Bob Ross wrote this? Where are the happy little clouds?
Posted on 03/31/2007 6:03:17 AM PDT by FairOpinion
Is Fred Thompson a member of the Church of Christ?
As the 64-year-old former Tennessee senator reportedly mulls a bid for president, a number of readers have e-mailed The Christian Chronicle with that question.
The 106th Congressional Record listed Thompson’s religious affiliation as “Church of Christ (Stone Campbell).” In an interview with the U.S. News and World Report this week, Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo said: “Thompson is indeed a Christian. He was baptized into the Church of Christ.”
Corallo did not immediately return calls from the Chronicle seeking additional information about the politician and Law and Order actor’s religious background.
David Pinckley, treasurer of the Pulaski Street Church of Christ in Thompson’s hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., said the two grew up together.
“We went to school together, played football, went to church for many years here in Lawrenceburg,” Pinckley told the Chronicle on Friday.
“I don’t know his religious status right now, but we were both baptized around 1951 … 1952 maybe,” Pinckley added. “We were either 10 or 11 years old then. He was baptized at the First Street church in Lawrenceburg. It’s a non-institutional church now, but it wasn’t then.”
Thompson spoke in 1997 at a fund-raising event at Freed-Hardeman University, a Henderson, Tenn., college associated with Churches of Christ. Thompson used his speaking fee to create an endowed scholarship at Freed-Hardeman for history and political science students, said Stephen Morris, assistant professor of political science and university counsel.
The Robert and Ruth Thompson academic scholarship – named after Thompson’s parents – offers freshman scholarships worth between $2,500 and $5,000. His father is deceased, but Ruth Thompson lives in Franklin, Tenn., and remains a member of the Church of Christ, Pinckley said.
Thompson’s faith became an issue in the national media when Focus on the Family founder James Dobson appeared to throw cold water on a Thompson candidacy in an interview with U.S. News.
“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, telling U.S. News 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.
Focus on the Family later issued a clarifying statement, saying that in the U.S. News interview, “Dr. Dobson was attempting to highlight that to the best of his knowledge, Senator Thompson hadn’t clearly communicated his religious faith, and many evangelical Christians might find this a barrier to supporting him. Dr. Dobson told (the reporter) he had never met Senator Thompson and wasn’t certain that his understanding of the former senator’s religious convictions was accurate. Unfortunately, these qualifiers weren’t reported. … We were, however, pleased to learn from his spokesperson that Senator Thompson professes to be a believer.”
According to U.S. News, 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.
Divorced since the mid-1980s, Thompson married Jeri Kehn, a political and media consultant 24 years his junior, at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Naperville, Ill., in 2002. They have two young children. Thompson also has two grown sons and five grandchildren.
All the discussion about Thompson’s possible Church of Christ ties prompted a humorous challenge on the blog of Mark Elrod, a Harding University political scientist, at http://www.markaelrod.net.
In a post titled “The ‘I Saw Fred Thompson at a Church of Christ’ Challenge,” Elrod offered Web immortality to the first person to provide him “with a somewhat believable Fred Thompson sighting at an assembly of the Church of Christ (Stone-Campbell) in the last 20 years.”
Elrod asked specifically for any information on Thompson teaching a Bible class, presiding at the Lord’s table or leading singing.
“If it was 728b and you can prove it,” Elrod said of Thompson leading singing, “I’ll give you $100.”
Meanwhile, a few readers have contacted the Chronicle asking if Democratic president candidate Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, is a Church of Christ member.
The answer on that question is a bit clearer: Obama belongs to the United Church of Christ, a liberal denomination that ordains women and gays and supports same-gender marriage equality. The mainline Protestant demonination was formed in 1957 when the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reform Church merged.
I do too, salute guys...
Your post 157 is great. Explains the church better than I have seen in a long time. Amazing you found it. Computers are so handy except when you really need something simple - you will be there for at least 45 min.
When you go to the Bible for direction on beliefs and church organization - you are merely trying to follow God's direct instruction through His Word. There is no need for a denomination as any anywhere in the world doing the same and believing, repenting and being baptised are brothers and members of the same church - the Church of Christ or The Church.
(Not the name identified as merely a denomination - but the original forming of the church.)
The Bible is our "touchstone". If all people merely go to the Bible and study diligently - they will generally come up with similar beliefs. Of course, more and more knowledge and understanding come with time - not all at once. But, we get enough information to follow God's will.
In fact I heard of someone in an African nation coming into an area church or hospital asking where he could go to become a Christian. He had come across a Bible and studied it and wanted to be baptised and accept Christ.
Bibles are now in demand in Russia and I've heard many are desired in Iraq. In Russia, they even came to members of the Church of Christ and asked them to come into their schools to teach ethics as their children were growing up with no ethics at all and they were worried about the future of the country.
Can you imagine - here in the U.S., God is being taken out of schools and in Russia, they are coming to an American bible publisher and asking that the Bible be taught in their schools.
God is at work even when we do not see it.
hmm...I was always told he went to Disciples of Christ, not Church of Christ. I know they held his memorial at the DOC church in Dixon Illinois. I know because my Reginal Minister was on TV, for the memorial. And I have never heard anything about Reagan being a Catholic. Maybe he did attend a Church of Christ church when he lived in Tampico because possibly there wasn't a DOC church there...I could believe that.
I did find this however, maybe Fred can use it to find out if he is a member.
YOU MIGHT BE A MEMBER IF ...
With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy of “Redneck” joke fame, you might be a member of the church of Christ …
• If you know exactly what song I’m talking about when I ask you to turn to number 728b.
• If you could recite all the books of the Bible before you could even read them.
• If you know the first and third verse of nearly every song.
• If you actually know what a “ready recollection” is and have been thoroughly “guide-guard-and-directed” all your life. (If you’re really a member, you know that “guide-guard-and-directed” must be followed by “and-bring-us-back-at-the-next-appointed-time.”)
• If you think “progressive” refers to those in the church who want a sound system and PowerPoint.
• If you can actually read shape notes.
• If you think your chosen pew is “sacred” and no one else should sit in your spot.
• If you think the Bible questions on Jeopardy are way too easy.
• If you decide which Bible translation to use based on how Acts 2:38 reads.
• If you immediately reach for your wallet when you hear the phrase, “Now, separate and apart from the Lord’s Supper … ”
• If “chosen frozen” refers to your early worship service that resembles a country church 50 years ago, and “happy clappy” describes your late service that the chosen frozen are deeply concerned about.
• If you know all the words to all the verses of Trust and Obey.
• If you’ve ever ridden a JOY bus. (And, of course, you know that JOY stands for “Jesus” first, “Others” second and “Yourself” last.)
• If, when you’re happy and you know it, you clap your hands, stomp your feet and say “Amen!”
• If you’ve ever carried your Bible in an empty casserole dish.
• If you brought that casserole dish to the last fellowship meal, and the main ingredient in it was cream of mushroom soup.
• If you’ve ever heard a rambunctious young child yell “Pray for me! Pray for me!” as his mother whisked him down the aisle to the foyer.
• If you’ve ever wondered who Ebon Pinion was.
• If you think the term “church of Christ humor” is an oxymoron.
• If you’ve ever heard an announcement from the pulpit about a missing puppet.
• If you think the Chronicle is way too liberal.
• If you’ve ever prayed for those “who are sick of this congregation.”
• If you’ve never been to a church that wasn’t named after the street it was on.
• If you think the Chronicle is way too conservative.
• If you’ve been to a wedding or a funeral where “the invitation” was offered.
• If you’ve stood for 13 verses of Just As I Am with the last stanza sung softly.
You obviously missed the thread last night where FO falsely claimed that the Church of Christ was an offshoot of the Mormons. Mods finally had to pull it.
I could really throw in a crapshoot, The Disciples of Christ, which is a branch off of the Church of Christ, was the same church that allowed Jim Jones to become a preacher, and start his Peoples Temple Church or whatever it was, and yes that was a Cult, and we all know how that ended up...its true look it up. However my church does not believe that way, he took Gods word and perverted it to the next level. It was just that the DOC church was the only church open enough at the time, to ordain such a nut as Jim Jones. Yes it is a very black moment in my churches history, and we lost a lot of members then, and most people in our church won't talk about it.
The Church of Christ that Fred belongs to is a very Conservative Church however, and really doesn't have much to do with the DOC, other than its founders. Who broke off into two different Fractions, one founder believed the Bible was the word of God and should be followed very strictly, The other founder believed WE should interperet what the Bible says ourselves, and that founder started the Disciples fraction. I will have to look up if it was Stone or Campbell that broke off, I don't have the time right now to do that though.
I agree we will go around in circles.
The thief of the cross is just not a good example of being saved because Jesus had not yet died for our sins - he was still alive. The salvation by grace for us came upon His death and resurrection.
Also, Jesus or God do not have to follow any rules whatsoever - we are the ones given instructions and expected to try and follow them. Jesus is the Lord and Saviour and God is the judge of all. In fact God stated that very fact in the Old Testament. That He would save who He wished, condemn who He wished - He Is the Law - not subject to the Law.
Some men say they accept Christ by faith - how is faith shown when those men ignore the verses mentioning repent and be baptized?
What man who does not believe would ever be baptised? It is an act of faith on the part of the one receiving the gift to be baptised for the remission of those sins.
Like you said - we could go around for ever. I have many relatives that are baptists and they are wonderful people. But it amazes me that they would draw a line over baptism claiming that our salvation is an act of faith that we could never earn it. Yet, their faith does not even lead them to following Jesus instructions of repent and be baptised for the remission of your sins.
Again, why the strong, strong need to deny the need for baptism? Such a simple act, yet such a stumbling block for many. I just wonder why.
I too think Christians do better to leave the judging to God. Man does not have the ability to read a person's heart - God does.
Just as I am upset about Dobson judging Thompson.
Christians judging the acts of others creates far more harm than it ever does good in that it ignores growth, it ignores the need for kindness and gentleness in dealing with their brothers and that leads to people leaving God altogether due to the actions of members. Time and time again, people get hurt at church by the judgemental attitude of a "christian" and leave, never to return to church.
Studying the actions and understanding what is going on is different than putting on that cloak of pompous better-than-thou rightousness as one seeks the power of determining who is worthy.
God sent us to serve - not to judge. Afterall what one of us wishes a neighbor to be the judge of our worthiness. We would prefer to leave it to a fair God.
I was raised in a church that believes the persecution at end-time will come from Catholicism teamed up with the radical right. I'm not saying I still believe all that but it had its influence, and whenever Dobson and Robertson start getting too involved in politics, I get a little queasy remembering some of those old prophecies.
To me it's a question of realism. If we install a President the Arch religious want, there is zero chance stores will be closed on sunday, or anyone will be forced into religion.
I don't necessarily buy that. If a president moves the chess pieces the right way; if we're subjected to another terrorist attack, the really BIG one, who knows what can happen. I'd rather someone who turns their anger at the source instead of blaming the populace for sinning and bringing disaster on themselves. I honestly don't see that much difference between the radical right and the radical left - they both want power and control, just different issues.
I like Fred Thompson a lot too but a) He isn't running yet, and b) He's awfully tight with McCain. With Giuliani I know where he stands - he says what he feels without circumlocation all over the place. McCain - and by projection, Fred Thompson, are just too willing to stab fellow Republicans in the back.
As for me, because baptism is a work. Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." It's not the baptism of water that the Bible speaks of but the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Again...Mark 1:8 "I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." It's the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, that Jesus was talking about, not of water. Matthew 20:23a"And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with:... Was His death, burial, and resurrection not enough for your salvation? It was for mine. If I have to "do something" for my salvation, then His sacrifice wasn't enough.
Well, there is no talking to you.
A work - good grief.
Again, those that would deny a simple instruction like be baptised for the remission of sins before accepting the most important gift in the world are a little too "stiff necked", hard-headed or trying to find loopholes IMHO.
What if the people all through biblical history after being told by God to do something, had merely said "He did not mean it, it was code for doing only this". What if Moses had only done a part of what he was told, saying the other part is not what we normally think it is - it means _______.
Would it have been "work" to pray? Would it have been "work" to serve Jesus through your days on earth? Was it "work" to tell Jesus I accept you as my Saviour and want to serve you all my days?" If baptism is a "work", so would be uttering the words accepting Jesus.
Would it have been "work" to go to church weekly? And just why would God even need Christians that are afraid of "working" because it means Jesus salvation was just not good enough?
A "work" to be baptised. Gee, God is really out of line to require absolutely anything from man to be saved isn't He?
Maybe Jesus should have told God, "You are powerful enough to save the world without me having to do the 'work' of dying a horrible death on the cross".
I know you mean well and you are a good person, but, gee, baptism is a simple request and it does show that you have faith to follow the instructions given by God.
Also, go back to the Old Testament and notice how God gave specific instructions on how animals were to be sacrificed before being acceptable to Him, notice how specific instructions were provided on who could enter the most holy places of the temple and how they were instructed on handling the sacrifices.
Was all of that unnecessary to please God? Was it a lack of faith that they followed the instructions? Or did it prove their faith?
And, one other point. The purpose of Jesus was the one time sacrifice to cover the sins of man as opposed to the continual animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. Man following each and every law he could, was never pure enough and would fall on one broken law. God owned all the animals of the world, the animal offerings to pay for their sins were really nothing other than showing their contriteness and willingness to appease God.
With God's history of requiring purity, wouldn't you think God would tell those accepting salvation to cleanse themselves of their sins as they accept Jesus as their Saviour? They are buried with Christ in the baptismal water and arise a new person, free from sin, and saved by the blood of Jesus who will intercede for them with God the remaining days of their lives. And what better one to intercede for weak man than Jesus?
I don't know enough of the Bible to be any good at proving doctrine - so this is just a discussion from one person learning to another person seeking God's direction. These are just my views from where I stand and the knowledge I have at this time.
Nice to discuss with you. I have many baptist relatives and I have never had this discussion with them as I do not wish to get into a confrontation. It is nice to be able to discuss the different views of religion without bringing family and hurt feelings into it.
May God help each of us find the way to heaven and to serve Him as He would wish.
May God help each of us find the way to heaven and to serve Him as He would wish.
I concur
Thanks for posting this - it really rings so true.
I especially like the "chosen frozen" and the "happy clappy". I have never heard the terms but I am sure they are out there. I can just hear the young among themselves calling us the chosen frozen. And, we do worry about what the young, "happy clappy" are trying to do to the church. The elders have their hands full trying to make each side understand the other and to calm the fears.
oh my gosh. I just posted a minister-wanted ad in the christian chronicle. My mom said she thought it was too liberal.
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