Dobson on Thompson
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson appeared to throw cold water on a possible presidential bid by former Sen. Fred Thompson while praising former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also weighing a presidential run, in a phone interview Tuesday.
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, 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.
Yep Newt is such a Christian that he dumped his first wife while she was recovering from cancer and then divorced his second wife to marry another women that he was having an affair with during the Clinton impeachment trial.
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."
Sometimes when someone tries to explain someone else's comment they only dig themselves in deeper As if Dobson only referring to Evangelicals as Christians is a good clarification of his comment about Thompson.
Known as 
Dobson revealed his level political acumen when he came out swinging in favor of the Harriet Meyers nomination.
Somebody tell Dobson that we aren't supposed to have religious litmus tests in this country.
Dobson is a crackpot, and I would hope evangelical protestants consider him to be an embarrassment.
Newt, like all Christians except one, is a sinner. Though I imagine that Dr. Dobson views divorce and remarriage as not necessarily sinful. Regardless, I agree that he shouldn't apply a religious test for public office. What he should apply is a character test. I don't see any evidence that he's doing that.
Any reason why Dobson can't get out of the endorsement business altogether and instead address principles? A large 'non-evangelical' Church successfully took that approach three years ago.
For what it's worth (not much), the Washington Post says Fred Thompson is a protestant.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/fred-thompson/
All too often these politicians use religious groups to get votes, then when they're in office they pursue their own secular agenda.
I've noticed for a long time now that a lot of my Catholic/homeschooling/mom friends go in for Dr. Dobson's ideas and promote his focus on the family bit but I was always a little bit suspect. I think he's probably well intentioned but has that "everybody who doesn't push their Christianity on people is a fraud" dealie that makes him sound like some kind of yayhoo and gives Christians in general a bad name. I'd like him to elaborate a little and give him the benefit of the doubt on this subject, but it sounds like my reservations about him are correct. Things like this make me so happy we have a POPE! I'm also really glad that our pope says and writes things that are so wise and so true. He doesn't really leave you guessing as to where he stands or the Church stands on any given issue (when we finally do hear what he said/wrote!).
I think you may have your facts about Newt a bit confused. He dumped his first wife while she was dying of cancer, as you say, but that was in 1980 long before the Clinton scandal.
He married agin in 1981 and it was this new wife was the one he was cheating on during the Clinton scandal.
Am not sure that this makes his actions better or worse, I just wanted to set the record straight.
I find it rather disheartening to see so many people using a person's faith to automatically exclude them from office. I think "litmus test" is too kind. I would call it bigotry. To automatically exclude Fred Thompson or even Mitt Romney based solely on religious grounds is nothing less than that.
Congress shall not use a litmus test, but voters certainly can.
Regarding Romney, aside from his throwing Catholic Charities under the bus in MA, do we really want a president who thinks that God is a man who lives near the planet Kolob to be our President?
Forget that, do we really need a President who believes, literally, that he is going to be God someday?
Dobson also believes that masturbation isn't a sin. Which is one reason that you shouldn't run to get his materials for a presentation on chastity at your parish. As my mother learnt years ago after the parish had ordered his stuff!
See his stance here:
http://www.focusonyourchild.com/develop/art1/A0000553.html
I agree, Laura.
BTW, your Catholic homeschooling friends should know that Dobson's Focus on the Family (or a group affiliated with them) have attended World Youth Day celebrations to pass out their tracts. Not tracts encouraging youth in the Catholic faith, apparently, since Karl Keating retaliated at one World Youth Day by handing out Catholic Answers' Pillar and Fire of Truth booklets to the youth AND the Focus members.
Hmmmmmm. Does make one wonder about that "Christian" remark.
Before I knew better I used to listen to Dobson's 'Focus on the Family' program. I remember one time in particular when a guest he had on quoted the Bible in a very interesting way, "This is a symbol of my body...this is a symbol of my blood."...a pretty far cry from the Eucharist being the source and summit of our Christian lives I'd say.
While I am sure that they do some good, I personally avoid their materials for my kids, you never know what kind of wacky protestant spin they may be putting on things. I think that many Catholics like those Catholic homeschooling moms do not realize the poor view these protestant groups have of the Church and Her teachings.