To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Check Your Facts Before You Open Your Mouth
Yes, Dr. Dobson, I'm talking to you.
That being said, I do think that voters should know the religious affiliation (or lack thereof) of potential candidates. Many people won't vote for an atheist (and a whole lot of evangelicals are going to have a problem voting for a Mormon if Mitt gets the nomination). You need to know a candidates moral framework in order to get a good idea of what they really stand for.
Here's what Dr. D. should have done. He's already sat down with Mitt, and he's talked to Newt several times. He could have invited Fred to Colorado for a little chat, ask the tough questions in private, and then make a personal decision about who's best in your opinion to lead our country (I'm guessing Rudy's right out). A lot of people respect your opinion. Don't blow it by making judgements with little or no fact to back it up.
"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.News flash, Dr. D... not everyone talks openly about their faith. If you ask (which you SHOULD have), then they'll tell you about it. Some people are a little more private than you are.
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."
That being said, I do think that voters should know the religious affiliation (or lack thereof) of potential candidates. Many people won't vote for an atheist (and a whole lot of evangelicals are going to have a problem voting for a Mormon if Mitt gets the nomination). You need to know a candidates moral framework in order to get a good idea of what they really stand for.
Here's what Dr. D. should have done. He's already sat down with Mitt, and he's talked to Newt several times. He could have invited Fred to Colorado for a little chat, ask the tough questions in private, and then make a personal decision about who's best in your opinion to lead our country (I'm guessing Rudy's right out). A lot of people respect your opinion. Don't blow it by making judgements with little or no fact to back it up.
