# NEWS FLASH: Obama not Muslim! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 20, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842 "2010-08-20T06:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/81 "2010-08-20T17:40:49Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Well of course you do. Despite no evidence, you liberals won’t stop pounding the “Racist!” drum. You won’t stop making the baseless claim that Republicans dislike the President because he’s black. No evidence? I guess Verizon and Google already put you on the slow internet. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/82 "2010-08-20T17:43:22Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > There are people who go overboard with the accusations of racism, but most people don’t. There is unquestionably some serious racism out there. The part that remains debatable is how much of the free floating, weird, almost unexplained anger out there is related to racism. Graham said “He was born a Muslim” and you said “I expect [sic] he means he’s a black guy.” That, right there, is and overboard accusation. It has no connection and no basis whatsoever. Even when stereotyping, no American would think “Muslim” and conjure an image of a black person. They’d think of an Arab. And when you say “serious” racism, do you mean “explicit” like a bone-in-nose photograph or do you mean “copious” as in “there’s a bunch of it”? Because while the former is, yes, unquestionable, the latter is a seriously overblown statement. Now it’s easy to google up some racist signs, but when someone says “Muslim” and you hear “black”, yeah, that’s overboard. Besides, there’s WAAAAY more hate for Muslims in the US than there is for blacks. Why don’t you translate the other way? Why, when someone says, “It’s because he’s [airquote] black[/airquote] ;);)”, don’t you go “Oh, yeah. He’s a Muslim.”? You don’t translate that way because islamaphobia isn’t as disgraced as racism, so it doesn’t let you smear your opponents as effectively. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/83 "2010-08-20T17:44:41Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > if Obama announced tomorrow that he is, in fact, an atheist that considers himself from a Muslim family, would you go :eek: or would you go “Figures”? Really? It’s you! You’re the fucktard that skews those polls? Why would you think like that? I don’t get it. I really don’t. What’s wrong with you? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/84 "2010-08-20T17:49:38Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > [It’d be nice if, for once, you could find _something_ even hinting at this supposed racism. But no, you just interject it into every conversation about the man. Bailouts? Racists. Oil spill? Racists. Deficit? Racists. War? Racists. No matter what the topic is, liberals assume that all opposition is based on racism with nary a bit of evidence. What the fuck do "Oil spil? Racists. War? Racists.’ even mean? Dude, it’s bad enough that your assertions don’t have a shred of evidence in support of them, it’s not even clear what you’re asserting. Take a breath and figure out what you’re trying to say, fer fuck’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/85 "2010-08-20T18:02:48Z")
Obama worships his father Satan。 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/86 "2010-08-20T18:03:50Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Graham said “He was born a Muslim” and you said “I expect [sic] he means he’s a black guy.” That, right there, is and overboard accusation. It has no connection and no basis whatsoever. Even when stereotyping, no American would think “Muslim” and conjure an image of a black person. They’d think of an Arab. Yes, they would. I’m talking about Obama specifically here. > [@](#): > > And when you say “serious” racism, do you mean “explicit” like a bone-in-nose photograph or do you mean “copious” as in “there’s a bunch of it”? Because while the former is, yes, unquestionable, the latter is a seriously overblown statement. Intense would be a better word than either of those. > [@](#): > > You don’t translate that way because islamaphobia isn’t as disgraced as racism, so it doesn’t let you smear your opponents as effectively. Graham isn’t my opponent, he’s a nitwit who is saying something that is factually incorrect and nearly meaningless. “Opponent” makes it sound like he has ideas and a position an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/87 "2010-08-20T18:04:45Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Obama worships his father Satan。 Well, glad we got _that_ cleared up. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/88 "2010-08-20T18:09:58Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Obama worships his father Satan。 Well, he’s not doing a very good job, is he? I was supposed to be engulfed by hot large breasted South American twenty-somethings like three hours ago. I did the cat in the graveyard thing and damn it! ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/89 "2010-08-20T18:13:21Z")
> [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > Obama worships his father Satan。 And his favorite musician is Carlos Sa[sub]n[/sub]tan[sub]a[/sub]! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/90 "2010-08-20T18:13:31Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > > [@Bryan Eckers](#): > > > > Well, yeah… and that they might take the sky fairy’s advice seriously. > > This of course begs the question of why Obama prays daily and feels it necessary to consult with his ‘religious advisor’ daily and ‘group of pastors’ regularly. Just for shits and giggles?.. The statement didn’t say Obama _consults_ with his religious advisor daily, it says he _communicates_ with his religious advisor daily. If Obama sends out a daily all-staff memo, that would be a daily communications (assuming the religious advisor is on the White House satff). “Regularly” could be daily, weekly, monthly, etc. However, I will admit that I would prefer an atheist president, and I do find it troubling that Obama prays daily. And if it’s revealed that he’s lying about this, I will find that troubling too. What I would find most troubling of all, though, is to learn that he believes God answers his prayers and told him what to do through personal communication, as Bush claimed. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/91 "2010-08-20T18:30:35Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > > [@George W. Bush](#): > > > > I am driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, ‘George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan’. And I did. And then God would tell me ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq’. And I did. And now, again, I feel God’s words coming to me, ‘Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East’. And, by God, I’m gonna do it." > > Really, **SA** , if you think that the complaint was that he was religious and that Obama should be equally assailed for being religious then you clearly have misunderstood the issue. Bush felt that God was speaking through him and directing his actions, as evidenced by the quote above. Many of us non-religious Americans feel that’s a gross overstepping of boundaries. Your peeps have trumpeted the “BarackHUSSEINObama” thing so much he actually has to defend the fact that he’s a Christian by pointing out that he speaks with Christian religious advisors. The whole thing is fucking ridiculous, not to mention your clearly misguided conflation of the two issues. This is it exactly. Thanks for finding that quote. I was wondering what kind of results I’d get if I googled [Bush, God] ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/92 "2010-08-20T18:40:12Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > If I had a muslim parent and grew up (even briefly) in a Muslim country? I’d say “I can see why you’d say that.” Barack Obama did not have a Muslim parent, and did not grow up in a Muslim country. > [@](#): > > **Marley** , if Obama announced tomorrow that he is, in fact, an atheist that considers himself from a Muslim family, would you go :eek: or would you go “Figures”? He is not from a Muslim family, so it would be impossible for him to say that. > [@](#): > > Have you ever had a male coworker that watches Sex and the City, likes HGTV, has never seen a football game, has a high-pitched voice, but is married with kids? Would you think he’s gay? No. But if he came out and said “I’m getting a divorce. I’m gay.”, wouldn’t you go “I can’t say I’m shocked”? > > It’s like that. No it isn’t. It isn’t like that at all. Barack Obama has never said or done anything to indicate that he has any hint of a Muslim background (once again, he did NOT have a Muslim parent or a Muslim family), or that there’s anything dishonest or artificial about his religious identification. > [@](#): > > > [@Marley23](#): > > > > When Graham says he was born a Muslim, I expect he means “he’s a black guy.” > > Well of course you do. Despite no evidence, you liberals won’t stop pounding the “Racist!” drum. You won’t stop making the baseless claim that Republicans dislike the President because he’s black. Since there is absolutely no other reason whatsoever to intimate that Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim, the racism is pretty much the most obvious motovation. It’s not like the teabaggers always even bother to conceal it. Incidentally, there would be absolutely nothing wrong with it even if he WAS a Muslim, nut he isn’t, and even thinking _maybe_ he’s a Muslim is just as nutty as thinking _maybe_ the moon landing didn’t really happen. It’s a whackjob conspiracy theory without the slightest scintilla of real plausibility. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/93 "2010-08-20T18:44:06Z")
By the way, **Chessic Sense** , my point was not that everybody thinks black people are Muslims or Muslims are black. The point is that some idiots think Obama is a Muslim because _he’s_ black. Because, like I said in that other post, he’s just not like them. He doesn’t look like them and his name is foreign, so it’s easy for them to believe something about him that is moronic. They don’t just think he’s a Muslim, remember. They think he’s a secret Muslim who is pretending to be a Christian. There can’t be too many people who never heard about his pastor, not to mention the other times he’s dealt with this issue. That’s a whole different kind of nutty. This isn’t about opposition to his policies. There are legit reasons to oppose probably everything he’s done. This is an irrational thing that borders on being a phobia. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/94 "2010-08-20T18:46:45Z")
Case is closed. Billy Grahams goofy kid came on TV saying that Obama’s dad was a Muslim and it was spread through Barrack by the seed of the father. Who can argue with that? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/95 "2010-08-20T18:51:37Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > > > The only acceptable form of evidence is a signed/notarized or videotaped statement affirming “I am a racist Republican who hates Obama because he’s black.” > > > > Said evidence is in extremely short supply; ergo, almost none of the opposition to Obama derives from racism. > > > > Thank you, and here’s your crayon back. > > It’d be nice if, for once, you could find _something_ even hinting at this supposed racism. But no, you just interject it into every conversation about the man. Bailouts? Racists. Oil spill? Racists. Deficit? Racists. War? Racists. No matter what the topic is, liberals assume that all opposition is based on racism with nary a bit of evidence. > > It’s cool, though. I already knew you were stupid. The secret Muslim crap is definitely racist. That doesn’t mean everything else is, but it’s deflection to try to pretend that criticism of one particular meme as racist is an allegation that all opposition of any kind to Obama is racist. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/96 "2010-08-20T19:02:09Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > The equivalent is having one side of his family that’s Muslim, even though you guys want to hand wave that away, and having spent formative years in an Islamic culture. What part of “he did not have a Muslim parent” does your dumb ass not understand? Listen carefully. His father was an ATHEIST. His MOTHER was an atheist. His STEPFATHER was an atheist. He did not “grow up in” or “spend his formative years in” a Muslim country. He lived in Indonesia between the ages of 6-10 years old. His father left him when he was two and he never had any contact with his father’s Muslim relatives growing up. While he lived in Indonesia he did not live with Muslims and did not practice Islam. He went to Christian and public schools while he was there. He did not have any “Muslim side” of his family. The only side of the family he ever had was his mother’s side, which raised him, raised him in the United States and raised him without any Islamic religious component whatsoever. > [@](#): > > I never said he was a Muslim. Even thinking that it’s _possible_ is just as fucking retarded. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/97 "2010-08-20T19:06:14Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Christians are not a persecuted minority, and with the possible exception of the odd fringe individual here and there, George W. Bush was never mocked by the left (or on this board) simply for being a believer or for praying. Never. Didn’t happen. The criticism for the religious right is when their beliefs spill over into bigotry, theocracy and political manipulation. Well, Bill Maher did make fun of him shortly after Katrina hit, for flying over to Norleans to pray for the victims (and for the lens of the photo op, of course) instead of doing \*something \*to help them. Whether or not Maher is an odd fringe individual, I’ll leave to you 🙂 That being said, I admit to being tickled by the topic - if Obama doesn’t reiterate he’s a Christian over and over, Republicans say he’s a crypto Muslim. When he does come out as a Christian through a reassuring press release, he gets blasted some more. Seriously, what can the guy do to please you folk ? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/98 "2010-08-20T19:14:51Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > > [@Captain\_Midnight](#): > > > > Obama worships his father Satan。 > > And his favorite musician is Carlos Sa[sub]n[/sub]tan[sub]a[/sub]! Favorite hockey player? [Satan.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_%C5%A0atan) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/99 "2010-08-20T19:21:18Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Seriously, what can the guy do to please you folk ? Ha ha! This is pretty low hanging fruit, so I’ll take a stab at it: Q: Seriously, what can the guy do to please you folk ? A: Absolutely nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842/100 "2010-08-20T19:23:15Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > The equivalent is having one side of his family that’s Muslim, even though you guys want to hand wave that away, and having spent formative years in an Islamic culture. > > And I seriously doubt my view is unusual. I said he’s an atheist. A lot of people, in this thread even, agree with me. He’s putting on a show. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t spend much time thinking about the divine. When he says he meets with spiritual advisors, he’s lying. He’s playing politics. The guy’s idea of Sunday worship is cheering on the Bears. > > I never said he was a Muslim. Okay, so you’re not saying he’s a Muslim. You’re saying… he _might_ be a Muslim. Okay; he _might_ also be a Zoroastrian. So what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-flash-obama-not-muslim/550842.md?page=6)