Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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Posted on 12/04/2007 1:51:30 PM PST by rightinthemiddle
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson Monday said he didn't need to apologize for his faith, despite concerns from Christian conservatives that he does not express his religious beliefs enough on the campaign trail.
"As far as faith is concerned, I have not made any secret as to where I am. I am a Christian," Thompson said, noting that, while he does not attend church while at home in McLean, Virginia, he does attend church with his mother when he visits in Tennessee. "I have no apologies to make about my religion or my relationship to Jesus Christ or God."
In a column in USA Today Monday, David Domke, a University of Washington journalism professor, said Thompson has not done better in the polls because "he lacks a religious niche" and "Christian conservatives have not been amused or enthused" by his lack of church attendance and the few times he has talked of his faith on the campaign trail.
Thompson dismissed those comments, saying "I'm OK with the Lord, and the Lord is OK with me, as far as I can tell."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Coldwater Creek: “Actually the Bible does talk about meeting with other Christians.”
I attend regularly, but I don’t think modern church services are what the apostles had in mind when they wanted us to meet with fellow Christians. In fact, I often think modern services detract from the Christian community. Informal meetings, bible studies, potluck dinners, and even discussing Christ online are all methods of communing with fellow Christians, and I sometimes think they are far more important than sitting in a pew listening to a pastor drone on and on. Lest you think I favor entertaining pastors more, I don’t. It’s the format that bothers me.
Bottom line, I don’t think you have to attend traditional Christian services to be a Christian. Of course, each person should read the bible, pray, and do as they are led.
Amen, sister. This whole notion of judging who is and isn't a Christian based on what church they attend or do not attend is ridiculous.
We even see a lot of that here at FR on the "Let's bash Romney the evil non-Christian" threads.
What really matters is whether their personal and family lives show evidence of the fruit of Christian belief, correct?
Church attendance? Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton attended church regularly and toted around big ole bibles. As long as Fred governs as a conservative I couldn't care less how often he attends church. ...or even if he attends at all.
Many posters seem to think the MSM is intentionally trying to “trick” people into supporting Huckabee. Sorry, but I don’t buy into those conspiracy theories. More likely, the MSM loves an exciting, close race. They also unconsciously give better coverage to people who are more liberal for the simple reason people generally like people who think like themselves.I didn't define the word "tricked". You just did. I accept your definition and stand by what I said: Many conservatives are being tricked into thinking Huckabee is their man.
“and all you knew of the two major candidates was that one was from the South, married to the same woman all his life, considered himself “born again,” and was a regular church going member of the Baptist church whose sister did evangelical work, while the other was a divorced, non-church going former actor who lived in California.”
The problem with your test is that if a voter knows all that, then they are going to know a lot more than that alone.
You're right. For example, Hebrews 10:25 reminds Christians "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another." One could also point to 1 Cor 11:17 for instructions related to assembling as a church. Those are two off the top of my head. Additionally, the weight of the historical evidence regarding the practice of Early Christian assembly on the Lord's Day is overwhelming.
Unfortunately, I believe there are many who will vote based on one defining feature they identify with, without checking out the overall governing philosophy of the candidate.
“What really matters is whether their personal and family lives show evidence of the fruit of Christian belief, correct?”
You know better than that, what really matters is if someone running for president belongs to a religion that all of the voter”s Christian churches identify as a cult, that tries to portray itself as Christian.
That is a very serious issue to all Christians.
Members of the Church of Christ do strongly encourage regular attendance [what church shouldn't?] and have patterned their modes of worship after the example of the 1st century church as depicted in the New Testament, particularly in the Book of Acts. Here is what the apostle Paul said regarding worshiping together--
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV version)
After all the Christian religious leaders that have been caught engaging in gay sex, adultery, sexual abuse or just plain stealing their followers’ money, I am sick of all this preoccupation with religion in politics.
There is no way to know what’s in a person’s heart or mind on religious matters, so religion should be ignored when it comes to politics. It’s too easy lie about one’s faith and to live a lie regarding one’s religion. Not to mention that even those sincerely religious sin and make mistakes all the time.
Any of us could attend any church, say all the right things, look devout, give money and not really believe in that church at all.
Candidates have a history, a record of deportment and action, and positions on the issues. They should be judged on those matters. Their religious beliefs cannot be truly known, that would require the ability to read their minds.
You miss the leveraging that organization and division of labor brings to tasks. Missing from society would be hospitals, charities, orphanages and a number of other pillars of society. Doing your thing under a tree is actually a very selfish endeavor. It is not like the “feed my sheep” command the Lord left with us.
What cult does Fred belong too? He doesn’t get into religion, isn’t very religios but since he is Fred you give him a free pass.
I’m still with Fred.
“What cult does Fred belong too? He doesn’t get into religion, isn’t very religios but since he is Fred you give him a free pass.”
A pass from what? When we use the word Cult, do you think that it is a description for Mormonism that is just a slang word, thrown out there because of Mitt Romney’s candidacy?
All of the various denominations that we belong to identify the Mormons as a Cult, that to the unaware, mimics Christianity on the surface.
The religious stuff is nothing but dirty politics. A sad society we have become, when republicans are no better than democrats in this regard.
My most recent experience with this was a Bible reference in an e-mail from a song publisher who’s been cheating me for 30 years. The “record company” he has things tied up with now is owned by, no kidding, a man by the name of Haddock. I mean, I’ve known something was fishy for a long time, but that was over the top with irony.
“Where two or more are gathered together..”
I would point out that Ronald Reagan was a Christian but very private AND not necessarily a church goer. But his writings demonstrate a very thoughtful Christian.
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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I thought the New Testament Church met house to house and in public places...don’t recall reading about any church buildings.
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