's invective against Obama stems in part from his opposition to Obama's support for abortion rights. Anderson was then the recipient of death threats while a group, People Against Clergy Who Preach Hate, organized a "love rally" which was attended by approximately one hundred people outside the church.
Steven Anderson (pastor) | "Why I Hate Barack Obama" sermon
The church received national attention in the United States in August 2009, when Anderson was reported to have delivered a sermon—entitled "Why I Hate Barack Obama"—in which he said he prayed for the death of the president. Anderson did not solicit the killing of President Obama but he did suggest that the country would "benefit" from his death. Anderson told local television station KNXV-TV that he would like it if Obama were to die of natural causes because he does not "want him to be a martyr" and "we don't need another holiday." He told columnist Michelangelo Signorile that he "would not judge or condemn" anyone who killed the president.
Steven Anderson (pastor) | "Why I Hate Barack Obama" sermon
In addition, in other counts was the demand to end all religious prayer at the inauguration based on the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which he had sued to prevent in the two previous inaugurations unsuccessfully.
Michael Newdow | Obama inauguration
An atheist since grade school, Tweet has devoted much of his personal website to his views on religion, in particular on the historical Jesus. He also blogs about religion on the Secular Sunday School blog.
Jonathan Tweet | Religious views
Later in the work, he aligns himself with a "renascent or modern religion ... neither atheist nor Buddhist nor Mohammedan nor Christian ... [that] he has found growing up in himself". Of Christianity, he said: "it is not now true for me. ... Every believing Christian is, I am sure, my spiritual brother ... but if systemically I called myself a Christian I feel that to most men I should imply too much and so tell a lie". Of other world religions, he writes: "All these religions are true for me as Canterbury Cathedral is a true thing and as a Swiss chalet is a true thing.
H. G. Wells | Religious views
In 2011, Rick Santorum was asked if Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney would have problems in the 2012 presidential election cycle as Mormons. Santorum answered: "I hope not. … I hope that people will look at the qualities of candidates and look at what they believe and what they're for and look [at] their records and then make a decision." Joe Biden said, in a long response to a University of Pittsburgh student's question about how his own religious faith affected his philosophy of government:
Anti-Mormonism | Political
He famously portrayed Barack Obama as an Easter Island head worshiped by voters. Oliphant found that it took time to find the right look for a new president, noting, "I hate changes of Administrations. It takes six months to 'get' a new man."
Pat Oliphant | Oliphant's style
Obama attempted to further distance himself from Wright, as he expressed outrage and shock at a press conference on April 29: I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday ... The person that I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church. They certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs.
Jeremiah Wright controversy | Obama's response
The church received national attention in the United States in August 2009, when Anderson reportedly gave a sermon—entitled "Why I Hate Barack Obama"—in which he said he prayed for the death of the president. Anderson did not solicit the killing of Obama but he did suggest that the country would "benefit" from his death. Anderson also told the local television station KNXV-TV that he would like it if Obama were to die of natural causes because he does not "want him to be a martyr" and he also believes that "we don't need another holiday." Anderson told columnist Michelangelo Signorile that he "would not judge or condemn" anyone who killed the president.
Faithful Word Baptist Church | National attention over Anderson's sermon on President Obama
Huntsman is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), and served a church mission to Taiwan. In a May 2011 interview, Huntsman stated "I believe in God. I'm a good Christian. I'm very proud of my Mormon heritage. I am Mormon." In an interview with "Time" magazine, he stated that he considers himself more spiritual than religious, and in December 2010, he told "Newsweek" that the LDS Church doesn't have a monopoly on his spiritual life. Huntsman rejects the notion that faith and evolution are mutually exclusive. He said, "The minute that the Republican Party becomes ...
Jon Huntsman Jr. | Religious views
I was angry. And sometimes you say things in anger that you don't mean. But I have put that behind me. It's over." When interviewed in 2007 by Beliefnet, a website that covers religious affairs, McCain was asked if he thought a non-Christian should be president of the United States. He answered, "I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith." McCain also stated his agreement with the belief that the U.S. is a "Christian nation." On September 30, 2007, he clarified his remarks by saying "What I do mean to say is the United States of America was founded on the values of Judeo-Christian values, which were translated by our founding fathers which is basically the rights of human dignity and human rights." McCain also stated, "I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values."
Political positions of John McCain | Religion and the nation
Then, on December 26, conservative activist Ted Sampley, co-founder of Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry, posted a column suggesting Obama was a secret Muslim, heavily quoting Martin's original press release. Shortly afterward, many chain e-mails began circulating claiming that Obama was a hypothetical "Manchurian Candidate." According to Hayes, one of these emails was forwarded to Snopes within hours of Sampley's story. Hayes believes that the email was likely a slightly altered version of the Sampley article, which was in turn heavily based on Martin's 2004 press release. Martin told Hayes that he got numerous calls once the emails began circulating.
Barack Obama 2008 presidential primary campaign | Religion, citizenship, and loyalty
Michelle Obama was raised United Methodist and joined the Trinity United Church of Christ, a mostly black congregation of the Reformed denomination known as the United Church of Christ. She and Barack Obama were married there by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. On May 31, 2008, Barack and Michelle Obama announced that they had withdrawn their membership in Trinity United Church of Christ saying: "Our relations with Trinity have been strained by the divisive statements of Reverend Wright, which sharply conflict with our own views." The Obama family attended several different Protestant churches after moving to Washington D.C. in 2009, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St.
Michelle Obama | Religion
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, gathered at the Washington National Cathedral on January 22, 2013, for a national day of prayer. The prayer service was attended by dignitaries and guests of diverse faiths for a day of prayers, readings, and musical performances. As in the case of the prayer service for the 2009 inauguration, the theme of the interfaith worship service reflected inclusiveness and religious diversity, ranging from a mix of Protestant pastors, female Rabbi, Hindu, and Muslim religious leaders to Catholic and Episcopal bishops. Featured speakers at the prayer service included religious leaders from the National African American Clergy Network, Islamic Society of North America, in addition to the Metropolitan Community Churches that served as a spiritual refuge and place of worship for gay Christians.
Second inauguration of Barack Obama | National prayer service
The ad showed the candidate seated in front of a stained glass window that displayed, in Donohue's view, an image of the cross while Huckabee described the importance of Christmas and family. Donohue said: "This is just injecting religion into politics even too far for guys like me." He believed Huckabee was identifying his religion to attack Mitt Romney's Mormon faith.
Bill Donohue | Politics
In at least two cases, Presidents saw fit to issue denials that they were atheists. At the same time, this was tempered, especially in early years, by a strong commitment to disestablishment. Several presidents especially stand out as exponents of this. Consideration of this has become increasingly contentious as topics such as civil rights and human sexuality have increasingly put churches at odds with each other and with the government.
Religious affiliations of presidents of the United States | Civic religion
Obama later reflected on his years in Honolulu and wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear." Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind." Obama was also a member of the "choom gang," a self-named group of friends who spent time together and occasionally smoked marijuana.
Barack Obama | Education
As a young man, Onyango Obama traveled widely, enlisting in the British colonial forces and visiting Europe, India, and Zanzibar. There, he converted from Roman Catholicism to Islam and took the name Hussein. He became a cook for missionaries and a local herbalist in Nairobi.
Barack Obama Sr. | Early life
O'Neal used scripture in a widely circulated email to suggest President Barack Obama's "days be few in number" from Psalm 109:8. The Psalm continued: "may his children be orphans and his wife a widow". As a result of O'Neal's comments, a widely circulated petition quickly garnered over 30,000 signatures. "He is using sacred scripture to flippantly suggest people should be praying for the death of the president," said Michael Sherrard, a spokesman for Faithful America, an online interfaith community based in Washington that organized the petition.
Michael O'Neal | Comments regarding the President
The religious affiliations of presidents of the United States can affect their electability, shape their stances on policy matters and their visions of society and also how they want to lead it. Speculation of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and William Howard Taft being atheists was reported during election campaigns, while others, such as Jimmy Carter, used faith as a defining aspect of their campaigns and tenure to hold the office. Almost all of the presidents can be characterized as Christian, at least by upbringing, though some were unaffiliated with any specific religious body. Protestants predominate, with Episcopalians and Presbyterians being the most prevalent.
Religious affiliations of presidents of the United States | Introduction
Obama was born on August 4, 1961 at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the only president born outside the contiguous 48 states. He was born to an American mother of European descent and an African father. His mother, Ann Dunham (1942–1995), was born in Wichita, Kansas; she was mostly of English descent, with some German, Irish, Scottish, Swiss, and Welsh ancestry. (In July 2012, Ancestry.com found a strong likelihood that Dunham was descended from John Punch, an enslaved African man who lived in the Colony of Virginia during the seventeenth century.) His father, Barack Obama Sr.
Barack Obama | Early life and career
The online version of the "National Catholic Reporter" reported on November 19, 2008, that Cardinal Stafford harshly criticized President-elect Barack Obama, saying he has "an agenda and vision that are aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic". The story was first reported by "The Tower", the student newspaper of the Catholic University of America, where Stafford made those remarks. Saying that the United States experienced a "cultural earthquake" when Obama was elected president November 4, 2008, Stafford said the president-elect "appears to be a relaxed, smiling man" with rhetorical skills that are "very highly developed". "But under all that grace and charm, there is a tautness of will, a state of constant alertness, to attack and resist any external influence that might affect his will", he added.
James Stafford | Criticism of Barack Obama
Obama, who is of biracial background, is regarded and self-identifies as African-American. His father was a black Kenyan from the Luo ethnic group and his mother was white of European descent, mainly of English lineage. Obama, who grew to adulthood after the Civil Rights Movement, had early life experiences that differed from most African American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in that movement. He was brought up in Honolulu, Hawaii, lived in Jakarta, Indonesia as a young child, and received a private prep school and Ivy League education. In a March 2007 op-ed, African-American film critic David Ehrenstein of the "Los Angeles Times" said that Obama was an early popular contender for the presidency not because of his political record, but because whites viewed him as a kind of "comic-book superhero", who would selflessly solve white people's problems.
Public image of Barack Obama | Race and culture
Beginning in 2008, Jackson stated that she believed Barack Obama to be a communist. In 2015, she spread conspiracy theories about Obama's religion, saying he was an "Islamic jihadist" who supported the Islamic State, that he had Muslim Brotherhood members in his cabinet, and that Obama's support for legal abortion and same-sex marriage showed he was not a Christian.
Victoria Jackson | Politics
Obama said he was "outraged" and "saddened" by Wright's comments, calling them "divisive and destructive." He said of Wright, "the man I saw yesterday was not the man I met 20 years ago." Obama stated, "Whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed as a consequence of this," he added. Obama subsequently resigned his membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ after comments made during a guest sermon at the church by Catholic priest and long-term Obama friend, Michael Pfleger. During the sermon, Pfleger mocked Hillary Clinton and said that she felt "entitled" to be the Democratic nominee for President.
Barack Obama 2008 presidential primary campaign | Impact of Rev. Jeremiah Wright
In August 2009, he decried the attacks by some of his fellow bishops on the University of Notre Dame for having President Barack Obama deliver its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree. Sheehan also said the Catholic community risks isolating itself from the rest of the country and that refusing to talk to a politician or refusing Communion because of a difference on a single issue was counterproductive.
Michael Sheehan (archbishop of Santa Fe) | Pro-choice politicians at Catholic universities
The resulting action brought about an unsuccessful lawsuit filed by the church against the military - Bridges v. Davis, 443 F.2d 970 (9th Cir., 1971). The private memorial service for Madelyn Dunham, grandmother of US President Barack Obama, was held there in December 2008. It is also where President Obama attended Sunday School during his youth.
First Unitarian Church of Honolulu | Introduction
Geller has put forth a number of conspiracy theories and falsehoods about Barack Obama. She has claimed he is a Muslim, and that he was born in Kenya. She published a reader's letter speculating that Obama's mother was involved in pornography, that his "spiritual father" was a child rapist, that Obama "was involved with a crack whore in his youth", and that Malcolm X had impregnated Obama's mother. She has accused Obama of appointing Muslims to government positions who may have ties to Muslim extremists and want to undermine the United States. She accused the State Department in the Obama administration of being run by "Islamic supremacists".
Pamela Geller | Barack Obama conspiracy theories
government. Obama attended the Indonesian-language Santo Fransiskus Asisi (St. Francis of Assisi) Catholic School around the corner from their house for 1st, 2nd, and part of 3rd grade.
Lolo Soetoro | Marriage to Ann Dunham
Francis of Assisi School before transferring to State Elementary School Menteng 01, an elite Indonesian public school in Menteng. As a child in Indonesia, Obama was called "Barry", sometimes Barry Soetoro, reflecting his stepfather's surname, and sometimes Barry Obama, using his father's surname. When he was ten years old, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and has resided continuously in the United States since 1971.
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories | Early life of Barack Obama
His approval ratings rose into the 50s during the 2016 presidential campaign, and Obama registered a 57% approval rating in November 2016. In a Gallup poll taken in the final week of his presidency, Obama registered a 95% approval rating with Democrats, a 61% approval rating with independents, and a 14% approval rating with Republicans. Obama's election also provoked a reaction to his race, birthplace, and religion. As president, Obama faced numerous taunts and racial innuendos, though most overt racist comments were limited to a small fringe. Donald Trump theorized that Obama had been born in Kenya; an April 2011 CNN poll taken shortly before Obama released his long-form birth certificate found that 40% of Republicans believed that Obama had been born in Kenya.
Presidency of Barack Obama | Approval ratings and other opinions
On August 13, 2010, in a speech at the annual White House Iftar dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, President Barack Obama acknowledged the right of Muslims to build the Islamic center. Obama said, "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances." Obama clarified the next day that he was only speaking of legal rights and "was not commenting ... on the "wisdom" of making the decision to put a mosque there".
Park51 | Politicians
In response to President Obama's May 2012 endorsement of the legalization of gay marriage, Overall released a statement saying, "Hallelujah and what took so long?"
Park Overall | Political positions
These he said he found ironic as he had recently been accused of being a self-hating Jew by a member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. He opposed Barack Obama, saying that U.S. voters did not "know a phoney when they see one" and adding: "If they did, Barack Obama would not be president".
Gerald Kaufman | Opinions
Some of these state laws are just to protect you against the government not against another person. So there are differences in those state laws.McGuirk: Gay rights and religious freedom are not mutually exclusive. They both can exist in the same universe and compromises have to be made. That's just the way we work things out in this country. Tim Cook has to put his money where his mouth is. If he really feels that way, stop marketing Apple products in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Nigeria where they not only dump on women and treat them as second class citizens but as I said they would execute gay people.
Bernard McGuirk | Tim Cook "religious bigot" controversy
In the late 2010's, 21% of registered voters were religiously unaffiliated; they are considered to be the largest "religious" voting block. More than six-in-ten religiously unaffiliated registered voters are Democrats (39%) or lean toward the Democratic Party (24%). They are about twice as likely to describe themselves as political liberals than as conservatives, and solid majorities support legal abortion (72%) and same-sex marriage (73%). In the last five years, the unaffiliated have risen from 17% to 24% of all registered voters who are Democrats or lean Democratic. According to a Pew Research exit poll 70% of those who were religiously unaffiliated voted for Barack Obama.
Irreligion in the United States | Politics
In brief, Obama's speech was a pandering disaster that threw, once again, his pastor under the bus."
Houston A. Baker Jr. | Views on race
In it, Romney said he should neither be elected nor rejected based upon his religion, and echoed Senator John F. Kennedy's famous speech during his 1960 presidential campaign in saying "I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law." Instead of discussing the specific tenets of his faith, he said that he would be informed by it and that, "Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone." One academic study, based upon research conducted throughout the 2008 primaries, showed a widespread lack of knowledge among voters about Mormonism that tended to be resistant to factual information that would correct mistaken notions about the religion.
Public image of Mitt Romney | Media coverage
Senecal has frequently stated that President Obama is a "secret Muslim" and has called the White House the "white mosque". Senecal was questioned by the Secret Service about his calls for the assassination of President Obama. Afterward, he stated that Washington was too far for him to drive to kill the President, but that he hoped somebody else would do it. He said, “I think it should have been done by the military in the first term—they still have a chance to do it.” In an interview with NBC News, Senecal stated that the US should use nuclear weapons in Detroit and Milwaukee to "bomb out" the Muslim populations there.
Anthony Senecal | Beliefs and public statements
Obama started in St. Francis Pre-Education from age three to five. From age six to ten, he then attended local Indonesian-language schools: "Sekolah Dasar Katolik Santo Fransiskus Asisi" (St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School) for two years and "Sekolah Dasar Negeri Menteng 01" (State Elementary School Menteng 01/Besuki school) for one and a half years, supplemented by English-language Calvert School homeschooling by his mother. As a result of those four years in Jakarta, he was able to speak Indonesian fluently as a child. During his time in Indonesia, Obama's step-father taught him to be resilient and gave him "a pretty hardheaded assessment of how the world works." In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham.
Barack Obama | Education
The Westboro Baptist Church believes that Barack Obama is the Antichrist and that he forms an unholy trinity with Satan and former Pope Benedict XVI, who they believe is the False Prophet of Revelation. On January 20, 2013, picketers of the Westboro Baptist Church protested the Second Inauguration of President Obama. The protesters had a legal permit and used signs with homophobic messages as well as referring to President Obama as the Antichrist. Although Obama was unable to officially label the group as a hate group, he later condemned their actions after they began protesting military funerals. He enacted a law to prevent such disturbances.
Westboro Baptist Church | Barack Obama
Obama's selections of Warren and Lowery to deliver prayers for the inaugural ceremony were controversial. Warren had a history of vocal opposition to same-sex marriage, and Lowery had a background as a civil rights activist. Neither Obama nor Warren made references during the inaugural program to issues of direct concern to the gay community. In the invocation, Warren asked for "forgiveness for Americans 'when we fight each other' and 'civility in our attitudes even when we differ.'" Warren mentioned Dr. Martin Luther King and Jesus in the invocation, and he concluded the invocation with the Lord's Prayer. Lowery used humor as he delivered the benediction.
First inauguration of Barack Obama | Prayers