Reality Check: Barack Obama is a Christian

I am getting very tired of the meme running around that Barack Obama is a Muslim. It has been circulating the Web, and being used by some people as a reason NOT to vote for him. And figures as prominent as Ross Perot have been caught repeating the line, because they assume it is true.

IT IS NOT TRUE. Here is his church's website. Barack Obama is at least a nominal Christian, and has been a regular attender at this church for over 20 years. Please pass that along to ANYONE who tries to peddle the "Obama is a Muslim" meme.

That is not to say there are not reasons to NOT vote for Senator Obama. His church is definitely NOT mainstream, and I was unable to find (in a quick search) any idea of their Christology or doctrine of salvation. Their ideas are definitely far off from my own. So, criticize the man for the beliefs he actually holds, not for beliefs others try to place upon him.

And, for the record, no one has yet really given me an idea of why a liberal Muslim would be any worse a leader for our national than a Mormon (Romney), Deist (Washington, Jefferson), or Catholic (Kennedy). Or even a Born-Again Christian (George W. Bush).

Edited 3:11 PM to remove quotes around "Christian" in the title. As Sean showed, it came across differently than I intended.

Editted 4:22 PM. People have brought up the rumors that Obama took his oath on the Koran. NOT TRUE. Obama was sworn in on a Bible. Keith Ellison was the Muslim congressman who was sworn in on a Koran. According to my research, he is the only person to do in history.

There is *NO* iPod "Lightning Crisis"

There is a meme going around the web that even mainstream news sites are picking up on. It is the idea that iPods, iPhones, and similar electronic devices greatly increase your risk of being struck by lightning. This has been gleaned by anecdotes of iPod users who are struck by lightning seeing significant injuries when the shock is conducted down the earphones and wires. The Mythbusters did a piece a while back on tongue piercings and found that even fairly significant piercings did not influence lightning strikes, and those were actually in physical contact with the skin, unlike most iPods.

That being said, if a lightning storm is coming, it is wise to seek shelter indoors no matter WHAT devices you are wearing or not wearing. Lightning is rarely good for your health, and anyone who is outside during a thunderstorm has to know the risks or else face the consequeces.