Fred Thompson's church roots draw interest

The Christian Chronicle ^ | March 30, 2007 | Tamie Ross and Bobby Ross, Jr

[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.

[bluecollarman]

You really do have a problem. I am going to help you. This is a CONSERVSATIVE web site. Rudy is a LIBERAL. Conservatives do not like liberal candidates. Thompson is a CONSERVATIVE.

Why is that so hard for you to grasp? This evangelical freeper says "Run Fred Run!".

[Kakaze]

The constant attacks haven't had any effect on the poll here (f.r. )

Thompson is crushing them all, dobson is irrelevant.

[Clara Lou]

Try not to confuse facts with "personal attacks and insults"? Are you familiar with the multitudes of threads started by Fair Opinion? Are you aware that each of those threads is intended to present some kind of damning information about candidates running opposing Rudy? Do you suggest that Fair Opinion (a RudyBot, as proven by the number of FO's redundant, pro-Rudy threads) should not be questioned as to his/her purpose and as to the supposed significance of said redundant postings? It is regrettable if you allow this to distress you. Perhaps a different thread?

[politicalwit]

It's my understanding that Rudy has recently joined the Church of the Holy Humpers.

[jellybean]

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.

Thanks for posting this FO!

Sign the Fred Thompson for President Petiton

Join the Draft Fred Thompson Bandwagon

▲ Click the box to see where he stands on the issues. ▲

Draft Fred Thompson Website

If you'd like to be added to the Fred Thompson list, let Howlin or me know.

CAUTION: This is a very high volume ping list. You may receive between 5 and 10 pings a day. If you'd rather not receive so many pings, let me know and I'll only ping you once a week.

[Kakaze]

Please add me to your ping list

Thanks!

[monocle]

And Dobson's words or opinions are unassailble?

[Rodney King]

o, what's your point, if you have one, RudyBot?

He first posted this last night. He found some obscure offshoot of mormonism with a web page that looked like it was made on AOL and claimed that this was the Church Thompson belonged to. After numerous people pointed out his error, he just ran away. Didn't have the integrity to acknowledge he was wrong. Fortunetly for him, the thread was pulled.

[WileyPink]

I'm confused. Is being a Christian or a member of the Church of Christ a bad thing? I don't agree with everything that the Church of Christ teaches, but the "Main & Plain" things I do...like Christ died of the cross, was buried, and rose again in three days. Again I ask, "Is this a bad thing?"

[jellybean]

Please add me to your ping list Thanks!

It would be a pleasure to add you to the FRed List. :)

[Graymatter]

Do you think Forbes and Ted Olson are also "unhinged" -- since they are strong Rudy supporters?

What are the other options? Stupid and bought? I'll have to go with "unhinged," for now.

[M203M4]

I'm confused. Is being a Christian or a member of the Church of Christ a bad thing? I don't agree with everything that the Church of Christ teaches, but the "Main & Plain" things I do...like Christ died of the cross, was buried, and rose again in three days. Again I ask, "Is this a bad thing?"

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: "Stop. Don't do it."

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Well, there's so much to live for!"

"Like what?"

"Are you religious?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?"

"Christian."

"Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

"Protestant."

"Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"

"Baptist."

"Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

"Baptist Church of God."

"Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God."

"Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?"

He said: "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915."

I said: "Die, heretic scum," and pushed him off.

[elcid1970]

I meant the attacks and insults that posters to this thread are flinging at one another.

I'm not a RudyBot or a FredBot. But as the juvenile tone of this Romper Room discussion continues to escalate, I may become an AdminModeratorBot.

;^)

[Drango]

LOL

[WileyPink]

My pastor will love this!

Thanks

[pissant]

ROFL

[LachlanMinnesota]

note the mispelling of in the last sentence of the word "denomination," which was spelled "demonination."

Freudian typing slip, Rudybot?

[massadvj]

My guess is that Dobson has figured out that Thompson is a salking horse, and just wants to get his folks off of his potential candidacy. Apparently, Dobson has the good sense to realize what many here fail to see:

campaigning for someone who isn't running has political effects that might be completely contrary to those you intend.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Are you familiar with the multitudes of threads started by Fair Opinion? Are you aware that each of those threads is intended to present some kind of damning information about candidates running opposing Rudy?

I support Rudy, but Thompson is a very close second.

Frankly, seeing Dobson attack Fred Thompson for not wearing his religion on his sleeve makes me more likely to support Thompson.

[Americanexpat]

All I want to know is has Fred Thompson ever comitted rape, comitted treason against his country in time of war, been involved in numerous criminal scams, used the IRS to attack his enemies, used his government office to enrich himself at the expense of the American people he swore to serve and protect. If the answer to all the above is no then he is Christian enough for me.