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Public misconception is widespread in Kentucky about Barack Obama's faith
Herald Leader ^

Posted on 10/26/2008 1:08:54 AM PDT by Chet 99

FRANKFORT — Public misconception is widespread in Kentucky about Barack Obama's faith, a Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll shows.

Despite heavy national media attention about Obama's faith, more than half of likely Republican voters — 54 percent — and one of every four Democrats in the state do not know that the Democratic presidential nominee is a Christian, the poll found.

The poll showed that 14 percent of likely Kentucky voters — 28 percent of Republicans, 4 percent of Democrats and 11 percent of independents — think Obama adheres to the Muslim faith.

"With all the media attention to the fact that Obama is a Christian, it is shocking and sad to hear that any Kentuckian or anyone thinks he is a Muslim," said Mahmoud Sha lash, imam of the Islamic Center of Lexington.

"I am concerned that some people are spreading this rumor for political purposes, trying to exploit the anti-Islamic sentiment in this country that ties Muslims with terrorists," Shalash said. "I don't blame the ignorant bigots as much as the educated people who try to perpetrate this."

The telephone poll of 600 likely voters was conducted Oct. 19-21 by Research 2000, of Olney, Md. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Those polled were asked the religion of Obama and his GOP opponent, John McCain. Respondents were not offered suggestions to choose from.

Sixty-one percent said Obama was a Christian. One percent answered Catholic, 12 percent said other and 12 percent were not sure.

Eighty-two percent said McCain was a Christian. Six percent called him an evangelical, while 3 percent answered Catholic, 2 percent replied other and 7 percent were not sure.

Del Ali, president of Research 2000, said he'd like to ask those respondents who said Obama is a Muslim if they listen to syndicated conservative talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

Ali also thinks many people know Obama considers himself a Christian but don't believe he is one. "That's a personal opinion from national polls I've seen on this issue," he said.

The non-partisan Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life says Obama's denomination is United Church of Christ and McCain, raised an Episcopalian, attends a Southern Baptist church. It also says Obama's running mate Joe Biden, is a Roman Catholic, and McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, attends several evangelical churches in Alaska.

Obama's campaign had little to say about the poll results.

"This election is about issues," said Obama spokesman Dan Leistikow. "It's about whether voters in Kentucky and across the country want another four years of the same failed policies that caused this economic mess and sent Kentucky job overseas."

Kentucky Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson said the presidential candidates' religion has not been an issue in Kentucky. He said more Republicans than Democrats think Obama is a Muslim because Obama "has made an effort in Kentucky to portray his religious beliefs to Democrats but has not talked about religion to Kentucky Republicans."

Robertson said he was referring to fliers the Obama campaign distributed in Kentucky this spring during the Democratic primary election that showed Obama at a pulpit in front of a church's cross and pipe organ.

The erroneous perception that Obama is a Muslim might be due in part to the fact that he spent part of his childhood in a Muslim country and that his father was a Muslim, said the GOP official.

Obama's name makes some people think he is a Muslim, said Walter A. Johnson, director of information services for the Lexington Theological Seminary.

"I had a friend who said Obama is a Muslim because of his name," Johnson said. "I said McCain has an Irish name, but I think he's an American."

Republican Larry Forgy, who narrowly lost to Democrat Paul Patton in Kentucky's 1995 race for governor, said Obama's heritage is why some people think he is a Muslim.

"I know he's not a practicing Muslim but, to me, his preacher, Jeremiah Wright, sounds more like Malcolm X than Billy Graham."

Wright is the former pastor and now pastor emeritus of the Trinity United Church of Christ, a megachurch in Chicago with about 10,000 members.

His manner of preaching has been scrutinized in connection with Obama's campaign. Obama first denounced some of Wright's statements and then resigned his membership in the church last May.

Martin Cothran, senior policy advisor for The Family Foundation of Kentucky, a conservative activist group based in Lexington, said he is "surprised that so many people don't know Obama is not a Muslim."

"I think it's simply because his name sounds Islamic," he said.

Laila Al-Qatami, communications director for the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington, D.C., said it is "disheartening" that any American still thinks Obama is a Muslim or Arab.

"Too many people associate Muslims with terrorists, that is, a proclivity to violence or people who are not patriotic to this country," Al-Qatami said. "Calling Obama a Muslim is an attempt to discredit him."

The Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll found little confusion among voters about McCain's faith. More than 80 percent of the respondents in each major political party — Democrats, Republicans and independents — said McCain is a Christian.

A large percentage of whites and blacks — 83 percent of the whites and 77 percent of the blacks — said McCain is a Christian

But for Obama, blacks and whites viewed his religious beliefs very differently. When whites were asked Obama's religion, 58 percent said Christian, 16 percent Muslim, 1 percent Catholic, 13 percent other and 12 percent not sure.

Eighty-two percent of blacks said Obama is a Christian, while only 2 percent of blacks considered him a Muslim.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: antichrist; issues; ky2008; obama; obamaandgod
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1 posted on 10/26/2008 1:08:54 AM PDT by Chet 99
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Obama: “My Muslim Faith”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMUgNg7aD8M


2 posted on 10/26/2008 1:09:18 AM PDT by Chet 99 (Vote McCain/Palin, or this will be our future: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTb5EFZmgbs)
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To: Chet 99

Rev. Wright is a Christian? You could have fooled me.


3 posted on 10/26/2008 1:10:36 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (I'm voting for McCain/Palin so I can look my grandchildren in the eyes when I tell them I'm sorry.)
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To: Chet 99

Sorry, but a Christian would not advocate prenatal, co-natal, or post-natal infanticide, as Obama does.

Anybody who has seen the chemically burned, broken and bloody bodies of aborted babies can easily recognize them as murdered human beings.

No Christian who by definition knows that he is accountable to Jesus for what he does to and with children, could advocate that.

And Obama is a rabid advocate of abortion.


4 posted on 10/26/2008 1:12:52 AM PDT by Westbrook (Having more children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
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To: Chet 99

Laila Al-Qatami, communications director for the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington, D.C., said it is “disheartening” that any American still thinks Obama is a Muslim or Arab.

so I guess this means it must be a bad thing to be called a muslim.


5 posted on 10/26/2008 1:17:13 AM PDT by ari-freedom (Obama: If we are going into war, then all of us go, not just some.)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Black Liberation Theology is not Christianity.
Obama audio


6 posted on 10/26/2008 1:23:36 AM PDT by igoramus08 (Under Obama 100% of Americans will have a Tax Increase when the Bush Tax cuts expire in 2011)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Chet 99

The O man was born muslim and has denounced his muslim faith.
He has committed apostasy.
The punishment for apostasy is death - how is he gunna square that one?


8 posted on 10/26/2008 1:32:46 AM PDT by WorkerbeeCitizen (An inadequately policed Conservative)
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To: Chet 99; All

Obama only knows what he believe, but I’m not sure he views Jesus in the same way I do. I view the WORD as a chose that each man must make (ie to follow or not to), while I think Obama’s need to force ‘HELP’ is not chose...and sometimes it’s not that helpful.

I don’t think that’s the Christian way, nor do I think it’s a way that works. Forcing compassion upon men is false compassion. We must love in our own ways, and through our own journey.


9 posted on 10/26/2008 1:33:06 AM PDT by Rick_Michael (Have no fear "Senator Government" is here)
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To: Chet 99

Once again, I speak truth, sometimes it’s just too easy....
Tip to the retarded Islamic people that support Obama, If your name is Laila Al-Qatami or Mahmoud Sha lash, who also owns the title of “imam of the Islamic Center of Lexington”
If you reeeeeealy want your guy to win you should just STFU.
Now, true conserves like me want for you to make idiots out of yourselves, speaking up and what not, after all, you do make an excellent and easy target for criticisim.

Geesh.. how many or these backwarda$$ people must we listen to to figure out that voting for the lesser of two evils is vital to our survival?


10 posted on 10/26/2008 1:33:21 AM PDT by ChetNavVet (Build It, and they won't come!)
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To: WorkerbeeCitizen

Well there is only one way it seems maybe Farakans spaceship will come and pick him up


11 posted on 10/26/2008 1:34:38 AM PDT by bzybee
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To: Chet 99

HA HA HA. That is really funny. So, the media decides Barack is a Christian. Why? Because he says he’s a Christian.

Mitt Romney says he’s a Christian and nooooooooo. Mitt Romney has to give a big old speech defending his faith.

But not Barack he can have a pastor say the most anti-Christian things but he’s still Christian. Awesome. We’re screwed.


12 posted on 10/26/2008 1:40:42 AM PDT by exist
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To: Chet 99
His manner of preaching has been scrutinized in connection with Obama's campaign. Obama first denounced some of Wright's statements and then resigned his membership in the church last May.

And that's it. No..."And what statements by Reverend Wright did you denouce?"

13 posted on 10/26/2008 1:42:56 AM PDT by torchthemummy (Why Is The Educational Establishment Comfortable With Ayers' Unrepentent Radicalism (Terrorism)?)
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To: Chet 99
I don't see that anyone said that Obama is a Muslim. From the article:

Sixty-one percent said Obama was a Christian. One percent answered Catholic, 12 percent said other and 12 percent were not sure.

14 posted on 10/26/2008 1:48:29 AM PDT by Dianna
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: Chet 99

Obama Never getting his kids Christmas gifts sure makes his claim of being a Christian hard to believe.


16 posted on 10/26/2008 1:58:33 AM PDT by Rudder (The Main Stream Media is Our Enemy---get used to it.)
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Chet 99

If Barrack Hussein 0Bama is POTUS,we will have the
CCCP ( Communist Conformation Compelling Police )
based on ACORN, the Weathermen and other thugs.


18 posted on 10/26/2008 2:00:44 AM PDT by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Obama and ITS thugs are made paranoid by Sarahnoia. (stole from molly_jack2007))
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To: Dianna
Catholic? guess no odder than the woman at work last night who swore obama was Jewish. sixty percent believing he is Christian? do peeps even know what being a Christian means? wrights church is as far from christianity as it gets. these people VOTE? God help us all, please.....
19 posted on 10/26/2008 2:01:41 AM PDT by CanadianMusherinMI
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To: Chet 99

Barry X has faith that black jesus (in the form of barry himself) will destroy the white devils of the US KKK of A.


20 posted on 10/26/2008 2:04:51 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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