Dobson says Fred Thompson is not a Christian (because he's not evangelical?)

[BurtWorm]

Why aren't all Christians evangelical? What is a committed Christian, anyway? (No asylum jokes, please.)


http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070328/28dobson.htm

"Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for," Dobson said of Thompson. " 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.

<hat tip to Pharyngula.org>

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. Church of Christ? Isn't that the liberal branch that Obama attends?

It sounds like it is but I'm not too familiar with the various denominations.

[Dhalgren]

9. There are at least two different "Churches of Christ".

One is a very liberal church, the other is exceedingly not liberal - fascistic, in my opinion. The Lutherans have the same situation, where one branch is very liberal and the other is absolutely mideval...

[Jane Austin]

10. In the South, the Church of Christ was a very strict, fundamentalist

denomination. No mustical instruments in church, no dancing, etc.

Where I grew up in East Texas, the local Church of Christ preachers were the only thing on the radio every morning before school, railing against Catholics and the Catholic Church.

They sounded really hateful, and very Hell-motivated.

I expect they have softened up in the 40 years since those school mornings, but back in the day, they were pretty harsh.

[maseman]

Not a Christian?

If the Dobson's of the world think that you don't bug the shit out of others about annoying them with your beliefs then you are not a Christian.

When people start bugging me about my beliefs they usually don't know what to say when I tell them I pray to the beer gods.

[BOSSHOG]

3. All praise budweiser erectus

Get out of my face evangelicals. DO NOT TELL ME YOUR A CHRISTIAN LET ME FIGURE IT OUT FOR MYSELF.

[AndyA]

2. Dobson must not be a good Christian either.

Because good Christians do not judge others. The Bible tells them it's wrong, and not to do it.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone..."

[atreides1]

7. It also says

"Judge not, lest ye be judged." (Matt 7:1)

[Dhalgren]

11. It also says that you will know the tree by its fruit, so there is an

element of judgmentalism there. Any proselytizing religion is going to be judgmental and elitist and can rarely escape condescension. Just the the "fruits", as it were...

[AndyA]

12. And beware the Apple tree. n/m

[Dhalgren]

16. And those pesky applesnakes - they're the worst!

[TechBear_Seattle]

24. "Apple" is a European invention

The Bible does not describe the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so it could have been a coconut for all anyone knows. The apple was chosen as the representation in European art because of its pre-Christian association with divinity and wisdom. In the Middle East, the Tree and its fruit has been traditionally depicted as a pomegranite for similar reasons.

[BurtWorm]

27. Must be because of the anti-oxidants.

:shrug:

[atreides1]

4. Definitions

Evangelical:
In North America, "Evangelical" does not have a unique meaning that is acceptable to all. Various groups and individuals define it as a specific conservative Christian system of beliefs, or a type of religious experience, or a commitment to proselytize the unsaved, or as a style of religious service, or as having a personal "walk with God," or as a group of denominations, or as a personal acceptance of a "biblical worldview," or as some combination of the above.

In a study comparing Evangelical and mainline denominations, a Princeton University study included the following as Evangelical denominations : Assemblies of God, Southern Baptists, Independent Baptists, black Protestants, African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion; Church of Christ, Churches of God in Christ, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, National Baptist Church, National Progressive Baptist Church, Nondenominational, Pentecostal denominations, and the Presbyterian Church in America. 1 Many theologians would also include the conservative faction within such mainline denominations as the Episcopal Church, USA, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Methodist Church.

The names of a few American mainline or liberal denominations contain the word "Evangelical." These include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCC). However, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, which as a similar name, is a very conservative Protestant group.


Christian:
A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as the Christ. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God,who was crucified and died at the end of his earthly life, and then on the third day, rose from the dead, and later ascended into heaven with the promise to return.

Most Christians believe in the Trinity or one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christianity is the world's largest religion. It is estimated that there are approximately 2.1 billion Christians

[kestrel91316]

5. According to Dobson, Church of Christ is just a front for satanists.

[zonmoy]

15. I do so enjoy when a follower of true malevolence

start calling others followers of evil.

[Bluestar]

6. I was raised as an evangelical

This was long before they became so popular, or so powerful or so full of themselves, whatever. Anyway, there is a great deal of distrust among Christian religions. I was taught to hate Catholics and that mainstream Christian churches (Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc.) were too "modern" in their interpretation of the Bible, and therefore are fake Christians. In an evangelical's view only a literal interpretation will do. Even though Jesus was a Jew, we were taught to distrust Jews also.

Evangelical means to "evangelize" or try to convert everyone else. It's not enough to mind your own business and be a good Christian, you will be judged in heaven by how many others you convert (saved by Jesus). So those who don't evangelize are not true Christians in their opinion.

This might all have changed in the past 35 years, but I somehow think it still holds true.

[BurtWorm]

18. It was like that at the beginning.

I don't think it's gotten any more united in the last 35 years. ;)

[yourout]

8. Doe that mean I am not an agnostic because I was raised Catholic?

[thunder35]

13. I wonder if some of these people can keep quiet?

[Evoman]

14. Ha..where have I heard this "True Christian" junk before.

Let me think.

[Goblinmonger]

17. pssst

I think I know, too. Should we tell?

[Evoman]

19. *whisper*

I don't know...I'm torn between exposing hypocracy and "respecting beliefs".

[Goblinmonger]

20. I think

we just wait and watch. I bet others join us in our little corner. I've still waiting for the "Dobson's not a real Christian" comment. It's coming; I feel it.

[BurtWorm]

21. I think

they're wise to you and now they're not talking anymore. Drat.

:patriot:

[Goblinmonger]

26. Shoot

I tried to whisper.

[toddaa]

22. Oh goody, the Christians are excommunicating each other again

I love this show.

:popcorn: :beer:

[NMMNG]

25. Yes, it seemed familiar to me too.

}(

[TechBear_Seattle]

23. "Church of Christ" is pretty much a generic term

Open up a phone book and look it up; you will find several, if not dozens, of different denominations all using "Church of Christ" as part of their name. Some lean towards liberal (United Church of Christ), but most are very, very conservative (Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, various nationalist denominations such as Churches of Christ in Australia, even a number of LDS off-shoots.)