Dr. James Dobson: Fred Thompson 'Not a Christian'

NewsMax.Com ^ | Wednesday, March 28, 2007

[SubGeniusX]

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson has dealt a potentially devastating blow to Fred Thompson’s presidential aspirations, saying the former senator is not a Christian.

"Everyone knows he’s conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for,” Dobson – considered the most politically powerful evangelical figure in the U.S. – said in a phone call to Dan Gilgoff, senior editor at U.S. News & World Report.

"[But] I don’t think he’s a Christian. At least that’s my impression.”

Thompson’s spokesman Mark Corallo took issue with the statement.

"Thompson is indeed a Christian,” he said. "He was baptized into the Church of Christ.”

Focus on Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger sought to clarify Dobson’s statement, telling Gilgoff that while Dobson didn’t believe Thompson belonged to a non-Christian faith, he "has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian – someone who openly talks about his faith.

"We use that word – Christian – to refer to people who are evangelical Christians. Dobson wasn’t expressing a personal opinion about his reaction to a Thompson candidacy.”

Thompson has said he is leaving the door open for a presidential run. A Gallup-USA Today poll released on Tuesday has the Tennessee Republican running third behind Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain among Republicans and Republican-leaning voters.

Although Dobson has not endorsed any Republican presidential candidate, he told Gilgoff that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was the "brightest guy out there” and "the most articulate politicians on the scene today.”

Gilgoff is the author of the new book "The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America Are Winning the Culture War.”

In the 2004 race, Dobson gave the first public presidential endorsement of his career, supporting George Bush. Bush got almost 6 million new white evangelical votes in 2004 that he didn’t get in 2000.

[The_Reader_David]

"We use that word – Christian – to refer to people who are evangelical Christians"

In that case I want the word back. I serve the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, "where the disciples were first called Christians," as a humble subdeacon. It's our name, and Dobson has no right to narrow its meaning to a particular species of protestant, thereby excluding those the name Christian originally belonged to, many of whom have died for Christ under persecutions by Roman pagans and Muslims (and in other patriarchates, Communists).

[j.havenfarm]

I agree with everything you said EXCEPT that red herring re: the no religious test clause of the Constitution. That binds government, not private citizens, i.e., it is impossible for me to doing anyhting that is unconstitutional.Save that for folks like Hugh Hewitt, so very deeply in the tank for Gov. Romney. Don't get me wrong, though, I am a huge Hewitt fan; it's just that the religious test argument is as specious as they come.

[Duke Nukum]

Maybe Thompson and Obama form their "Not ______ Enough" third party and share a ticket?

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Read the whole article carefully before you get into a big hissy fit. Gingrich is more articulate and conservative than Thompson, but the lib media, and some of his personal choices, make him a tough sell to the wobbly middle.

Dobson Offers Insight on 2008 Republican Hopefuls
Focus on Family Founder Snubs Thompson, Praises Gingrich
By Dan Gilgoff
Posted 3/28/07
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson appeared to throw cold water on a possible presidential bid by former Sen. Fred Thompson while praising former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also weighing a presidential run, in a phone interview Tuesday.

"Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for," Dobson said of Thompson. "[But] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression," Dobson added, saying that such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party's conservative Christian base and win the GOP nomination.

Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Thompson, took issue with Dobson's characterization of the former Tennessee senator. "Thompson is indeed a Christian," he said. "He was baptized into the Church of Christ."

In a follow-up phone conversation, Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger stood by Dobson's claim. He said that, while Dobson didn't believe Thompson to be a member of a non-Christian faith, Dobson nevertheless "has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian—someone who talks openly about his faith."

"We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians," Schneeberger added. "Dr. Dobson wasn't expressing a personal opinion about his reaction to a Thompson candidacy; he was trying to 'read the tea leaves' about such a possibility."

Thompson has said he is leaving the door open for a presidential run and has won plaudits from conservatives who are unenthusiastic about the Republican front-runners. A Gallup-USA Today poll, released Tuesday, showed Thompson in third place among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain.

While making it clear he was not endorsing any Republican presidential candidate, Dobson, who is considered the most politically powerful evangelical figure in the country, also said that Gingrich was the "brightest guy out there" and "the most articulate politician on the scene today."

Gingrich recently appeared on Dobson's daily Focus on the Family radio program, carried by upward of 2,000 American radio stations, where he made headlines by discussing an extramarital affair he was having even as he pursued impeachment against President Bill Clinton for his handling of the investigation into the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Dobson's phone call to U.S. News senior editor Dan Gilgoff Tuesday was unsolicited. It marked Gilgoff's first discussion with Dobson in over two years, since the magazine's political writer began work on The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, published this month by St. Martin's Press. Dobson had agreed to answer only written questions for the book.

Dobson's comments yesterday about the 2008 presidential race appear to be his first to a secular news organization in months.

Dobson recently sat down with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at Focus on the Family's Colorado Springs headquarters, marking his only meeting to date with a top-tier Republican presidential candidate. While Dobson would not comment directly on the Romney meeting, he stood by comments he made late last year that many evangelicals would find it difficult to support Romney because of his Mormonism.

[GOP_Lady]

I didn't say that Dobson said it, but Freepers have. See post #100.

[afnamvet]

I do not care if a presidential, state or local candidate is an evangelical Christian or not. My "litmus test" is that the candidate understand the Constitution, that he/she have a political track record of demonstrating that knowledge.

The first amendment guarantees expressing one's faith. Personal religious belief of an individual is just that....personal.

FWIW, I have been an evangelical Christian for more than 40 years.

[Jim Noble]

Romans 14:4

[MHGinTN]

Wow! I've been reading as fast as I can ... and the revelations are staggering, to say the least. I'm especially shocked that the Republican Party has completely failed to make public and broadcast the criminal enterprise of the DNC and sitting Senators in service to criminal activities by democrats raking in millions from the People's Republic of China!

It is now painfully clear why Senator Thompson could not work with sen Glenn and the democrat criminal enterprise senators like Toricelli and Durbin. Think of how much Senator Thompson could accomplish and thwart from the criminal dnc if we were to elect him President of the United States! It is also abundantly clear why the clinton goons will blow up our government rather than allow Senator Thompson to beat the anointed crime queen, the Rodhma-rodent.

[GOP_Lady]

I don't think that Mitt Romney would be doing/saying anything like this. Funny, isn't it?

[restornu]

If he did not know, why would Dobson open his clap trap?

Seems like a strange reply from your loving Christian lips!

[Coldwater Creek]

Actually, you have no clue as to how MOST Americans feel about Dr. Dobson.

[Coldwater Creek]

MY mistake. I stand corrected!

[CDB]

"Dobson the Magic Christian lives in..."

[Triggerhippie]

“We have not government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams - US President

[pissant]

What is that supposed to mean? Have I ever stated my admiration for Dobson?

[Constitutions Grandchild]

I'm sorry, you lost me on your comment. You're right, it does pertain to being able to serve in government, but as private citizens we may vote for whomever we choose. I just hate to see Christians wallowing back in the mud over who and who is not a Christian. To be honest, I start to get sick to my stomach over the baseless accusations of those who are ignorant of church history and what constitutes a Christian. I've studied and taught religion and theology my entire life from the age of 16. I have taken more courses than Carter has pills, and it still comes down to one thing and one thing only...do you believe that Jesus was the son of God come in the flesh, was born of a virgin, suffered died and was buried under Pontius Pilot for the remission of our sins, rose again on the third day and sits at the right hand of God from where he shall judge the quick and the dead? If you answer that question with an honest yes and invite Him into your heart to live through you by the Holy Spirit, you're as saved as you're ever gonna' be regardless of which denomination you think is the holiest.

The rest of the arguments are moot, in my humble opinion -- that's just me.

[sissyjane]

As a Catholic, I'm so sick and tired of being told that I'm not a Christian.....way beyond sick. Therefore I don't care what Dr. Dobson's opinion is, one way or the other.

[Coldwater Creek]

Except that, Church of Christ people think that they are the only Christian's that are going to be in Heaven. A religion of works over faith. Having said that they make the neighbors ever.

[Database]

Actually, this is only half the article. Bwt, what are the posting rules wrt US News?

I would encourage posters to read the entire original US News article on which this NewsMax article is based. Dobson's comments are not any kind of death blow to a Thompson candidacy and are being blown way out of proportion. Some of the inferences about Dobson based on lack of context are clearly untrue.

[papasmurf]

I disagree with Dr. Dobson making that statement, I think he should have known better.

Wethere he did or not, only he, and God, knows.

I have enormous respect for him, and his work, so I give him a pass on this one.

But, he had better not do it again. LOL

:O)

P