OKAY.....

[hexicon]

To be clear, I'm not one of those nuts who thinks Obama is a Muslim, nor is his religion an issue for me only because these mischaracterizations made it an issue.

I think an candidate's religion (and the way they practice it) says a lot about that person--you don't choose your parents (another thing people have attempted to hold against Obama) or the circumstances of your upbringing (ditto) but you do choose your religion, at least the religion of your adulthood.

My question is whether TUCC is simply an "ethnic" church (like most AME churches or traditionally black Baptist churches) or whether it's a cult that teaches wacky separatist socialist claptrap (e.g., being "middle class" is bad? If you're preaching against materialism just say so). In some religions, you're expected to attend the parish in which you live, regardless of what you think of that particular pastor. Obama had a choice about whether to join this church, and we can draw some conclusions about him from this choice. (Just as we can draw conclusions about politicians who profess church membership but obviously don't practice what they preach.)

I don't particularly have anything against Obama, and I am bothered by the attempts to smear him as a Muslim just because his mother was a globe-trotting wack job, but I think less of him for his affiliation with this church. (Also, I am probably one of the few people who thinks BETTER of him for not putting his hand over his heart during the flag salute.)

[Frau_Blucher]

Howdy Hex. I hope no one here thinks I was trying to mischaracterize what you were saying. I was just using you and motors' comments to think this through for myself more than anyone else really.

[hexicon]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>Howdy Hex. I hope no one here thinks I was trying to mischaracterize what you were saying. I was just using you and motors' comments to think this through for myself more than anyone else really.
[/quote]

Hi Blir [;)] Don't worry Blir, I didn't think that you were insinuating that. But people are so . . erm . . . black and white . . . about this issue that it seems like I can't say anything skeptical about Obama without some people assuming I'm the one forwarding all the "Obama's a Muslim" e-mails . . .