FRED'S FAITH

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Here are a few excerpts from a WorldNetDaily article on Fred Thompson's church history:

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56112

Fred Thompson called out on his profession of faith

Evangelical prof 'bets' $100 TV star not active in church

Doubts continue to swirl over Fred Thompson's faith even among members of his own church. First, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson was reported to have said the Republican presidential hopeful is not a real Christian. Thompson shot back that he's not only a Christian, but a member of the fundamentalist Churches of Christ. Now a political science professor at a Church of Christ-affiliated college charges Thompson is a "lapsed member." And he has issued a challenge on the Internet to anyone who can come up with evidence that Thompson, now an actor, is active in the Church of Christ.

Professor Mark Elrod of Harding University says he hasn't been able to find any information regarding the former senator's actual membership in a local congregation in his home state of Tennessee. "In our tradition," Elrod said, "that's called 'being out of fellowship' or a 'lapsed member.'"

On his blog, the professor challenged the Church of Christ faithful to produce evidence they've seen Thompson "at an assembly of a Church of Christ (Stone-Campbell) in the last 20 years." So far nobody has met the challenge.

A website listing adherents of the Churches of Christ suggests Thompson was "raised" in the church but may have fallen away as an adult. However, the 106th Congressional Record listed his religious affiliation as "Church of Christ (Stone-Campbell)," which requires adult baptism by immersion for salvation (TG: That's a HERESY. Water doesn't save. ONLY the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin).

Thompson and his first wife, Sara Lindsey, divorced in 1985. The Church of Christ frowns on divorce, and believes only "fornication," or sexual infidelity, can be grounds for divorce and remarriage. In 2002, Thompson and second wife, Jeri Kehn, were married in the liberal United Church of Christ, not the ultra-conservative Churches of Christ to which Thompson claims to belong.

Political strategists say Thompson would likely have to distance himself from the Churches of Christ in a general election bid. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, in particular, could make hay of his affiliation with the church, which restricts women's role in the worship service. "There are some things women are not allowed to do," explained Church of Christ preacher David Pharr, who graduated from Freed-Hardeman College in Tennessee. "They are not allowed to pray, teach or even ask questions when such would be usurping authority over men."