>SNIP
>>He didn't have to say one word about his religious beliefs until it became a smear issue in the campaign. It's no one's business. The fact is he is a Christian, married to a devout Christian from da South Side. You show your ignorance or willful malfeasance by continuing to say otherwise.
>
>Hello hello - you are aware of the history of presidents and presidential elections and religion are you not? We are a country of religious freedom. However, every president and presidential candidate throughout history (unless you can show me evidence of one who did not) has declared their religion publicly. Obama gets to be the first to not have to? If he was a satanist would you still have voted for him? It certainly does play a part in the presidential election. He certainly is free to worship (or not) as he sees fit. The public also has the right to vote (or not) for him based on his church affiliation (or none thereof).

It would be nice if it were based on facts.

You make a good point (paraphrasing) that only an idiot would run for president in this country without saying they are Christian. You might as well just close the campaign offices and shut the race down. You'd be crucified, to choose an appropriate word. They have not all been devout Christians. Jimmy Carter was, although it didn't seem to make him a good president. Probably Dubya. Clinton, probably not. Reagan, probably not. It's funny that the patron saint of the Republican right might not have been a Christian. The man was an actor for a living, folks.

I take Obama at his word, not that it would matter much what I thought of his religion. What appealed to me about Obama was that he is bright and seemed capable of uniting us. (Boy, that was a good one). I wanted an end to the polarization of the previous 16 years so we could get some badly needed things done. And the beat goes on.