Posted on 09/19/2007 7:14:10 PM PDT by pissant
DENVER (AP) — James Dobson, one of the nation's most politically influential evangelical Christians, made it clear in a message to friends this week he will not support Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson.
In a private e-mail obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Dobson accuses the former Tennessee senator and actor of being weak on the campaign trail and wrong on issues dear to social conservatives.
"Isn't Thompson the candidate who is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, believes there should be 50 different definitions of marriage in the U.S., favors McCain-Feingold, won't talk at all about what he believes, and can't speak his way out of a paper bag on the campaign trail?" Dobson wrote.
"He has no passion, no zeal, and no apparent 'want to.' And yet he is apparently the Great Hope that burns in the breasts of many conservative Christians? Well, not for me, my brothers. Not for me!"
The founder and chairman of Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, Dobson draws a radio audience in the millions, many of whom who first came to trust the child psychologist for his conservative Christian advice on child-rearing.
Gary Schneeberger, a Focus on the Family spokesman, confirmed that Dobson wrote the e-mail. Schneeberger declined to comment further, saying it would be inappropriate because Dobson's comments about presidential candidates are made as an individual and not as a representative of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization restricted from partisan politics.
Dobson's strong words about Thompson underscore the frustration and lack of unity among Christian conservatives about the GOP field. Some Christian right leaders have pinned their hopes on Thompson, describing him as a Southern-fried Ronald Reagan. But others have voiced doubts in recent weeks about some of the same issues Dobson highlighted: his position on gay marriage and support for the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation.
Dobson and other Christian conservatives support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would bar gay marriage nationally. Thompson has said he would support a constitutional amendment that would prohibit states from imposing their gay marriage laws on other states, which falls well short of that.
Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the Thompson campaign, said Wednesday in response to the Dobson e-mail: "Fred Thompson has a 100 percent pro-life voting record. He believes strongly in returning authority to the levels of government closest to families and communities, protecting states from intrusion by the federal government and activist judges.
"We're confident as voters get to know Fred, they'll appreciate his conservative principles, and he is the one conservative in this race who can win the nomination and can go on to defeat the Democratic nominee."
In his e-mail addressed "Dear friends," Dobson includes the text of a recent news story highlighting Thompson's statement that while he was baptized in the Church of Christ, he does not attend church regularly and won't speak about his faith on the stump.
U.S. News and World Report quoted Dobson earlier this year as questioning Thompson's commitment to the Christian faith — comments Dobson contended were not put in proper context. Dobson in this week's e-mail writes that suppositions "about the former senator's never having professed to be a Christian are turning out to be accurate in substance."
Earlier this year, Dobson said he wouldn't back John McCain because of the Arizona senator's opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Later, Dobson wrote on a conservative news Web site that he wouldn't support former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani should he win the Republican nomination. Dobson called Giuliani an "unapologetic supporter of abortion on demand" and criticized him for signing a bill in 1997 creating domestic-partnership benefits in New York City.
Last week, Dobson announced on his radio show that the IRS had cleared him of accusations that he had endangered his organization's nonprofit status by endorsing Republican candidates in 2004. The IRS said Dobson, who endorsed President Bush's re-election bid, was acting as an individual and not on behalf of the nonprofit group.
That’s not what the Bible says.
You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18)
Dobson's recreating a church whereby only Dobson's idea of a Christian is suitable for American Christians.
Again, it's Christianity, not Paulistianlity. Paul did, however, set into motion a hierarchy that eventually allowed pogroms and witch burnings to occur.
Very un-Christ-like.
Here's a tip: Forget Paul was Christ and you'll never have to explain to the Father why you denied Jesus.
I am sorry if I offended you. I was not trying to claim to speak for you or all Christian conservatives and I certainly have nothing but the deepest respect for your father. My opinion is simply based on how I feel, and I have reason to believe that many other social conservatives feel the same way. The organizations sponsoring the Values Voter Debate were unhappy with Thompson for skipping the debate, refusing to answer the Terri Schievo question, not supporting the human life Amendment, and not supporting the federal marriage amendment. Another socially conservative organization HSLDA chose to endorse Huckabee (a second tier candidate) rather than support Thompson. And now James Dobson has indicated that he will not support Thompson. So clearly at least quite a few social conservative leaders are not happy with Thompson at the moment.
As you pointed out, Thompson, is still doing very well in the polls and much of his support comes from social conservatives. However, I believe that many of these social conservatives are not aware of all of his positions and believe that he is more socially conservative than he is. Once the information about Thompson’s positions has time to trickle down from the leaders to the voters I think you will see his polling numbers change.
Why I denied Jesus? Explain
Half a million Dobson devotees NOT voting for who is likely to be the Republican nominee, because he is not to the Master’s liking, does not necessarily account for anything or amount to anything: what will they do, write in a candidate of their liking? and who would that be? Will they write-in Dobson? Will they not vote at all in protest?? I guess that’s their biggest threat, and leverage.
Then you doom the country to Hillary. Those amendments will never be passed. Federalism gives us the chance to fight of the leftists in a practical, local way.
Social conservatives don’t follow leaders in the same way as other groups. Baptists, for example, are highly individualistic.
These groups are fairly meaningless, anyway. I would say most of the Christians in the country didn’t know or care about the Values Voter Debate. These groups have NO RIGHT to demand that anyone conform to their dictates. More examples of pride and arrogance. I don’t believe that Jesus would be running around at the head of such an organization trying to force everyone into the same mold if he were here.
lol
I can’t help but think of the frustrated pharaoh in The 10 Commandments-frustrated over how Moses keeps winning, despite the odds.
Without Paul, or Peter, or Mark, or Luke.....etc., there still would've have been the Word, given by God to His children.
Jesus can never "die". He is in all of us, and without Him, there would never have been the faith we call Christianity.
I’m finding that Dick Armey has voiced anger at Dobson: http://mediamatters.org/items/200609260013
I’m also finding where Armey claimed just what you said: “Dobson later ran an orchestrated campaign against me in my race to retain the Majority Leader post, telling my colleagues that I was not a good Christian.” ( http://tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com/2006/10/armey-letter-on-dobson-draws-line-in.html )
I’m not seeing the evidence, though, that Dobson actually said this about Armey. Could you provide a specific reference, perhaps to documentation from the so-called “orchestrated campaign”? As far as I can tell, nobody has yet identified it, so it seems Armey misspoke.
Here’s Dobson’s response, FWIW: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226522,00.html
You’re bound to find a few former employees who have an axe to grind against Dr. Dobson. I’m not sure who you’re referring to, so I can’t investigate their specific charges.
Now you’re equating Dobson with a “hardcore muslim mullah.” Jumped the shark, you have.
Are there any Christians that you admire, or do you hate all of us? Or is it only those whom the Lord has put in a place of prominence that you hate?
FWIW, check out the mission for Focus on the Family: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/aboutus/A000000408.cfm — also note the first of their five “guiding principles.” Caution: Doing so will induce cognitive dissonance.
Amen. God Bless us Everyone! (Tiny Tim ca. 1880)
Any such amenment would have to be ratified by 3/4’s of the states so yes I am comfortable with Amendments about social issues. The process is so difficult that only a few will ever be passed and only when their is overwhelming public support for the Amendment. I think we just have different approaches to federalism. You are looking at it as an ideal to strive for, whereas, I am looking at it as a legal doctrine. I have no problem idealogically with issues of such national importance as life and marriage being ultimately decided at a federal level. And the legal doctrine of federalism does not prevent the passage of such a constitutional amendment. If the liberals try to pass bad constitutional amendments we will simply have to ensure that they are defeated like the ERA was and that won’t be made any easier or harder by us having previously passed the Marriage Amendment or the Human Life Amendment.
So you don’t find the Scriptures infallible? You refuse to acknowledge Paul’s writings as legitimate? What about where Paul says, “Follow me as I follow Christ”?
I think we’re coming to understand your hatred for Dobson (and presumable other Christians): You reject the truth of Scripture, whereas they embrace it.
You quoted me and seemed to criticise my statement but I am not sure why you criticised me. I was simply saying that I wish I had some Jewish ancestry because I greatly admire the Jewish people. If there is something wrong with that please explain it to me.
I think I hit the wrong post! Sorry :^(
I much prefer Christ as my teacher.
It is much too late to get into a deep discussion. I, for one, have a job I need to get to in the morning.
Criticizing your idol does not make me a non-Christian. Though by taking the standards of your Dobson, anyone who dares look cross-eyed at him must be a satanist.
okay. No problem.
Personally I like Hunter but if it's any of the front runners, they will get my vote. (I'm talking Republicans of course). There is something wrong with each and every one of them but giving the Presidency to the idiot lefty Demo rats is unthinkable.
It’s fine to admire a culture but your own culture should take precedent. Remember this is words only. Sorry for the quick judgement. :^) (I got jazzed up by something else)
Good grief. It's the online version of the Stepford Wives......only it's the Dobson Disciples.
The Word is infallible. It is man who is fallible. As evidenced by those of you who kneel at the boot of Dobson and charge those who criticize him as not Christian.
How dare you. Your sanctimony is exceeded only by your hubris.
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