Barack obama sc primary: calling of a committed christian

Obama Takes on Question of Christian Faith Keywords: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Barack Obama 2008, Christian Faith, Religion, Calling, Committed Christian, Christianity, Prayer, Barack Obama Muslim, Barack Obama Race, Democratic Presidential Candidate, Democratic Primary, Obama, Obama Muslim, Obama Muslim Email, Obama Muslim Smear, Obama Pledge Of Allegiance, Pledge Of Allegiance, Breaking Politics News COLUMBIA, S.C. — Barack Obama is stepping up his effort to correct the misconception that he's a Muslim now that the presidential campaign has hit the Bible Belt. At a rally to kick off a weeklong campaign for the South Carolina primary, Obama tried to set the record straight from an attack circulating widely on the Internet that is designed to play into prejudices against Muslims and fears of terrorism. "I've been to the same church _ the same Christian church _ for almost 20 years," Obama said, stressing the word Christian and drawing cheers from the faithful in reply. "I was sworn in with my hand on the family Bible. Whenever I'm in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. So if you get some silly e-mail ... send it back to whoever sent it and tell them this is all crazy. Educate." Obama is referring to a debunked chain e-mail circulating widely on the Internet that suggests he is hiding his Islamic roots and may be a terrorist in disguise. It says he was sworn into the Senate on the Quran and turns his back on the flag during the pledge. There are some truths in the e-mail's details. Obama's middle name is Hussein. His father and stepfather were Muslim. And he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, a largely Muslim country. But he attended secular and Catholic schools, not a radical madrassa. His campaign has been pushing back against the false rumors all year. His aides decried an incorrect news report that Obama was educated in a Muslim madrassa and a section of his Web site is devoted to correct that and other false rumors ...