Guest post submitted by Tyler BraunLast Sunday, Colin Powell said this on
Meet the Press regarding the off suggestions of Barack Obama being a Muslim:
“I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, ‘Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’ Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, ‘He’s a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.’ This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”On Powell’s overall premise I completely agree. Too many have this idea that being Muslim is a negative thing. However, I want to disagree with Powell.
He has essentially said that if Obama was a Muslim and not a Christian, it shouldn’t matter at all. In other words, if Obama wasn’t a Christian, those Christians who are voting for him should do so anyway.
On this, I think Powell is wrong. I’ll explain why:
- The faith of a Christian believer should influence how they vote. Faith should integrate with all other parts of life including politics. This isn’t to say that we should use our faith and politics to talk down to others or force views on others. It is to say that faith shouldn’t be put in one section of our lives, it should be in all sections.
- The statistics show that younger Christians are less Republican than their parents. Part of the reason there is this idea that Obama is big among young Christians is because he is a professing believer in Christ. It is weird to have the outspoken Christian on the Democratic side, and have the person who says faith is more of a personal thing on the Republican side. Four years ago it was directly the opposite. And I think that makes big difference.
- So if a Christian’s faith integrates with how they vote and because Obama is such an outspoken Christian… if he was a Muslim, wouldn’t that totally change how many of those young Christian voters are supporting him? I think that many of them are voting for him because he is an outspoken Christian. If he was a Muslim, I believe that many Christians who are supporting him would not. This isn’t because being Muslim is bad or means Obama is a terrorist though.
So I disagree with Powell if Obama was a Muslim it shouldn’t be a big deal. Because there are plenty of Christian supporters of Obama and I think many would be less inclined to vote for him if he wasn’t a Christian. Christians often vote for Christians and I think that is a good thing because faith should influence how people vote.
Would you have a different opinion of Barack Obama if he were a Muslim?
Comments (158)
No, I wouldn't have a different opinion. I look at the policies that both candidates offered and Obama came out on top. I'm a firm believer that religion shouldn't be a big issue for the presidential race. We live in a multicultural society with people from different backgrounds and religions. It is great that he proclaims that he is an outspoken Christian, but we should leave it at that. To push one religious beliefs onto others, especially the entire nation, would be a violation to the first amendment and free will. Which is why I don't want Sarah Palin to be VP. There are other reasons, but that is one of the reasons.
I am not voting for Obama because I totally disagree with his platform and proposed policies. The markers of his faith appear to be about liberation and forcing people into what he sees as earthly utopia. My faith is integral to how I vote. I vote for the candidate that I perceive as having the most God-pleasing outlook. No candidate is perfect, but in this case I believe that person is McCain.
I can't stand Obama's policies, political beliefs, and associations. Given the church he goes to I don't think I'd go so far as to say he's a Christian. I don't see how a Christian could attend Wright's church.
Even if Obama attended a "normal" church he wouldn't have my vote, so no, him being a Muslim wouldn't change my vote. However, if I did agree with someone on most issues and that person was a Muslim, it would be a tough decision.
@Tom - Good response.
Bottom line: Religion and Politics do not mix. If they were to mix...we would have what is called a theocracy, in which case, none of you would have the right to criticize Iran. So decisions like who should run this country should not be based on religion, because it clouds people's judgement. You should vote for the person who has the best qualifications and is ready to run this country. Not the person who is the most religious....it really should not be a factor.
Here is my controversial statement. I do not think this country would ever be ready to accept a Muslim president. There is simply way too much intolerance and misunderstanding for a Muslim president to break through. So if Obama was a Muslim, he would have lost a long time ago.
What makes someone a Christian? What makes someone a Muslim? Am I a baseball player because I say I am? Is someone a Christian just because they say they are?
I don't think that religion should be a big deal in politics as well. However in some of his earlier interviews, he did say that he was a Muslim (which I was fine with) but later claiming that he was a Christian. (I think that in one of the interviews he did slip up saying that he was Muslim but correcting himself. But I'm not too sure about that because the media would be all over that)
But one thing that Obama lacks is consistency and the aformentioned Muslim bit, and his inconsistent voting record says it all.
Powell is pointing out that you should vote for a candidate based on the issues and how they will lead the country.
"Christians often vote for Christians and I think that is a good thing because faith should influence how people vote."
Why? Is it the seeming identity of faith or the actual actions and policies that matter?
There are shallow-minded folks who would vote against Barack Obama just because he's "Black." People voting against a "Muslim" just because is similarily idiotic.
But it's their vote, and they are entitled to distribute it as they see fit.
Substanatively, I understand how a person's religion can be a summary of his stances on social policy. The sterotypical devout Christian Rebpulican would be pro-life, anti gay-marriage, anti-evolution, and for school vouchers.
But many politicians choose to compartmentalize their personal faiths from their public officies, and there are politicians whose reasoning and grounding extends beyond just religion.
Religion can tell a lot about a person and a politician, but it's not the only thing or necessarily the most informative tibit.
@moritheil@xanga - that's exactly his point. Too many people are blind sighted by the crap politicians put out there. If you want to vote for a leader of this nation, shouldn't his political views be the most important aspects of the person? Religion doesn't play a role in the decisions they will make in office, so why should religion play a role in why we vote for a candidate?
@huginn@xanga - Yeah, what you said!
America is NOT a Christian nation... it never was. It has always been a land of freedom and tolerance and the majority happened to be Christians whom the Catholic church was persecuting that landed here... hence why there are Christian VALUES that have molded our country.
So, since America was founded to be a land of religious freedom, no... it shouldnt matter if Obama is a Muslim. It shouldnt matter if he is a Scientologist.... it shouldnt matter is he is an Athiest, Buddhist, or Christian... it shouldnt matter.
It should matter however who a Christian votes for because Christians should uphold the values of their faith, the values of the Bible, the Bible's moral code. Therefore, in the Christian community it should matter if someone is of another religion... but it should not matter on a national political scale.
I truly believe voters should vote according to the individual. Not because they belong to some group; be it their race, Muslim, Christian, etc.
Now, I'm a Christian, and I think Christian's hold the true way of life, I really do. But think about it. How many evil Christian leaders have their been? Christians aren't automatically goody-goody, Mr. perfects, and I think anyone who assumes they are will be fooling themselves.
Vote on the issues, and don't be swayed just because "he's black" or "he's a 'better' Christian." If Barack was a Muslim I'd still vote for him.
A socialist is a socialist, regardless of his religion. I don't care what someone's faith is when it comes to something like politics. His ideology regarding the matters at hand are my concern.
@desertrose2890@xanga - I agree with you.
@conscientious_earwax@xanga - EXACTLY!!! People think they are perfect because they claim Christianity....we are all sinners...the only difference is Christians are forgiven their sins through the blood of Jesus...I think we forget that everyone is human.
@SnowWhiteRoseRed@xanga - I agree...it has a history but that doesn't mean that the whole nation was based off of it. The Catholic church history is based on this too...but now people broke away from that and formed their own denominations and yet everyone is claiming their way is the right way. Why can't we just all love one another and do what is best for this country? I'm Christian and I know Obama is a Christian based on the many things he has said and done not just while running for president but in his time as senator...I'm voting for him not only because I'm a Christian but because I believe He can do good things for this country...things are really disappointing to me and people are seeking that hope...
@desertrose2890@xanga - They used to say that of blacks; now here's Barack. That day will come, I'm sure. Even if far away; and I have a feeling they'll have my vote, as well.
Not voting for someone because he/she's a Muslim is just as retarded as not voting for someone because they're Black, Hispanic, Asian, White, etc.
I think it's more important to know which candidate is going to do better for the country rather than whether he's 'more Christian' or not.
Ironically enough, a Muslim candidate would probably be more conservative than Obama is. In past elections many Muslims have supported the Republican candidate - I honestly think that if Christian Republicans were to listen to a Muslim candidate's platform without knowing his/her religion, they would probably agree.
I think another reason people get weird about the (incorrect) idea that Obama is a Muslim is because they have no idea what being Muslim means. Shouldn't we be voting because of the issues? Sure, I sometimes judge candidates based on religion, but it's directly related to what I know about how their religion will inform their politics - I am uncomfortable with voting for a very conservative Christian who connects his faith to his politics for that reason. But if people have the wrong impression of a religion, they won't even be able to intelligently use religion as a means to understand a candidate.
Anyone can profess to be any religion, and I really don't believe a politician's claim to a religion that much, because I take anything a politician says with a grain of salt.
That being said, I agree with Powell. To me it doesn't matter whether or not Obama (hypothetically) was a Muslim. I'm voting for him because he chose a good person for a vice president (unlike McCain), and because I think he's a better choice for the country then the other candidate. Short of him being a religion that demanded child-sacrifice or supported forced child-marriages, I wouldn't really care.
I can't believe that America has poor citizens that think that being a Muslim is bad. Before 9/11, if you saw a muslim person down the street, you wouldn't think twice about whether or not to say hello to them.
What about JFK being Catholic?
While it is true that America was founded on religious values and the like, don't forget Thomas Jefferson had a copy of the Quran in his library much before the United States even became a country, too. Also, do not fail to realise that Islam is VERY MUCH like Christianity. Islam believes in God, the one and only. And the principles of Islam vs Christianity vs Judaism are all essentially the same thing. They're all Abrahamic religions. It's silly to say that Christians should vote based on their faith, when their faith is essentially just as much Islamic as it is Christianity in the game of politics.
Who do you suggest I vote for as a Muslim? Apparently, no one truly exerts my "faith", so to speak.
Clearly my vote does not change towards Obama.
It is NEVER proper, especially in a nation that is supposed to be "tolerant" to EVER mix religion with politics.
People who vote for people because of their religion, race, gender, whatever are closed minded and should NOT be voting at all.