"James Dobson is one of the great pulsars of our times: a
collapsed gravity well of unblinking stare. People innocently walking
down the street, are drawn into his orbit,
helplessly drawn in by how utterly dense he is. They cannot escape the
completely impenetrable mass of
evil darkness surrounding his
mind and become totally crushed & moronized by him."
By a Friend of
Religious Freedom
ABC's Day One newsmagazine
recently ran an exposé on James Dobson, a leader in the Christian Far Right,
and his Focus on the Family organization.
In their lead-in to the story, they begin, "You've probably never heard of
him, but ..." and go on to decribe how Dobson works behind the scenes in
Washington, silently wielding tremendous power and influence. Indeed, he is
apparently so succesful at keeping himself out of the public eye while
politicians rush to do his bidding, that ABC quotes an expert describing him
as "the ultimate stealth politician".
The story then goes on to describe Dobson's empire. He has written numerous
best-selling books. His magazine has "a higher circulation than Vogue and
Rolling Stone". Over 300,000 people contact his office every month. And his
daily radio program is heard by "tens of millions of people".
The following article, written by
Brian Elroy McKinley illustrates the danger posed by this "false messiah" of
the religious right. If you want information about the author, go to
http://elroy.net/ehr/aboutelroy.html If you wish to read other articles
written by Brian, please visit
http://elroy.net/ehr/
Move over George Washington.
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, wants to take your place
as father of our country. But rather than being a true father --
one who helps us mature into individuals -- he is little more than
another Pharisee, setting himself up as a religiously-based political
dictator bent on getting us to support his personal view of legislated
morality.
Why Focus on the Family is of the Devil in a Christians own words!
And what's even worse, Dobson goes to great length to use Scripture to
support his view, and yet according to Time magazine he doesn't even
have any formal theological training. In short, Dobson, using his
position as a radio psychologist, has set himself up as our moral
authority and asks us all to blindly follow.
But don't take my word for it. The following are quotes from Dobson and
from other media reporting about Dobson's activities. In them you'll
find Dobson clearly putting his ideas forth as the Gospel truth and
asking all of us to act on them as if they were directly from God. The
text in bold is my emphasis.
In the January 1995 Focus on the Family Newsletter Dobson writes:
"Focus on the Family immediately joined the Family Research Council and
other conservative organizations in getting out the word. Using our
radio program and this monthly letter, we asked for a massive response
from our listeners."
"Again, Focus on the Family threw down the gauntlet, We devoted our
broadcast to this danger on three separate days, almost begging our
listeners to flood the White House, the attorney general, and the
Congress with letters of protest."
"One issue concerned the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the
Child, which has worried me for years. I devoted a portion of my letter
in January 1993, and again in July 1994, to the threat posed by this
dangerous document. More than 150 countries around the world have
already adopted it within their borders."
"The state of Oregon narrowly passed the nation's first euthanasia law,
which almost defies comprehension. If the courts permit it to take
effect, physicians will be allowed to assist their willing patients in
killing themselves. The implications of this legislation are so ominous
that I will devote a future letter to that topic."
"In May, I discussed this legislation in my monthly letter and warned of
the many dangers that lie ahead."
"What ... I have called a `civil
war of values' continues to rage."
"Focus on the Family will continue to fight for moral values. And we'll
try to keep you informed of the threats coming against the institutions
of marriage and parenthood. But we do need your financial support to get
the job done."
Here Dobson clearly admits to using his newsletters and broadcasts to ask
us to do his bidding. And it is clearly just that -- his bidding. He
often uses phrases like, "I devoted" and "I have called" and "I
discussed" to point out his moral beliefs, but in his calls for action,
he presents his causes as nothing
short of God's own.
In the March 1995 Focus on the Family Newsletter Dobson writes:
"Perhaps this explains the statement I made on the radio last month, which
some of you questioned. Let me express it once more. I am committed
never again to cast a vote for a politician who would kill one
innocent baby. "
"Never will I use my influence, however remotely, to support the shedding
of their blood."
"These are challenging days, to be sure, and there are other issues I wish
we had time to deal with."
Here is admits he has an influence, and he admits he will use it support
those things he believes and to condemn those things he condemns. And to
those who questions him, he simply rolls over them to reiterate his
personal beliefs.
In the April 1995 Focus on the Family Newsletter Dobson writes:
"If you read my March letter, you know we have been very concerned about
the Republican presidential hopefuls who, like the Democrats before
them, are trying to tiptoe away from the pro-life position....I am
determined that they will not do it in secret."
In this letter Dobson proclaims himself as our presidential watch dog. He
is "determined" to be the one who sets the moral standards for our
political leaders.
In the May 1995 Focus on the Family Newsletter Dobson writes:
"To help us prepare for the congressional battle, let me present various
points of view and then propose what we at Focus on the Family think is
best for or nation's children."
"Many people, myself included, believe that the deterioration of public
education in recent years can be linked directly tour inability to reach
values and show respect for God in the classroom."
"Speaking again for Focus on the Family, our vision is for a just and
righteous society...."
Obviously, Dobson, through his Focus on the Family organization, has a
personal "vision" for our country -- one he feels we should be fighting
for in the United States Congress.
Speaking on religious freedom in the July 1995 Focus on the Family
Newsletter Dobson writes:
"That concern led ... me to Capital Hill last week for a meeting with
House Speaker Newt Gingrich."
"What is needed is a central registry through which violations of
religious freedom can be reported. Henceforth, Focus on the Family will
serve as the repository of that information, which will later be
reported."
"From the early days of our ministry to the present, I have felt compelled
to defend the principles of righteousness within the culture."
"We have stymied the U.N.'s Treaty on the Rights of the Child, at least to
this time."
"We have tried unsuccessfully, but valiantly, to keep President Clinton
from permitting homosexuals in the military and from assigning women to
combat situations. We have fought for the unborn child...."
"Most recently we have opposed the efforts of Haley Barbour, chairman of
the Republican National Committee, to move his party away from its
historic moral underpinnings and toward a `mush middle' that stands for
nothing."
"We must keep a very close eye on these politicians who willingly accept
the votes of conservative Christians and then ignore their concerns when
their back are turned."
"I am in even greater disagreement with the Democrats who continue to
support anti-family concepts at this time."
"I will continue to address the moral issues when I feel our friends need
to know what is happening."
"To expect me not to speak on behalf of the things I believe -- and not to
defend the voiceless, powerless unborn child -- is absolutely impossible
for me. I would rather die than remain silent in response to that which
I'm convinced is profoundly offensive to God Himself."
Wouldn't it be nice if we all could have "a meeting with House Speaker
Newt Gingrich"? In this letter Dobson flaunts his ability to influence
public policy, using you and me as his political pawns. He boasts of his
influence in stopping United Nations resolutions. He boasts of his
organization's role as a "central registry" of information on abuses of
our religious rights. He sets himself up as judge of both Republican and
Democratic leaders. He defiantly states that he would "rather die than
remain silent" about what he "feels" we need to know about things he
feels are "offensive to God Himself."
August 1995 Focus on the Family Newsletter Dobson writes:
"I want to talk to you this month about what could be the most important
topic I've addressed in many years. This matter has profound
implications for the institution of the family and for what we have
called "the defense of righteousness," yet it will not be covered
adequately by the secular press. Thus, I'm asking that you give
particular attention to the words that follow. "
"...the obvious question to ask is, `What can we do to derail this gender
feminism juggernaut?' I would make four suggestions which I sincerely
hope my readers will implement."
"...I emplore you to contact your representatives in Congress."
If it were not clear anywhere else, in this letter Dobson spells out that
his Focus on the Family organization is defending Dobson's view of
"righteousness." He also makes it clear that we cannot trust other media
to give us the truth, so he asks us to "give particular attention" to
his point of view. How much more obvious can it be that he is setting
himself up as our moral authority?
Other media outlets have been watching James Dobson and Focus on the
Family, and they have also noticed that Dobson wants to be our moral
leader.
The National Review, in an October 1995 article, wrote that the religious
right was asking people to respond negatively to Clinton's home
schooling agenda. The article relayed Moral Majority activist Mike
Farris' use of James Dobson's influence:
"Then, Farris hit Christian talk radio (itself a burgeoning conservative
resource), including Focus on the Family, the show run by James Dobson
which reaches an estimated 3 to 5 million listeners a week."
Got a political agenda? As long as you have James Dobson and Focus on the
Family on your side, you can use their "3 to 5 millions listeners" to
flex your political muscle.
In the February 16, 1995-2000 copy of National Review, the magazine
declared that the Wall Street Journal was attacking the conservative
Christian right. The article goes on to state:
"The Journal sarcastically declared itself `neutral on the cutting-edge
internal issue of whether the country's most powerful leader of the
religious right turns out to be Ralph Reed, Gary Bauer, James Dobson or
Phylis Schlafly.'"
The November 9, 1995 issue of Time echoed the same idea when detailing who
would take over for Billy Graham when he's gone:
"The gallery includes the highly political TV mogul Pat Roberston of
Virginia, the iconoclastic politico-turned-evangelist Charles Colson
who's also Virginia-based, and Colorado's radio psychologist James
Dobson. Remarkably, all three are laymen and only Robertson has had
formal theological training."
Dobson's activities have drawn the attention of some of the largest
conservative news outlets as well as the more liberal-leaning Time
magazine. His claims of being the moral authority for America have put
him in the spotlight as a major political leader. But it's surprising
that this leader, James Dobson, who bases his ideas solely on his
interpretation of the Bible has no "formal theological training" to
guide him in his interpreting. It's strange; people who would not dream
of going to a doctor with no "formal" training eagerly follow the
amateur theologian James Dobson in matters where their souls are at
stake. Dobson even claims to have a ministry specifically aimed at
hundreds of thousands of our pastors. This is akin to an amateur doctor
giving advice to hundreds of thousands of our trained physicians, and
then having our physicians follow it.
But amateur theologian Dobson angrily defends his role as the moral
authority of the nation. In the January 22, 1995-2000 issues of Time,
the magazine revealed Dobson's displeasure with former Education
Secretary and conservative activist Willian Bennet. Time reveals:
"Bennet has been labeled `pro-abortion' by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on
the Family."
That row, and an argument over Colin Powell, originally erupted in the
National Review in the October 19, 1995 edition:
"... Dobson had been criticizing Bennet for making supportive statemens
about pro-choice presidential non-candidate Colin Powell Dobson, in
particular, had written a blistering letter to Christian Coalition
executive Ralph Reed and Bennet about how they hadn't been tough enough
on Powell; Dobson basically accused the two of being co-opted by the
liberal establishment in their desire to be Washington players."
The magazine GLAAD, in its February 1995-2000 release wrote:
"...James Dobson has been using his national radio show to encourage
listeners to call AT&T and protest the telecommunications company's
`homosexual agenda' (AT&T has sponsored the Gay Games and has offered
employees a gay/lesbian workshop)."
"`Dr.' James Dobson has published a `Corporate America and the Homosexual
Agenda Information Sheet,' This fact-less sheet includes the phone
numbers for ten AT&T executives and Dobson's listeners are urged to call
and demand that the company stop supporting `the homosexual agenda'...."
And in the May 15, 1995 issue of Time, a story on the Christian
Coalition's Ralph Reed revealed:
"Meanwhile, powerful figures on the religious right feel the G.O.P. isn't
right enough for them, posing a danger for Reed if he continues to
accommodate himself to the party's moderate elements. In March, James
Dobson, head of the powerful Focus on the Family organization, fired off
open letters to G.O.P. chairman Haley Barbour, complaining
bitterly about the lack of immediate payoff from the November election.
Fearful of compromising with `anti-family' elements, Dobson argued that
it was time to fold the all-inviting `big tent' of the Republican
Party."
I could go on quoting James Dobson and other media who watch him and Focus
on the Family. But the point is painfully clear. Dobson uses his
position as a radio psychologist to present his untrained biblical
interpretations as our spiritual, moral, and political guidelines. With
the fervor of a prophet, Dobson calls us to action as if he had a
mandate from God to do so. And by doing so, Dobson has set himself up as
nothing less than a twentieth-century Pharisee, misleading millions of
believers in the
name of Righteousness and Morality.
"Let he who is without sin be the one to throw the first stone...."
John 8:7
The following article was written
in 1999 and is derived from articles in the Agnosticism/Atheism Newsletter,
and references at About.com. It is even more relavent today with
George W. off on a crusade against Iraq, which is the only way he can seem
to make himself look "Presidential". Dobson and his ilk have a great
deal of influence on George W. since George W. sees himself as following
Gods will as he tramples over the rights of all Americans.
Recent actions by the US
House of Representatives have shown that Dobson's and the Christian
Extreme Right's influence is still being felt. Reasonable
Americans have been both stunned and horrified across the country.
In it's "infinite wisdom," the House has decided: first, that federal,
state, and local governments have the right to post the Ten Commandments
in any government buildings (including schools); second, that religious
memorials in schools after violence are not violations of the First
Amendment (for some reason, I always thought that the Supreme Court had
the power to decide such things, not Congress); and third, that anyone
who tries to sue over such measures and wins will no longer receive
reimbursement for legal fees (thus, poor people will simply have to
accept discrimination).
The question many people are asking is just how such insane and illegal
measures could possibly have even come to a vote in the House, much less
be passed by wide margins? One answer might be a largely unknown
legislative group called the "Values Action Team," made up of
religious-right zealots and operating out of the office of Majority Whip
Tom Delay. Formed in May of 1998, the purpose appears to be to adopt the
policy "suggestions" of religious-right groups like the Christian
Coalition or Focus on the Family and then working to get them introduced
and hopefully passed into law. Some of their efforts have included
supporting the Religious Freedom Amendment and attempting to eliminate
the National Endowment for the Arts.
But where did VAT come from, and why did it form? According to
organizations like Christianity Net, VAT was created as a direct
response to harsh criticisms from James Dobson that Republican
legislators had not done enough to promote his "family values" agenda.
In a 1997 speech to the semi-secret Council for National Policy, Dobson
compared himself to John the Baptist and then proceeded to castigate the
Republican Party for not sticking to his agenda. Other leaders of the
religious right began to echo his statements, and Richard Land of the
Southern Baptist Convention declared "No more engagement. We want a
wedding ring, we want a ceremony, we want a consummation of marriage."
Unfortunately, it is the American people who are getting screwed, not the
religious-right.
Head of the powerful Focus on the Family, too few people have ever heard
much about either James Dobson or his organizations. Those who have,
especially those who avidly follow him and his advice, are unaware that
he is not at all what he seems to be. The reality of James Dobson is
very little like the carefully crafted public image which he jealously
guards. But what he also jealously guards is his anonymity in our
legislative process. It is very unfortunate that so few people know
about him, and I am convinced that understanding Dobson aids in
understanding recent legislative efforts. Hopefully, this article will
help some people
Psychology and Ministry
Figuring out just who Dobson is trying to be isn't as easy as it should
be. He appears to sway from one professional identity to another as the
needs of the moment demand - which might not be so bad if it weren't for
the fact that he refuses to admit that this really is happening. We all
wear different hats at different times, but Dobson wants to seem to be
wearing just one professional hat, one professional identity - no matter
what he is actually doing.
Throughout most of this career, he has played up an image of a family
psychologist and counselor, helping people all over the country with
their problems. Other times, however, he appears to be more of a
Christian minister, dispensing theological advice to his listeners.
Which is true?
Well, when he was once sued, he appeared in court to explain that his
company was actually a "Church" and hence was beyond judicial scrutiny
or civil accountability. In one broadcast in 1996, Dobson explained to
listeners that the real purpose of Focus on the Family was to Focus on
Jesus and that he had devoted himself to a campaign to make America
"spiritually righteous." So he's really a preacher, right? Maybe not.
During interviews, he has
reacted with anger at the suggestion that his radio program is anything
like a ministry, insisting that he is in fact offering regular
psychological counseling. Unfortunately, he does not actually function
as a scientist or therapist as those professions are normally imagined.
Dobson's work is, in fact, of a generalist and populist nature - they
are not peer reviewed or used in psychological course work. Dobson
almost never refers to the anything in psychological literature - and he
even resigned from the American Psychological Association, claiming it
was too far from his own views.
When the media portrays him as an evangelist, he considers this an attempt
to discredit him. Why he has such a revulsion of being considered a
Christian minister or evangelist when he does such a good job of
imitating one is anybody's guess, but what's clear that his identity
isn't clear.
Family Values
The apparent key to Dobson's ire with the Republican Party and American
society in general appears to be the concept of "Family Values." He
makes every effort to preach the idea that the American Congress should
enforce his ideal of Family Values upon the rest of us, and some are
willing to do his bidding. He certainly is consistent in the sense that
on his radio program, he advocates real family values - the idea that
people should slow the pace of their lives and reserve the bulk of their
time and effort for their families. You can find this ideal throughout
his written works, and it is a far cry from the repressive "family
values" agenda which we normally see being used as an excuse to roll
back every single attempt at progressive social thinking.
Unfortunately, Dobson isn't actually consistent in his own life. According
to close observers, he is nothing less than a textbook workaholic. He
works 6 to 7 days a week and rarely takes vacations of any sort. He
really doesn't have the opportunity to spend quality time with his
family - but what's worse is perhaps the fact that he doesn't think that
his employees should, either. He has even suggested the termination of
employees who refused to work overtime so that they could spend time
with their children! It is little wonder, then, that he also supports
efforts to eliminate legislation which requires fair treatment of
employees and the requirement of things like family leave. After all, he
doesn't regard such luxuries as having any place in an organization
devoted to the promotion of the family, so why should any other company
be burdened with them?
It seems clear to me that for all his talk about "family values" and how
important the family is in society, he doesn't actually believe this
himself. If he did, he'd be more likely to practice what he preaches. If
family values do not mean valuing one's family, what on earth do they
mean? We'll see about that a bit later in this article.
Drives
What drives James Dobson in his manic push to have his vision imposed upon
all of America? It is only fitting that we take a look at the psychology
of an alleged psychologist.
One of the strongest driving forces behind Dobson's agenda is probably
fear - specifically, fear of the future, of change, and of the unknown.
Early on in his career, Dobson learned that he could bring in a great
deal more money in donations by asking for help driving secular
humanists out of Washington than by asking for help with a project on
actually helping families. This is not to say that Dobson simply
functioned as an opportunist, hyping fear for the sake of money. Dobson
personally projects this fear in
the ideas he communicates, and his listeners are practically infected by
this fear, carrying it with them in their lives.
In a 1996 fund-raising letter, Dobson exclaimed that:
"The God of the Bible
has been removed from every vestige of public life, as though He were a
cancerous growth that threatened the life of the organism. Our public
political decisions increasingly reflect the humanistic and pagan
notions of the day. This transformation is occurring, not by the will of
the people who remain overwhelmingly religious, but by our elected
representatives and by liberal judges who seem determined to recast
society in their own image."
This statement is remarkable not simply for the palpable fear underlying
the message and not even for the fact that every word is false, but for
the fact that the exact opposite of everything he says is true. It is
Dobson who seeks to remove different thinking from society like a
cancerous growth and politicians are increasingly reflecting the notions
of religious zealots while marginalizing humanists and pagans. Dobson's
fear may in part be a form of projection - that is to say, he is afraid
that others are trying to do to him and his views just that which he
would like to do to everyone else.
Dobson's peddling of fear is not due simply to an overactive imagination
or sheer paranoia (which he does suffer from), but because Dobson
communicates in the language of emotion rather than reason. In his
world, what you feel is more important than what you think and when you
feel strong emotions, this is a sign of God moving through you. This
shouldn't be surprising, since emotion has long been an important part
of the Southern evangelical tradition. It certainly explains why reason
and science
are so easily demonized in evangelical circles.
Fear Leads to Anger...
As everyone who has grown up with Star Wars knows, fear leads to anger -
and Dobson follows true to form, with anger also playing a major role in
his agenda. Lest anyone think that anger is too strong a term, I suggest
that it is perhaps a bit weak, at least when we consider the fact that
Dobson has indicated that the differences in our society constitute not
debates, but a war - a "Second Great Civil War:"
Nothing short of a great Civil War of Values rages
today throughout North America. Two sides with vastly differing and
incompatible world views are locked in a bitter conflict that permeates
every level of society. Bloody battles are being fought on a thousand
fronts...
Dobson only talks about
war because he is a man of war - a man without the capacity for
compromise or agreeing to disagree. His anger extends to a wide variety
of targets in American society, although all tend to have the
characteristic that they don't happen to share at least some portion of
Dobson's vision for our lives. This is especially true when his
opponents manage to project their message in the public arena more
effectively than he does. That is perhaps why Dobson makes such a
big deal about Howard Stern, who's general popularity is huge. People
who don't listen to Stern and who would never listen to the
stations which carry him protest his broadcasts at Dobson's behest,
threatening to boycott advertisers. What they are doing is perfectly
legal, but it should not be mistaken for anything besides blatant
censorship of ideas which Dobson doesn't like.
Secularists and moderates of all sorts should be thankful that Dobson's
inability to compromise in any fashion is not limited to opponents, but
also extends to those with whom he shares a vision of a Protestant,
evangelical America. He does not build coalitions with other religious
leaders and he does not share the power which comes from promoting hate
and fear. For example, if you look through the corpus of Dobson's
writings, you'll find it pretty much impossible to find a single
reference to Ralph Reed or Pat Robertson - almost as if he is jealous of
their successes.
If Dobson had made an effort to join up with people like Robertson,
nonbelievers and moderates in America would be in a much sorrier state
than the one in which we currently find ourselves. But it is apparent
that he dislikes people who differ from himself no matter how close they
ultimately are, or how close they are relative to his primary opponents.
Principles
What are the basic principles which form the foundation of Dobson's
agenda? There are two which those close to him have observed. The first
is the "slippery slope." In Dobson's world, whenever a person becomes
involved in one vice or another, this will immediately send them into an
inevitable downward spiral into depravity and sin. In this "theory" of
morality, it isn't possible to engage in moderation in any activity
Dobson regards as a sin - whether it's pornography or gambling or
whatever is currently on his hit list. It is also clear that such
activities will cause unavoidable and tremendous psychological harm to
whomever engages in them.
Dobson's second principle is that once a person or an entire culture
starts down that slippery slope, they are incapable of saving
themselves. Since they weren't able to realize the danger they were
getting into, apparently they won't be able to get themselves out of
danger now. This is where James Dobson's role starts - to inform all of
us just what we are doing wrong. In addition, it becomes the job of a
"Christian government" to stop whatever it is that people are doing
wrong and force them down the path of righteousness (as defined by
Dobson, of course). Although we are blind, Dobson is not - and he will
do everything he can to make sure that a new law is passed to save us.
And this is where the recent legislative effort by religious-right zealots
in the House of Representatives comes in again. Since white children in
white suburbs have shot other white children, the cause must be that the
government of all has not promoted the religion of a few - thus, posting
the Ten Commandments in school classrooms will stop the violence. It is
curious, however, that Dobson hasn't made similar arguments in response
to the killing of black children by other black children all through the
1980s.
Agendas
And just what is Dobson's agenda, anyway? I've referenced it often, but
haven't stopped to explain any of the details. It is interesting that
Dobson, like so many other religious leaders, has transformed his
theological message into a political platform - implying all the way
that in order to be a "good Christian," you need to adopt their
political platform and vote as they tell you. This is absurd on its
face, and the attempt to identify conservative politics with
conservative religion leads to serious contradictions. For example,
Jesus' reported focus upon helping the needy and giving copiously to the
poor might tend to align him with present-day Democrats. Jesus' message
of sharing equally would even tend to place him in the camp of
socialists, not capitalists.
Dobson's long-term goal appears to be to return America to the 1950s, when
America was what he considered to be a simpler and more godly place.
Many people on the religious right glamorize and romanticize the 1950s -
this isn't surprising, since they are typically white male Protestants,
exactly the group which was in control and on top in that time period.
Clearly it hasn't occurred to Dobson that all of the tumult and strife
of the 1960s - a decade loathed by people like him - got its start in
the 50s. America's social problems in the 1950s were like an unlanced
boil - ugly and festering, but politely ignored in the hopes of not
offending and that it might go away on its own. The youth of the 60s,
however, decided to lance that boil and treat the infections. This has
made for an ugly wound - but one which has a better chance of healing
right.
What is the status of blacks, women and other minorities today as compared
to 50 years ago? Unquestionably better - but Dobson doesn't consult them
when considering what is best for our country. This is a shame, but
since his organization shows strong evidence of sexism and racism, it's
not a shock. What is the status of basic freedoms and civil liberties
today as compared to 50 years ago? Also unquestionably better - today
people have much greater protection in expressing their opinions and
ideas than they used to. But I'm not sure that Dobson really cares about
that, since he seems to consider ungodly speech to be evil and worthy of
repression.
The actual details of Dobson's agenda are perhaps too numerous to fully
explore, but it's worth listing a few of them here for the sake of
breadth. Dobson supports:
Right to Life Constitutional
amendment
Christian teachings as a basis for public policy
Prohibition of doctor-assisted suicides
Constitutional amendment banning flag burning
Elimination of just about all civil rights programs and laws
More religion in public schools - like prayers, bible readings, etc.
Elimination of most environmental laws
Elimination of the Department of Education and the National Endowment for
the Arts
More frequent use of the death penalty
Making divorce more difficult to obtain
Prohibition of pornography and anything with strong sexual themes
Women staying homes and raising babies instead of competing with men for
jobs
And that's just a very
small sampling of Dobson's ideas for America.
Gary Bauer & Secrecy
Many people are unaware of who Gary Bauer is and what his connection is
to James Dobson. Bauer is head of the Family Research Council - a
semi-autonomous organization founded by Dobson and which serves as a
lobbying arm for Dobson's Focus on the Family. Bauer follows along with
Dobson's vision perfectly, even including the desire to see a return to
the 1950s. In fact, Bauer's writings indicate that what he and Dobson
are fighting are not merely what they see as social ills, but instead
the very act of social change itself. For them, addressing social issues
and social problems does not involve creating new ideas, but instead
merely revisiting the past.
It is especially important that people understand this connection, since
Bauer is actively campaigning for president. You can be sure that the
policies which he promotes will stand right in line with the policies
Dobson has advocated for so long. It is unfortunate that so many people
know so little about Dobson - but he has worked to keep things that way.
Even as he has built a powerful political organization, he has actively
denied both its size and its true purpose. Reporters who seek to
interview him are told either than he is too busy or that he has little
involvement in the political sphere - neither are really true.
By keeping the media and average Americans away, he has managed to avoid
close scrutiny of both himself and the political work he does. What he
doesn't seem to understand is that such scrutiny is an essential
prerequisite for any political or cultural leader. This means, then,
that he is not qualified to hold the position of influence he currently
occupies, and that he is not worthy of a position of leadership in
America's politics or culture. He wants to be a king-maker rather than a
king - but someone needs to tell him that in America we have no kings,
and hence no need for king-makers like him.
If Americans knew more about him and the sort of policy issues he pushes
hard for among conservatives in this country, perhaps it would not have
been so surprising to see Congress pass the recent legislation severely
restricting everyone's religious freedom. People like Dobson are the
driving force behind such acts, and to them religious freedom and
religious equality are dirty words, because they will put other
religions on the same level as their own - an intolerable situation.
James Dobson is unquestionably a threat to basic American liberties - he
cares naught for what others want to do with their lives, instead
preferring that we simply follow the path he would lay out for us.
Everyone needs to learn more about him - more than I can write in one
article. I recommend that people purchase and read James Dobson's War on
America by Gil Alexander-Moegerle, which was the primary source for this
piece. Gil helped found Focus on the Family and worked side-by-side with
Dobson for over 10 years. Gil is not an atheist, but he has seen Dobson
close up and knows him for who he really is. Even people who are already
familiar with Dobson will be surprised with what they read.
Below are Links to Enemies of Religious Freedom:
Doug Lamborn |
Elizabeth Dole |
James Dobson |
Cheney |
Richard Devos | Jim
Demint |
David Barton
Mike Crapo |
Ann Coulter |
John Cornyn |
Robert Corker |
Coors Family |
Constitutional Republic
Conservative Brain Difference
| Senator Coburn
|
Christians
Destroying the Bible
| Chambliss |
Tucker Carlson
Eric Cantor |
Harold Camping |
Ken Calvert |
Herman Cain |
Burton | Richard
Burton |
Senator Bunning
Brownback |
Breitbart |
Bond |
Boehner |
Blunt
| Big oil |
Baucus | Barrasso
|
Barbour |
Bachus
Bachmann
|
Are You Going to Hell
|
Apocalypse |
Anatomy of Religious Right
|
American Action
Lamar Alexander |
Senator Ensign |
Mike Enzi |
Epic Failure |
Jerry Falwell |
The Family
The Far Right Real Purpose |
Vito Fossella
|
Fox News II |
Senator Gordon Smith |
Sen Lindsey Graham
Chuck Grassley |
Senator Judd Gregg |
Republican Hall of Shame
|
Sean Hannity |
Health Care Reform
Rep Wally Herger
|
How to Fix Bush's Mess
| Huckabee |
Senator Inhofe |
Iraq War |
Johnny Isakson
Jeb Bush |
Bobby Jindal |
Johanns |
John Yoo |
Sally Kern |
Senator Kyl |
Tim Lahaye
Leinenger
|
Fred Lennon |
Liberal Blogs |
Loathsome |
Trent Lott |
Marrs |
Chris Matthews |
Patrick McHenry
Dick Morris |
News Max | Newt
Gingrich |
Bill O'Reilly |
Paleoconservative
|
Patriot Movement
Patriot Traitors
|
Tim Pawlenty |
Mike Pence |
Risch |
Senator Roberts |
George Roche |
Romney
Ronald Regan
Fantasy |
Rick Santorum |
Scandals |
Scott Walker |
Sociopaths |
Bart Stupak
The Wrath of Fools
|
U.S. Chamber |
Frank Vennes |
Woodall |
Wicker |
Bondage Gate
|
Christie
Jerome Corsi |
Ken Cuccinelli
|
Mitch Daniels
|
David Barton |
Hijack of Christian
Church
The
Religious Right Hates America |
Dirtiest Politicians |
Nikki Haley
| Rand Paul
|
Paul Ryan
Russell Pearce
|
Rick Perry
| Dantes Inferno |
Clarence Thomas
Return to the Religious Freedom Homepage
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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION HOME PAGE
|
