Dr. Dobson Has a Problem
And I confess, it does my heart good to see him in such a dilemma, because it highlights the hypocrisy of his politics on the national stage and more importantly proves how mean-spirited he is. As a Christian, he embarrasses me. His organization is one of the most political I’ve seen, masquerading as a Christian information network. The hateful attitudes toward anyone who is not white, straight and conservative is shrill and ugly.
And now, Dr. Dobson has a problem. Here is the statement he released:
I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who did not support a Constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage, voted for embryonic stem-cell research to kill nascent human beings, opposed tax cuts that ended the marriage penalty, has little regard for freedom of speech, organized the Gang of 14 to preserve filibusters in judicial hearings, and has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.
“I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. McCain actually considered leaving the GOP caucus in 2001, and approached John Kerry about being Kerry’s running mate in 2004. McCain also said publicly that Hillary Clinton would make a good president. Given these and many other concerns, a spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.
“But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country.”
Evidently Dr. Dobson didn’t think much about the welfare of our country when he shimmied up to the Bush/Cheney crowd during the 2006 elections, or had a little visit at the White House in May 2007 to cheerlead the Bush Iran policy. Supporting the bombing of Iran surely doesn’t endanger the welfare of our country? Subverting the constitution doesn’t endanger the welfare of our country? Allowing the economy to languish and social services to die while raising spending to continue to maim and murder our own soldiers along with Iraqis and other innocent bystanders is good for the welfare of our country?
Dr. Dobson, what happened to “forgive others”? What happened to “thou shalt not kill?”
Oh yeah, you think they’re bad for the welfare of our country. Dr. Dobson has a problem, not just with how to cast his vote but how to tell the truth. How sad for the real Christians in this country who don’t share his hateful and militaristic views.
Oh, and at the end of his statement, he says he’ll vote for Mitt Romney if he wins the nomination:
“My theology is very, very different, obviously, and I would not find myself in agreement with the ways he sees Scripture, and, of course, their own interpretation and extension of Scripture. I’m not in any way minimizing that; it’s a very important issue.
“I think we’re facing such a point of crisis in our country, that we’re going to have to have the strongest leadership we can. And I think I could deal with that in the polling booth.”
Let me translate that for you: Dobson is saying, “I hate gays, Iraqis, McCain, and liberals more than I hate Mormons. I can compromise my theology to keep my politics pure.”
Technorati Tags: James Dobson, Religious Right, McCain, conservatives, the common good
Sphere: Related ContentThe Unbearable Propagandists’ Politics of Terror: Amplification and Contagion
The only terrorist in this ad is the one who approved it.
We need to wise up and stop being taken in by this kind of nonsense. Yes, 9/11/2001 happened. Yes, it was terrifying. But the reaction and overreaction and obvious psychological manipulation of ads and approaches like this one are so far beyond reasonable discourse that they should only be branded the ravings of a mad lunatic.
Obviously Tom Tancredo has studied Hitler’s methods. Don’t be one of his victims. This article explains how Hitler did it — guard your minds against similar tactics.
Amplification and contagion. (Note to self: Go back and read Totem and Taboo. Freud had at least some good ideas.) Contagion is the way feelings transfer from one member to another, the way emotions spread through the whole group. Amplification is how emotions in a group grow and grow bigger than the sum of their parts — the emotion of the group-as-a-whole becomes more than that of the members additively.
Hitler sensed their impact on your average Joe: “When from his little workshop or big factory, in which he feels very small, he steps for the first time into a mass meeting and has thousands and thousands of people of the same opinions around him…he is swept away by three or four thousand others into the mighty effect of suggestive intoxication and enthusiasm….” (Ibid. 478-9)
Technorati Tags: Tom Tancredo, fearmongering, amplification, contagion, propaganda
Sphere: Related ContentMoral Majority Less One
Farewell, Falwell. May your gatekeeper to Heaven be gay and a Democrat, and may you rest easy knowing it.
Forgive me, but I’m not in mourning at his passing. I’m sure he’s in a better place and we’re better for it.
Technorati Tags: Jerry Falwell, Moral Majority
Sphere: Related ContentJames Dobson’s New Role: Candidate Screener
Again I say, This organization should lose its tax-exempt status or remove Dobson as its head. He is either in ministry or in politics, but he can’t do both and we shouldn’t be financing his campaign.
“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.
- James Dobson, in an interview for US News & World Report
Just for fun, here’s an extra tidbit from the article. Really – Focus on the Family should not be a non-profit organization.
While making it clear he was not endorsing any Republican presidential candidate, Dobson, who is considered the most politically powerful evangelical figure in the country, also said that [Newt] Gingrich was the “brightest guy out there” and “the most articulate politician on the scene today.”
Technorati Tags: James Dobson, Focus on the Family, politics, religion, taxes
Dr. Dobson Needs Some Toughlove
Dobson is at it again. Really, his non-profit status should be revoked because he wields his political club with force and my taxpayer dollars should not fund it, directly or indirectly.
We implore the NAE board to ensure that Mr. Cizik faithfully represents the policies and commitments of the organization, including its defense of traditional values. If he cannot be trusted to articulate the views of American evangelicals on environmental issues, then we respectfully suggest that he be encouraged to resign his position with the NAE.
I call on James Dobson and friends to seriously consider Jim Wallis’ call for a real debate and discussion on whether global warming is a moral issue, and what solutions he proposes for the population growth issues.
Further, I suggest that the IRS explore the legitimacy of the tax-exempt status of Focus on the Family, which indirectly funds Dobson’s political meddling.
Technorati Tags: global warming, James Dobson, evangelical, Christianity, Rich Cizik
Sphere: Related ContentPat Robertson’s Hallucinations
He’s an embarrassment to Christians everywhere. This is a classic tactic used by people claiming to be Christians and prophets who are really just desperate to advance a dying agenda.
Some of his statements deconstructed:
The other thing I felt was that evil men, evil people, are going to try to do evil things to us and to others during the last part of this year. I don’t know if it’ll be in the fall or September or later on, but it’ll be the second half somehow of 2007. There will be some very serious terrorist attacks.
Translation: Give George Bush free reign to wreak havoc in the Arab world, since we know that’s the genesis of all terrorism and true God-fearing folks would support our President fully.
And then the Lord said he will restrain the evil people, but he will not restrain them necessarily initially. And, you know, He doesn’t have to restrain people. They’re evil people and they do evil things and they desire evil.
Translation: Nuke the Arabs. Nuke them now.
Question for Pat Robertson: What happened to “love your enemies as yourself”? Oops, I guess the Lord forgot to whisper that one in your ear.
Verily, I say unto Pat Robertson, may thy lips be sealed for the next hundred years, lest your false prophecy convince even one.
Technorati Tags: pat robertson, christian coalition, false prophet, right wing whacko
