Besides being an African American, besides have an African American father who married a white woman in the early 1960s, an era of extreme unrest for civil rights, there is the question of Barack Obama's faith. .
Some voters cannot pinpoint Obama's true faith, and this was especially apparent in the heated 2008 election race against Arizona senator John McCain. So what faith is Barack Obama? This isn't a complicated question, but there is a history to it. For one, his father was born Muslim, only to become an atheist as an adult. His mother rarely practiced while Obama was growing up, and until his post college years, Obama was in a similar boat. His mother had been part of a non-practicing family. Obama is a progressive Christian.
Obama was a classic skeptic of faith early in life. He was raised in a secular household that had its roots within many different faiths. Instead of following in his mother's non-practicing or his father's atheist beliefs, Obama made a change. Obama was raised to be a skeptic of religion, but a change occurred. " Mr. Wright's blend of scripture and social action resonated with Obama, then a young community organizer in black neighborhoods ravaged by steel-mill closings," (Sabar, CSMonitor.com).
Also, according to a recent article, "He realized something was missing in his life and he felt drawn to be in Church," (Fairchild, Christianity.About.com).
The story goes: one day Obama decided to visit Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, the same church which drew heavy criticism during the election. The now retired pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr., later made some critical remarks on both race and America itself which ignited one of the biggest negative campaigns against Obama. This drew heavy criticism, which also created more interest in exactly what kind of faith Obama practiced.
Trinity Church is quite different. They"re across from a public housing project, a membership which began with a few dozen members to now close to 9,000, and a church.