Barack Obama, Muslim, Black Muslim, Psedo Muslim or Not?

Barack Hussein Obama was born to a Muslim father and an non Muslim mother. Ok, he did not have any say who his birth parents were, so you have to start with some measure of scepticism, but we shall continue. To effectively answer the question of Mr. Obama's beliefs you have to ask yourself if you are seeking the public persona or the private Mr. Obama and does one influence the other?
Mr. Obama portrays himself as middle of the road non secular Christian. Your basic average Sunday morning church kinda guy, pretty much Mr. Wholesome. I will add its an image he fits to a tee and the media and the public has quite obviously become spellbound by this carefully structured Kennedyesk charm and spent no time looking past the public persona. This seems to be due, at least in part, to the fact that he is one half black, almost as if everyone as gone overboard to prove they are not bigots. Personally I was thrilled at the possibility of a non divisive black person running for president, in the past our choices have been more than alittle polarizing. I think as a nation we WANT a viable non polarizing black candidate, I know I do but have we found one or have we found a carefully contrived public persona, designed possibly by failed presidential candidates, and sold to us en mass?

FACTS:

There are two literal definitions for Muslim
1. Islamic Muslim- this definition is very important because it includes both a literal and cultural definition of Muslim.
a. Literal- An adherent to Islam
b. Cultural- One who is born to a Muslim man (the Jewish faith has a similar cultural practice) or someone who identifies with the Muslim culture but is nonpracticing or unobservant.

2. Black Muslim- This is a form of Cultural Muslim beliefs in some arenas; however I believe that since it too as its own literal and cultural definitions and is in and of itself its own belief system to lump Black Muslim in with Islamic Muslim does not do the belief system justice, nor the reader, nor the believers of said system.
a.Literal- A adherent to the tenet's of the Nation of Islam once headed by "the prophet Elijah Mohammad" and currently headed by Louis Farrakhan.
b. Cultural-Someone who identifies with the teachings of the Nation of Islam but is not a practitioner of the tenants of the Nation of Islam.

The above definitions are rather easy to sort through with reference to Mr. Obama. I think it is more than relatively safe to say Mr. Obama is not a practicing Islamic Muslim as Islamic Muslims would define. Yes he was born to a Muslim man; however I must state I do not think it is correct to hold someone to an accident of birth of which he had no control, although one must consider how this would reflect on him and our country considering the possibility of future Middle East visits and negotiations, they can be very strict in the adherence to Islam and may not view a born Muslim who turned his back on the Muslim faith in very high regard. It is a situation that will, in the future, possibly need to be explored.

Then there is the Black Muslim definition which is rather a bit more sticky when it comes to Mr. Obama. There are things to take into consideration. The church Mr. & Mrs. Obama attend is secular black, it appears to be so by choice. Some refer to the church as militant black; however I believe they would choose something more along the lines of a strong black christian church. The churches exclusionistic black direction is not terribly bothersome in and of itself, but when you couple that with the activities and teachings and associates of Mr. Obama's minister and, by Mr. Obama's own admission, his mentor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, you start to run into a bit of a thicket.
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has not only taken a trip to Lybia with Louis Farrakhan to visit with Muammar Qaddafi but the churches magazine, the Trumpet, which is run by the Reverend Wright's daughter, gave a LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to LOUIS FARRAKHAN Leader of the Nation of Islam. Stating Louis Farrakhan "truly epitomized greatness", to honor, in such a way, this kind of man that preaches separatism and expounds on hate from his pulpit and by his own addmission may have had a hand in the MURDER of Malcolm X because of his hate speech from the pulpit. Apparently, for those who are not aware some say, Louis Farrakhan had "called for", the death of Malcolm X as per their church beliefs had committed the sin of adultery and the punishment their faith subscribes to or did was death, hence he was very soon there after murdered in front of his 6 year old daughter. Such associations are in no way tolerable for any presidential candidate.
Further in the 2008 Ohio Debate, when questioned Mr. Obama continually referred to Louis Farrakhan as "Minister Farrakhan" rather than Mr. or Louis. Minister, in this situation is most definitely being used as a title of respect. This was MUCH MUCH MORE THAN TROUBLING. When you couple the birth with the chosen church and its teachings with Mr. Obamas mentor and minister with Mr. Obamas mentor and ministers associates and activities, you have an enormous problem. What you have is someone who privately holds to the beliefs of separatism rather than pluralism and such a thing at a time when we need Civil Rights advances for EVERYONE not division and retardation in the rights that have been won and the hard fought gains in equality.

After reviewing several things such as the table below, which I have labeled Comparison Table 1 on the left side you see some of the statements the church, up until recently, listed on their website as their tenet's or things they stand for. The comparison on the right is mearly switching the color and I am sure anyone will see how offensive both sides become. Let me make abundantly clear, there is nothing wrong or incorrect about having pride in you history or passing you culture on your the next generation, or choosing to live by your cultural heritage. These are things EVERY culture desperately needs to keep it alive, however it can not be part of an separatist or personally exclusionalist pattern of behavior, particularly in the case of a presidential candidate. Just as an example, Jerry Falwell lives a separatist lifestyle but professes a pluralist belief. Something like, I believe in Civil Rights for all, but my church and my teaching are very exclusionary particularly in reference to gays and lesbians and people who do not believe in his faith.


Comparison Table One

Trinity Unity Christian Church_____________Offensive Color Reversal

Commitment to the Black family_____________Commitment to the White family
Commitment to the Black Community__________Commitment to the White Community
Embrace the Black Value System_____________Embrace the White Value System
Pledge Allegiance to Black Leadership______Pledge Allegiance to White Leadership

I personally, find these list to both be EXTREMLEY offensive. If we as human beings continue to see the world in color we will never get past black and white and yellow and green, we as a people, human beings, are not a box a crayons.
I know, we have alot to be proud of, I also know we have along way to go. The awareness that a vast majority of the next generation is color blind and as a mother I am personally very proud of that, but there is still far to go. Pride in any culture is not and should not be exclusionary or teach separatist ideals, because we will never come together if we are teaching separatism.
I find it quite interesting that Mrs. Obama's Princeton Thesis was on a very similar set of parameters and upon review of this study she leads you to believe she may have found the personal answer she was looking for in a separatist personal life and a pluralist public life. Shame on you,to publicly profess pluralism and privatly live and teach your children sepratism, which appears to be the case.

There are two Mr. Obama's, there is the Mr. Obama public persona and the private Mr. Obama. Unfortunately the private Mr. Obama is too close to zealot like hate and separatist ideals for my taste. I would never vote for Jerry Falwell or one of his followers for the exact same reason I will not vote for any zealot and I can not tolerate hate or its associates.
In conclusion Mr. Obama is NOT an Islamic Muslim nor is he really a Black Muslim; however his church and its beliefs and his personal lifestyle leads me to feel his church has carved our a psedo Black Muslim Chirstian belief system.
After so much research into Mr. Obama's beliefs and religion I have been forced to continue on so further updates will be his views on health care, the truth is more than a bit disillusioning, which will include how he has actually handled health care in his Illinois district and Mrs. Obamas surprise promotion and HUGE raise upon his being elected, also there appears to be some intrigue building as to his sudden rise to run, with sooo much money, for president. Who is behind this, you may be surprised and unfortunately saddened.