Land Explains Why Dobson is Wrong on Thompson
25 September 2007This is a smart and dead-right explanation of why Dr. James Dobson is way off with his assessment on Fred Thompson.
It all comes down to the issue that I wondered a while back if Fred could make people understand? We are in a day when our national government has been hijacked by socialists with an FDR fetish who imagine that the government is the solution to all ills.
Fred wants to go back to a day when our nation had a smaller, contained Federal government as proscribed by the Founding Fathers and guided by the Constitution instead of the far, far leftist government that FDR and his ilk have forced upon us.
THIS is the reason that some of us are supporting Thompson. It is also why Dobson should. Dobson’s single issue vote is short sighted and I hope that he comes to understand why a vote for Fred Thompson is a vote for America.
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Southern Baptist Leader Defends Fred Thompson
CBNNews.com - David Brody
Richard Land, the President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (which is part of the influential Southern Baptist Convention), tells The Brody File that the criticism leveled at Fred Thompson by James Dobson and others is a tad bit over the top. Recently, Dr. Dobson, Founder of Focus on the Family, said he wouldn’t support Thompson for a number of reasons including Thompson’s stance against a one size fits all marriage amendment. Read more on that here. As for Dr. Land’s comments, here’s what he told me:
“I’ve received phone calls and emails from Southern Baptists about Senator Thompson. They are all furious at Doctor Dobson. They just feel that first of all there was a mischaracterizing of his positions. Do I wish that he supported the marriage protection amendment? Of course I do. To say that he is for 50 different views of marriage in 50 different states is a gross mischaracterization of his position. Secondly, do I wish that he attended church every Sunday? As a Baptist pastor, of course I do. But does that make him a person of unbelief? That’s harsh and unwarranted.”
The split between Dobson and Land on Thompson is a microcosm of what’s going on right now within the Evangelical movement. There are those who think Thompson is the guy and others who don’t.
Dr. Land and Dr. Dobson both believe that there should be a federal marriage amendment to the constitution that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Plain and simple. Fred Thompson agrees but argues that if a state legislature passes a gay marriage law and the Governor signs it, then gay couples should be allowed to marry. So how does Dr. Land reconcile his position that seems to differ from Thompson’s?
“David, the problem with these cotton picking conviction politicians is that they follow their convictions and Fred Thompson has been for a long long time a very staunch federalist and it’s hard to convince conviction politicians to change their minds.”
“It’s (Thompson’s marriage amendment position) a problem. I think Southern Baptists have an ethical issue in which they need to deal. They may face a situation where they have a choice of three candidates. One they agree with 95% of the time, one they agree with 80 percent of the time and one they agree with 10% of the time. It may come to pass that they’re faced with a choice.”
In the end though, Land is still a Thompson supporter. I asked him what it is about Thompson that appeals to him and many other Evangelicals.
“Fred Thompson grew up in a very modest means in a small town in America just like Ronald Reagan grew up in very modest means in a small town in Illinois. You acquire not only an understanding of but a respect for everyday folk when you come from the background that you don’t get otherwise and people sense it. That this is a guy who respects me, a guy who understands that we are the backbone of this country, we are the salt of the Earth and he not only understands us, he’s one of us. He’s a successful one of us but he’s one of us and they trust a guy like that. They give a guy like that a larger margin of error. Nobody gets everything right but its core values. My assessment is that this guy is a whole much like Reagan including his Teflon quality. The press has been beating up with him for these types of gaffes and he continues to climb in the polls.”
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on September 25th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Fred and “The Doctrine of Original Intent”
First off let me say that I am a Christian, and I want only traditional marriage. I also listen to Dobson and will continue to do so. However I must support Thompson. He believes in the federalist beliefs of our conservative Christian founding fathers. See the bible was understood to be the base of both law and morality for the U.S. The constitution was an extension of that law to give guidance beyond the bible in areas that the bible didn’t give the details needed to govern this land. The constitution is for small federal government and competition between the states, thus keeping the power with the states. It is not that Thompson is against traditional marriage; he is whole-heartedly for it. But his convictions by God are to support the constitution even when it goes against his our beliefs. Take flag burning, I HATE IT!!! Yet as a military man I must defend that persons right to burn it, to my death. I feel that Dobson just does not understand this. He should seek out one of his own brothers, David Barton (Wallbuilders dot com), who does an excellent job of explaining this and all issues pertaining to “The doctrine of original intent” of our constitution and it’s strong Christian heritage. I see a bigger issue at stake. Over 80% of American believes in traditional marriage. The reason this is an issue at all is because the remaining 20% are making a bigger cry then the 80%. Our constitution only works when everyone gets educated and involved in the constitutional process. Most of the issues that face our nation are do to the fact that the government runs free and most of “We The People” run silent. As for who this helps, in the short term it will hurt Thompson. Yet in the long run Thompson will rise above this and show the “Conservative Right” he is the best choice for America.
“The Hunt For A Red November” Shane
on September 28th, 2007 at 3:54 am
Shane,
Here is a link to a great site you might want to check out.
Dale
http://draftfredthompson.com/forums/index.php?board=3.0