Obama's religion shouldn't matter By Nikky Raney

President Obama's religious views have been put under close speculation by the media and other public figures for quite some time, but it doesn't make any sense as to why this matters.

The media has been covering and people have been debating this since before he was even elected president.

Photo courtesy of Getty images

In the United States according to the First Amendment within the Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."


Those who are proud to be an American and are using their First Amendment rights of free speech to criticize Obama's religious views are really wasting their time. And all this media coverage all about Obama's religion is really unnecessary. Stop reporting about all the people who think he is a Muslim - it shouldn't matter. Stop reporting about it and let those people think whatever they would like to think - if they don't have an outlet of the media allowing their voices to be heard then there wouldn't be so much of a discussion.

The First Amendment clearly states that Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of any religion or establish that the country has a religion.

Politico reports:

"Recent polls have shown that 20 percent of Americans still believe Obama is a Muslim, despite the fact that he has been practicing Christianity."


Religion shouldn't matter. Religion isn't the reason that Obama was elected was it? The reason that a President is chosen is to run the country - USA does not have a specified religion so the religion of the President shouldn't matter unless the President was trying to force his religious views upon the rest of Americans which he clearly is not trying to do.

If people are so upset by thinking he is a Muslim does that mean it is wrong to be a Muslim? There are many Muslims living in the United States who are given the same rights to freedom of religion. By scrutinizing Obama for possibly being a Muslim gives the impression that being a Muslim is negative. Would it matter if the President was Jewish, Buddhist, Atheist, Catholic or even apart of Scientology?  Apparently it does matter, but it shouldn't.

The press is to blame for this. The constant coverage of Obama's birth certificate controversy was already over the top, but now the coverage on religion. Let those who care so much about this use their own outlet to let this out, but the press and large news sources should not be giving these people so much attention. Ignore them like so many other issues are ignored.

President Obama says he is a Christian - so why should so many try to prove otherwise? If the people doing so are Christians themselves then why would they be trying to disprove the religion of another Christian?

Obama has said:

"Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else."

The fact that Obama is not opposed to the building of a Mosque shows that we have a President who does not stand for religious intolerance or persecution - which should come as a positive attribute.

There are so many other pressing issues to be worried about and to spend time covering - so how about focusing on the matters that are pertinent and stop wasting time on all the sensationalism.