Is Barack Obama a "Closet" Muslim? Hmmm...

First, let me say that I think the idea of a "closet" Muslim is an oxymoron. I don't think Muslims ever deny or hide their faith - especially not for religious reasons.

Barack Obama's father was a Muslim, from Kenya. His father left his life early (around the age of three, I think) and died in 1982. Obama's step-father was an Indonesia Muslim. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country on earth; but it is a comparatively secular country compared to most other nations with large Muslim populations. In the early 1970's Obama was sent to the US to live with his mother's parents while his mother, Kansas-born Ann Durham, pursued her PhD in anthropology and traveled the world. Durham died in 1995.

Obama and his family have been active members of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago for over 15 years now. He's written about "how he accepted Jesus Christ into his life," in the words of a Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) story on the issue.

But the best evidence that he is not a Muslim is a video of him, recorded by CBN, denying that he is a Muslim. You can watch that video here.

I lived in countries with large Muslim populations and studied Islam. Muslims do not deny their faith - not for any reason.

But isn't his middle name Hussein? Yes, it is. That's a Muslim name. His father (who named him) was a Muslim. But what's in a name? Being named "Isaac" or "Esther" doesn't make you Jewish. Your name alone doesn't make you belong to a particular religion...

But didn't he take the oath of office on the Qur'an? Sorry; that was Keith Ellison, Congressman for Minnesota's 5th District. Obama used his family Bible. (The Qur'an Ellison used once belonged to Thomas Jefferson.)

The simple truth is that there is no evidence that Obama is a Muslim and plenty of evidence that he's not. Anyone who insists on saying that he's a Muslim probably has an agenda other than promoting the truth...