Obama: Muslim?

According to a new national poll by the Pew Research Center, Americans are confused about Obama's religion.

That should come as no surprise.

Since the 2008 campaign ended, Obama hasn't spent much time talking about his faith.

In spite of the fact that Obama seems to sit down for televised interviews more than any president in recent memory, he doesn't talk about God and his faith. Obama certainly isn't shown going to church, because he doesn't.

Christian Obama didn't even bother to go to church on Christmas last year.

Because Obama only made his faith an issue during the campaign and hasn't discussed it much at all since, is it a shock that Americans are confused?

From the Washington Post:

There is widespread -- and growing -- confusion about President Barack Obama's religious affiliation with one in five Americans now saying (incorrectly) that he is a Muslim, according to a new national poll conducted by the Pew Research Center.

Fully 18 percent of those tested in Pew's annual religion and public life survey said that Obama was a Muslim, a significant increase from a March 2009 Pew poll where 11 percent said the president adhered to the tenets of Islam.

(Worth noting: The Pew survey was conducted in late July and early August -- prior to the President's remarks about the New York City mosque.)

While nearly half of the Pew sample (48 percent) last March correctly identified Obama as a Christian that number, too, dropped precipitously -- down to 34 percent -- in the new Pew poll. The number of people who said they were unsure exactly what the President's religious affiliation was rose from 34 percent to 43 percent.

...In terms of political affiliation, the sharpest rise in those who say Obama is a Muslim is among Republicans (up 14 points) since 2009. But, the religion question is also not purely partisan; among independents the number of those describing Obama as a Muslim is up eight points since last March and the number of Democrats identifying him correctly as a Christian is down from 55 percent to 46 percent.

"The overall picture here is of growing confusion or uncertainty about the President's own faith," said Alan Cooperman, associate director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

...There is, without question, some significant level of partisanship inherent in questions about Obama's faith; the less you like the President, the more likely you are to say he is a Muslim. And, in truth, that 18 percent who falsely identify the President with the Islamic faith would almost certainly never be voting for him anyway.

Perhaps more important from an electoral perspective, however, is the growing number of people who don't know what religion the President identifies with. While most Americans don't tend to vote based on religious faith -- although being either a Muslim or a Mormon can, among certain demographic groups, complicate a politician's electoral calculus -- they do like to believe that their president is a man of faith.

Even Obama's supporters are confused about Obama's religious affiliation.

Certainly, Dems and other libs will pounce on this and blame FOX News and talk radio and conserative media for a misinformation campaign against Obama.

They'll say it's an organized attempt to play on people's fears and create doubt about Obama's allegiance to our country. (That's connected to their opinion that Americans are a bigoted and religiously intolerant people.)

Of course, that's silly.

Most Americans identified Obama as a Christian when he was running for president. There was less confusion then because Obama talked about being a Christian.

He gave that up after he was elected.

The only one to blame for the current confusion about Obama's faith is Obama himself. He doesn't bring it up. That's Obama's fault. If Americans don't know he's a Christian, it's because they can't tell.

Being a Christian isn't just a label. It's a way of life.

Everyone knew that President George W. Bush was a Christian. Maybe that's because the Left wouldn't stop mocking him about it. Some, like Madeleine Albright, called his strong Christian faith a dangerous manifestation. Some showed no respect for Bush's beliefs.

So much for the Left's tolerance.

Speaking of the Left's alleged sophistication and tolerance, recall Lawrence O'Donnell's despicable remarks about Mitt Romney and Mormonism.

Remember the offensive remarks Tom Hanks made about Mormons?

Not cool.

In any event, the Left now has the president they wanted, one who doesn't talk about practicing his own faith. They should be happy. Christianity isn't front and center with Obama.

The confusion about Obama's religion is completely understandable given Obama's behavior.

Bottom line: A significant, and growing number of Americans, are confused about Obama's faith. Some think Obama is a Muslim.

Does it matter?

It does matter to the Dems because this isn't really about religion. It's about politics and getting elected. And they believe Americans are bigoted and intolerant.