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My Take: Unpacking the 'Obama born Muslim' charge
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN CNN's John King was kind enough to let me say my piece about Islam, the Reverend Franklin Graham and President Obama last night. While I was barely able to get a word in edgewise in my last television appearance–on The Colbert Report–I was able to speak in full paragraphs on John King USA. Still, I wish I had been able to say more. I wish I had been able to say that Islam is indeed patrilineal in the sense that the children of a Muslim father are presumed to be Muslims at birth. That said, as my Boston University colleague Kecia Ali recently reminded me, according to most Muslims everyone is a Muslim at birth–in the sense that each of us takes our first breath with the innate understanding that there is only one God, and that this God is not us. However, to truly become a Muslim (which literally means “submitter”), you need to follow through on that intuition by submitting to God. You do this not by testing your DNA but by doing Islamic things, first and foremost by observing the Five Pillars of Islam. I wish I had been able to say that Obama’s father was an atheist who did not raise his son to be a Muslim, so it is incorrect to say–as Graham did, that he "has renounced the prophet Muhammad and he has renounced Islam,"–because you cannot renounce something you never affirmed. I wish I had been able to say that none of the Muslims I know see Obama as a Muslim. They all know full well that Obama is at least as Christian as is Franklin Graham. I wish I had been able to say that, just as it is baptism that makes you Catholic and conversion that makes you an evangelical Protestant, what makes you a Muslim is saying the Shahadah (or profession of faith), sincerely and (ideally) in the presence of witnesses. I wish I had been able to say that Islam is a choice rather than an inheritance. It is not a medical condition, passed down through sperm, like original sin in the Christian tradition. It is a spiritual community of individuals choosing, one by one, to submit to what Muslims believe are the revelations delivered by the one God, through an angel, to the world's final prophet. Finally, I wish I had been able to say that I don't see myself as an apologist for Islam. Muslims are just as flawed as Jews or Hindus. Like Christianity, Islam is a religion that knows how to wage both war and peace. And, yes, it has its scripture-quoting terrorists. To have said any of this, however, would have been to play into Graham’s disinformation campaign against both the president of the United States and the religion of Islam. The intention behind Graham’s recent interview with John King was not to tell us something true about Islam. It was to spread suspicions about President Obama and misinformation about Islam. Or, to put it in the language of the Ten Commandments, it was to bear false witness. Over the last few days, a series of commentators, including Peter Beinart, have pleaded with President George W. Bush to weigh in on the bitter controversy swirling around the Islamic community center and mosque near ground zero. As I was speaking on "John King USA" last night, I found myself pining not for President Bush but for the Reverend Billy Graham. I don't think Franklin Graham's father was a saint. But at least "America's Pastor" focused on preaching the truths of the Christian gospel rather than spreading lies about rival religions. And for all his hobnobbing with presidents from Eisenhower on, he usually managed to stay above the political fray. Franklin Graham, in comparison, is looking increasingly sounding like a garden variety political hack, carrying the holy water for the most unholy elements in American society. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stephen Prothero. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Dan Gilgoff and Eric Marrapodi, with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and author Stephen Prothero.  |
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Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.
Stephen – you refuse to see the truth. He said it himself I've known Islam on 3 continents, Africa- Kenyan father, Indonesia- Indonesian Step Father, USA- United Trinity Church in Chicago.
"So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear."
Egypt makes 4th. And so now he claims his responsibility to Fight for Islamic Muslims and he's not Muslim? Wake up!
Well this is fun. While Christians in the USA are busy reading the Qur'an for themselves and finding out what violent and nasty things it contains, consider that somewhere in the Middle East, Muslims are reading the Bible and finding the nasty things that it contains.
And you know what, if I was a betting man I'd lay odds on the Bible winning the nastiness race, hands down. And not just the Old Testament either. The thing is, good human beings, over centuries, have taken something nasty and immoral and turned it into what is more often than not a force for good. That's what Christians have done, through their own goodness slowly creating a God who is far better than anything in the Bible. So one would be unsurprised to learn that Muslims, starting with something which frankly has a far stronger moral base than the New Testament (and certainly more moral than the teachings of Paul), have also created something which is a force for good. Because maybe humans for the most part aren't that bad.
Until, that is, someone whips them up into a mob and points out the undesirability of the "other". Then Christians, Muslims and yes the others too, all have historical form in dealing out death and destruction. No one wins the religious arms race.
The Religion Professor, Stephaen Prothero, is also misleading the audience.
It is correct the you must see Islam through the eyes of the tradition. However, he need to define the word tradition, because tradition can be interpreted as the "Sunna", or the live of Muhammed, or the Hadiths. If he is talking about tradition as the Hadith, we need to know if those hadiths are according to the Wahabbies, Sunnies, Shi'as, etc.
I completely agree with in the bases that the American population is iliterate about religions and believe.
Either way Professor Stephaen Prothero is just taking advantege of part of the speech of Frakline Graham to sell his book. Business are always bu$ine$$
Use to be, when somebody wanted to learn about something new to them they actually went to the source, immersed themselves in it, and learned first-hand. Not any more. Now, what most Americans are taught about religion usually comes from one source: Their particular church/minister. It's not only where they are taught their own beliefs, but it's also where they are taught their system's rendering of everyone else's beliefs. Since most Americans belong to a faith that tends to see it's own system as the only correct one, and are of the mindset towards winning over converts while preventing defections, what is portrayed of rival religions is usually quite biased. Sometimes, with some of the more aggressive sects, all other faiths are characterized as straw men versions that are easily discredited, or even demonized.
In America, religion is a product. People shop for churches. They try them on and settle for a congregation that best fits their personal needs, and why not? There is perhaps more religious variety here than anywhere else in the whole world, and all faith groups face the same dilemma: Maintain at least a sustainable congregation, or be forced to close your doors. To do that often means luring pew sitters away from rival groups while still keeping your loyal customers happy. In a way, religious rivalry in America is all just business, and like any other business in America, it can sometimes get pretty dirty.
God bless Franklin Graham. I find myself VERY uncomfortable watching Stephen Prothero's rather pompous, scoffing attitude toward Franklin Graham. Franklin was very professional and answered pointedly the questions posed. He wasn't about any agenda. He spoke the truth in love. Appreciated the previous interview w/ Mr. Graham far more than this one.
It is my understanding that Franklin is very gracious, as is his father. When Billy was Franklin's age, by the way, he spoke passionately about the need to convert to Christianity- the comparisons I am hearing weigh in on Billy's older, riper age at present.
Franklin is very much like his father, Billy, I believe. However, from what I understand, Franklin has a lot more Muslim friends, personally. (His travels have taken him to pursue and maintain Muslim relationships.) Mr. Graham is a very relevant and helpful reference for things Christian, Muslim, and American. And humanitarian.
Again, God bless Franklin Graham. Come, Lord Jesus.
so WHAT "if" Obama is Muslim! SO WHAT!
So WHAT? It make "the One" a LIAR, that's so what. But in islam it's okay to lie to the infidels isn't it? By the way, maybe the Mossad should actually track down Obama's real birth certificate. They may want to start in Kenya.
Agreed, last time I checked Christianity wasn't a qualification to be President.
Yes, John, but integrity certainly should be. If he claims to be Christian but actually isn't, that makes him a LIAR.
Aren't all presidents called liars on a pretty regular basis, and with the same amount of credibility to the charge as with this issue? If it wasn't this, or the birth certificate farce, then it would have to be something else that he's called a liar on, right? Just part of politics, nothing else.
NL, Yes and that is truly a sad thing.
Keith-
Yup, in America we handle everything like it's a business, including religion and politics. It becomes more about maintaining power (percentage of market, number of votes, size of congregation, what have you ) than working to actually help people, and I'll apply that to religion and politics equally. Yes, very sad indeed!
@Mark from Middle River
Reagan and Bush had Republican controed Congress. Republicans vote in a block. The supposed conservatives pass Bush's spending spree. Too many Democrats fell for Bush's lies to attack Iraq.
The reason the Bush tax cuts that favored the wealthy are expiring is because Democrats filibustered the bill. They did it in a way that only required 50 votes in the Senate, which could not be permanent. Tax cuts while fighting two wars and increasing Medicare benefits was totally irresponsible.
Daddy Franklin wasn't all that good a guy either. He was quite fond of sneaking into the white house when Kennedy was in office. Most of the time he went there, he went in undercover or on the floor of a limo so no one saw him going there. He was fond of Jack's girls too. Read the dark side of Camelot. He is in there briefly. He wasn't such a "good Christian" leader for that president. Trust me the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It is a greedy hypocritical family. Like all televangelist.
"My Take:" Unpacking the 'Obama born Muslim' charge.
He was and educated as such then comes to the U.S. mainland and soaks up all the illiterate black welfare claims that whitie is keeping the 'black' man down-
Loves Rev. White sermons till he gets caught in his reverse biasedness
and no launches attacks on Free enterprise capitalism w/ a replacemodel of socialism and him and his wife have illegal tampering of bailout gifts to their supporters,
Can I say – "WHITEwater" – only thing not done by Barry Hussein is to kill Vincent Foster yet again, Hillary are you listening?
in gullivers travels, Jonathan Swift tells a tale of warring nations over which end of a hard boiled egg to cut at breakfast, the big end and the little end. They kill each other to defend their viewpoint.
Here we have an imaginary being "god" who some call "Jehovah" some call "Jesus" and some call "Allah". It is ridiculous and embarrassing that our civilization still defines a man by what he calls his imaginary friend, especially one as revered as the president of the most powerful nation on our planet.
to gauge the level of your stupidity
imagine a toy robot calling humans imaginary
@ Julie
You said :"Voters expect Obama to be magic and seem to forget Congress is the problem. "
Sorry Julie but unfortunatly you are trying to have it both ways. In one sentance you say that the mess that the country is in is due to the evils of Reagan and GW Bush. Then when you talk about more recent negative issues you choose to not lay blame at Obama's feet but now it's the congress.
What are 13 years old? Do you think we are?
If you lay blame at one presidents feet then you sound ultra silly when you do not do the same for our current president. In many ways you sound like my ultra-black power relatives who declare that it's the evil white man that is bringing Obama down.
All the Obama is a Muslim and Park51 fight is designed to distract and take the attention away from the Republicans blocking needed actions to improve the economy and create jobs. The results voters are afraid that Obama is a Muslim and Obama is blamed for not being able to fix the disaster created by Republicans. They are very effective at scaring and fooling people. Since Reagan, Republicans have fooled voters about making abortion illegal. Since Reagan, the income gap between the wealthy and everyone else has widen substantially.
Reagan tripled the deficit. Bush destroyed Clinton's surplus.
What is the major discussion – is Obama a Muslim. Voters expect Obama to be magic and seem to forget Congress is the problem. Obama is not a dictator.
Americans can be there own worse enemy.
In regard to an above post about Obama's schools in Indonesia, his first three years were in a Catholic school.
Show us the birth certificate. Stop bowing to muslim kings and other leaders. Stop fundamentally changing America.
The only truth about him is that he lies.
Are you voters not embarrassed yet?!?
Yes, Anita. We are embarassed that the bigoted likes of you can't seem to do anything but run your mouths off!
It doesn't matter of Obama is a Christian, a Muslim, or a Chicken McNuggetarian...is he doing a good job of repairing the economy? Is he making our country more secure or less? Is he bringing us together on our shared common values? Those are the questions that matter. His faith is his business.
Stop the god nonsense
@Wally Jewels
There is no dog!
When the administration disses Israel, insults Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu , removes The National Prayer Breakfast, insults mis west Americans Christians as ""And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," Obama said.
His father was a muslim, Obama was a younster in indonesian Muslim shools, supports the Ground Zero Mosque, appoints the radical imam Feisal Abdul Rauf the Islamic cleric as Mid East ambassador, you tube's videos of Obama's admitting his Muslim faith, ect... Its called a pattern and no amount of the liberal lamestream activist can protect him from himself!
Obama's parents were atheists (his father had abandoned Islam by the time he moved to the US), he spent two years in a Muslim school and two years in a Catholic school In Jakarta, he supports the Constitutional rights of the developers to build the mosque, he did not appoint Rauf as an ambassador (Rauf has made three other such trips to the Middle East as part of the International Information Programs, two under Bush) and the video "proof" is edited and/or misleading claptrap.
Regardless, I support his right to follow whatever faith he wishes.
an american administration dissing israel is akin to a person tearing out a blood sucking leech from inside his armpit.
please check out http://www.islamicsolutions.com/islam-a-quick-introduction/
I really don't care what his religion is personally. We didn't higher him to be a christian or muslim leader, we hired him to fix the economy, create more jobs, help with the financial crisis, rebuild a lot of the damage that was done in relationships to other countries, by our previous president, etc.. etc.....
Yes, I voted for him...... no, i certainly would agree he has not done as good a job as President that I would like to see him have done so far....
But, that's it.... separation of chuch & state also comes into play here... He is a politician, not a pastor/priest/minister of a particular brand of religion that says...." my religion better/my god better..... your's is not... you therefore will burn in he!!,etc...etc...
Peace....
Mr. Graham was indeed accurate. Liberals (in many cases) are far too lazy to investigate for themselves. I urge them ... Get a Quran and read for yourself. It's a real eye-opener. The truth hurts ... But it is what it is. If you don't want to read the Quran ... read the newspapers. Muslims commit horrible atrocities against innocent people ubiquitously on a daily basis ... per teachings in the Quran. The professor flat out misled the viewers.
Mr. Graham's comment is a lot closer to the truth than the author of this commentary will ever be. But we all seem to have our own idea of what/who God is and I prefer the Grahams' choice and have for years.