Obama's faith takes center stage

Why the emphasis on Obama's Christianity? Is there a worry that in some precincts there is confusion about his faith because of the Islamic heritage of his father and stepfather?

The Nevada Spanish language spot: A narrator says, "Let us tell you Barack Obama is a Christian man committed to our community, his wife and his daughters," according to the English translation provided by the Obama campaign.

A July ad aimed at African Americans in South Carolina, another early primary state: A narrator says, "It's Barack Obama time. A Christian family man, community organizer, civil rights lawyer, courageous legislator, and U.S. senator who's told the truth as a soldier for justice."

This stress on Obama's religion leads me to surmise that there is some concern within the campaign that is answered by highlighting Obama's Christian faith, that it is part of his biography that needs bolstering. Obama often makes reference to his church in speeches touching on many matters. Doing it in a targeted radio ad signals some deliberate thought behind the inclusion.

Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ and he took the title of his second book, Audacity of Hope, from a sermon by his minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Early on in the campaign I thought Obama -- his middle name is Hussein -- cleared up questions, triggered by the Islamic heritage of his father and stepfather, about whether he was raised a Muslim. Obama was not raised a Muslim.