Sorry, not buying it. What he said was as clear as a blue sky. You can try to spin it any way you want, we all see it for what it is.
The original comments were made to a US News and World Report political writer, Dan Gilgoff, and reported on March 28, 2007. Gilgoff is also the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War.
The original story by Dan Gilgoff is HERE
A March 29 Dobson Press Release, saying his comments were mischaracterized, is HERE.
Dobson said about Fred Thompson: “Everyone knows he’s conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for, but I don’t think he’s a Christian; at least that’s my impression.”
That’s what he said. He wasn’t aware whether or not Thompson is a Christian. He didn’t say, “He’s not a Christian.” He confessed that he didn’t *think* he was a Christian; that it was merely his *impression*.
The truth is, there’s little evidence of Thompson’s being a Christian, as many even in this thread have acknowledged. For example, he doesn’t fellowship with Christians, to my knowledge — that’s a indication that he might not be a Christian indeed.
That said, is this necessarily a reason not to vote for Fred in the primaries? No. I’m inclined to vote for Fred.