Posted on 03/28/2007 2:36:11 PM PDT by 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.
>I have no idea what Dobson yaks about most of the time. I'm RC, so I don't pay him or falwell or any televangelist any attention.<
You might give Dr. Charles Stanley a try though, pissant. He's not RC, but he is very Biblical.
I prefer arguing with the protestants here on FR's religion forum. :o)
Sign me up for the revolt early.
To: SubGeniusX
A fellow Frederalist has pointed out that I could have chosen a much more appropriate verse from Matthew. And so, upon his advice, I have revised my e-mail to Dr. Dobson, replacing Matt. 7:21 with Matt 6:1...
Dear Dr. Dobson,
With all due respect, sir, the oath you took when you became a physician would serve you as well in the political world as in the medical: "First, do no harm."
In addition, I believe the job of sorting us all out and determining who among us are the "real" Christians and who are the "cultists" has already been claimed by the Almighty as His own. If you feel that somehow you are better qualified to perform that task, I suggest you take the matter up with Him.
I believe it is customary to end such missives as this with a quotation from Holy scripture. I have chosen Matthew 6:1- "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
And this personal note - Real Christians walk the walk and are concerned with their own faith, sir. Pompous ones bloviate about the faith (or the perceived lack of it) of others.
Sincerely,
- Ruger
Now to e-mail it to the good doctor...
Oh, btw, this Frederalist lives just a few blocks from Focus on the Family, Doc Dobson's HQ. He said he visited them today, that they are getting bombarded by phone calls from Fredheads who are less than amused by what Dobson had to say about Fred's faith...
Depends on what kind of "mouthbreathing" you want eh?!
On the other hand, the Pentecostals are pulling even with the RCs, and just about anybody who wishes speaks for them.
Dobson is part of a small minority of mainstream Protestants ~ Thompson's own church is part of an even smaller minority that could be inside or outside the mainstream ~ depending on whether or not the congregation voted on his eligibility for baptism into that group.
Church of Christ in Tennessee is pretty much like that ~ so it would be interesting to find out just which version/brand/group Thompson's family chose for him to join, or he could even be a member of the reconstituted and renamed "Puritan" denomination. In that case I'd wonder why he bothered joining up with them in Tennessee. That would be truly strange.
Could be your judgment of what is "Christ like" is in error.
The less conservative congregations pretty much demand a non-Baptist background ~ maybe something like the independent Christian Church or even Disciples of Christ ~ so that you can be considered to be a Christian in the tradition of Stone or Campbell.
I'd like to know if Thompson's church had musical instruments, or was "non instrumental".
Ronald Reagan was Disciples of Christ, as was Lyndon Johnson, and a whole host of other Presidents in the past. Even Abe Lincoln's parents were "Primitive Baptists" which is the same as D of C except they met/meet on Saturday.
Depends on which group using this particualr title. We need more information to figure this one out.
So far everyone has adhered to it (outside of the Eastern churches who weren't part of the 30 years war).
Well don't hold back...tell us. Do you buy Newt's last-minute "repentance"?
Another Litmus test.
No wonder conservatives lose. They have people like Dobson doing their thinking for them.
Anything associated with Huffington Post is certainly questionable.
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