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A recent Pew report suggests Americans are more confused about President Barack Obama’s religion — with 18 percent believing he is Muslim — up 9 percent from last year.

Add to that-- The percentage of Americans who correctly identify him as Christian is down.

We’re analyzing coverage from Fox, MSNBC, Politico, and Time.

Pew conducted the poll before Obama expressed support for supported a mosque near Ground Zero.

And a representative from Pew notes on Fox News — it isn’t just the usual suspects confused about Mr. Obama’s religion.

“This is true—this uncertainty—not just among the president’s opponents, but his supporters.  So now it’s less than half of Democrats say the president is Christian.  Less than half of African Americans say the president is a Christian.  Less than half of people who give Obama positive job approval ratings say he is a Christian.”

A New York Times writer tells MSNBC the president just isn’t vocal enough about his faith.

“What does he do almost every Sunday?  He plays golf.  I think you’ll be seeing him go to black churches, white churches, you-name-it churches—to try to remind people he in fact is Christian.”

But a writer for Politico says these results point to a bigger, more complex issue in the country.

“The rise in Americans who say they believe Barack Obama's a Muslim say more about many Americans' hostility toward Islam than it does about the rising hostility to Obama on the right, which is hardly news... Telling a pollster that Obama is a Muslim is just another way of expressing disapproval.”

And a writer for Time Magazine says Mr. Obama’s lacking display of faith as well as right wing spin tactics both contributed to the Pew results.

“If a politician doesn't define himself, his enemies are more than happy to do it for him. The Pew poll is evidence that the endless conservative media cycle of misinformation about Obama is working.”

So, what do you think?  Why are more Americans confused about the president’s religion?

WRITER: STEVEN HSIEH