CP: How does President Obama want America to perceive his religious beliefs? Klein: There is no question he wants the country to think of him as a devout Christian.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who for years was the pastor of Barack and Michelle Obama, told author Edward Klein in a three-hour interview for his book, The Amateur, that the first couple are not “church people.”

Released last week, the book instantly hit The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and is drawing both praise and criticism for its portrayal of the president’s inexperience prior to and during his first term.

The Christian Post caught up with Klein, a former editor for The New York Times Magazine, and asked him to discuss some details in his book, especially as it relates to the Obamas’ faith and his chances of winning a second term in November.

On why he wrote the book, Klein said he was amazed that as an experienced journalist, “a largely unknown, African-American senator, who had accomplished very little in his professional career, comes out of nowhere, trances and fascinates millions of voters, gets elected to the White House and then turns out to be something we’ve never seen before – and that is an amateur in the Oval Office.”

CP: Some analysts argue that the mainstream media never properly examined President Obama’s background prior to the 2008 primary and general election. Do you think that was the case?

Klein: Absolutely. The mainstream media drank the kool-aid and was rooting for Obama to become the next president in a fashion we have never seen before in American history. Instead of covering the election as professional journalists, many reporters and news sources were simply participants who were trying to elect Obama. That is not the role of a professional journalist.

CP: Readers of The Christian Post are curious about the religious background of our elected leaders. How would you describe the Obamas’ faith?

Klein: In my three-hour interview with Rev. Jeremiah Wright in November of 2011, he said Barack Obama knew a great deal about Islam, was steeped in Islam and understood Islam from his childhood. But, in fact, he knew little of Christianity and that Wright taught Obama how to accept Jesus without denouncing his family and friends in the Muslim community. But when I asked Wright if he converted Obama to Christianity, he said “I don’t think so.”

Wright said of the Obamas, “These are not church people.” As far as Michelle was concerned, that she was not brought up in the church and as far as the couple themselves, the church is not very important to them.

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