Obama Cannot Answer Religious Fanatics

Some may consider President Barack Obama to be the “Savior” the U.S. needs in this tough time, but has he gone so far as to replace Christianity in America? Many Christians believe this to be true, after President Obama delivered a speech at Georgetown University, where the White House staff requested that all religious images of Jesus were to be hidden while the President was to be onstage.

It seems that since the 2008 election, religion continually comes back to haunt President Obama. First it was whether or not he was Christian or Muslim during the campaign. Obama also had problems with his former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Then during the first eleven weeks as President, FOX News reported that Obama had not gone to a single church service since his inauguration.

President Obama took the religion issue further into question, when earlier this month during in a press conference in Turkey, President Obama stated: “One of the great strengths of the United States is [although] we have a very large Christian population -- we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”

Now, with this controversy at Georgetown, Obama adds another thorn in the sides of many Christians and their view of the President’s beliefs about religion. After 8 years of President George W. Bush’s conservative Christian policies, Obama has wrecked havoc on the religious front. There is so much disdain for Obama, not just on his religious blunders but also on his stances of pro-abortion and approval of same-sex rights, that many right-wing fanatics believe he is out to destroy the country and some even go far as to call him the Antichrist.

There is only one problem with this line of thinking. Is there not supposed to be a separation between church and state? The beginning of the First Amendment guarantees that: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion; prohibiting the free exercise thereof …” It should not matter whether or not Obama is Christian or not. If America is truly a free nation, then why would it matter if the President was Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or even a non-believer of any religion? American citizens should criticize on what Obama does with the government from an objective viewpoint, not whether Obama handles his own personal beliefs in the correct Christian manner.

However, the second part of that Amendment also guarantees no law that is: “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Therefore, people should have the right to say whether or not the President should be Christian or not. It is this Amendment where the duality of protecting our beliefs and our opponents’ views lies. Go ahead and critique what our government is doing – it is your right to do so.

I would encourage readers to keep an eye on President Obama is doing; after all, he may not be the complete “Savior” his voters expected him to be. But if you are going to criticize Obama or the government solely based on religious differences; do not expect me to be standing beside you.

According to a Pew Research Poll, one in ten Americans still believe that President Obama is a Muslim, which is undoubtedly false. The troublesome fact – this survey was not asked during the election; this was done in March 2009, two months into Obama’s presidency. An even more startling fact – one in five Caucasian Evangelical Christians thought Obama was Muslim. Americans still do not know who their President is exactly, and it appears to be that some are not even willing to find out the truth about Obama. Perhaps for these Americans, ignorance is bliss. Nevertheless, it is further proof that religion is a major problem that President Obama cannot seem to answer to the American public.

This article was published in The Collegian, La Salle University's student newspaper.