Dobson and Obama
You knew this was coming right? Dobson blasting Obama. The problem for Dobson is that America has changed and he hasn't. I'll go further. The church has changed and he hasn't. Before Dubbya's 8 years in office, Dobson, Falwell and Pat Robertson all decided they would speak for everyone in America who follows Jesus. It worked. Just ask John McCain. It was his justified words against these guys that cost him the bid that election year. (Dobson has said he won't vote for McCain either... even thought the straight talk express snuggled up to Falwell 8-10 months ago for this new election.)
Dobson and the like, have lost their grip on the power they once held. I think this is a good thing. Dobson doesn't speak for me. I don't know what Obama said, or the context of what he said, and chances are I won't fully agree with him, but I do know that I don't agree with Dobson and his blast against Obama is nothing more than fear mongering, something most of my friends are ready to leave behind. This is the same kind of rhetoric that talks about Obama being a closet muslim and such. It's actually hate, smearing and ugliness. But this is par for many of Dobson's ilk isn't it. Fear mongering, slandering others, saying they don't believe the bible, calling them liberal, saying that they are relativist or pluralist or some other thing. Again, I don't know what Obama believes about anything, but I know smoke when i see it blowing.
So while we knew it was coming, and has now come, it's still not much fun. Watch over the next few days and see what happens.
Update: McKnight says it better than I do.
Dobson and the like, have lost their grip on the power they once held. I think this is a good thing. Dobson doesn't speak for me. I don't know what Obama said, or the context of what he said, and chances are I won't fully agree with him, but I do know that I don't agree with Dobson and his blast against Obama is nothing more than fear mongering, something most of my friends are ready to leave behind. This is the same kind of rhetoric that talks about Obama being a closet muslim and such. It's actually hate, smearing and ugliness. But this is par for many of Dobson's ilk isn't it. Fear mongering, slandering others, saying they don't believe the bible, calling them liberal, saying that they are relativist or pluralist or some other thing. Again, I don't know what Obama believes about anything, but I know smoke when i see it blowing.
So while we knew it was coming, and has now come, it's still not much fun. Watch over the next few days and see what happens.
Update: McKnight says it better than I do.
posted by mark at
6:12 AM
9 Comments:
If people weren't afraid they would have no reason to listen to or buy Dobson's material. Dobson is one step away from those conspiracy theory people.
I don't know what Obama said, or the context of what he said...
But, for the first time since I've encountered you, you are willing to say that you "know" something--in this case about Dobson.
...I know smoke when i see it blowing.
FWIW, I do know what Obama said, and the substance of Dobson's remarks were factually correct.
the world of labels and naming others other than human grows tiresome...
the world of objectifying and belittling another to something less than fully human is also not how I want the world to see "evangelicals."
this idea that one KNOWS and has a complete grasp on all truth about something and is able to judge and pigeon hole another is something I would love to see be less our concern. that we would come to a place of being able to see each other as humans worthy of hearing, worthy of dialogue, and worthy of allowing for difference and diversity and still worthy of dignity.
I wish we could stop fighting wars and waging against things and start sowing seeds of love, mercy, hope and justice that we might better reveal the kingdom in our culture.
Dobson's remarks might have been factually correct, but that's not what was controversial. The controversy was around his conclusions that he drew. For instance, because Obama had the audacity to say that we shouldn't govern directly from the Bible (an idea that even most evangelicals would agree with), Dobson said he didn't read his Bible properly and had a confused theology. Because Obama suggested that it might be helpful for evangelicals to use language that was a little more universal when trying to pass laws restricting abortion, and incorporate logic and reason into their attempts, Dobson concludes that Obama has a "fruitcake interterpretation of the Constitution."
Sorry, but Obama is absolutely correct in the comments that Dobson criticized. Dobson, in the same speech, admits that he's not a Biblical or Constitutional scholar. My conclusion, based on that fact, is that he needs to stick to child and adolescent psychology. As Abraham Lincoln said, "It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." You characterized it properly, Mark. It's gas.
www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.com
mark
way to stick it to them.
you have some great one liners in this post.
Dobson needs to not solely focus on the family, but focus on America.
When I read these kinds of comments from people in youth ministry about other brothers in ministry, I always have one question come to mind, "I wonder if this person has talked to James Dobson either by calling his ministry or writing him an email before they broadcast their disagreement publicly across the internet for untold thousands to read."
Did you communicate your displeasure with Mr. Dobson before you posted?
I would just hope if you had the same disagreement with another youth minister including myself, you would talk to them first, or try to leave your thoughts personally, before you talked about me publicly.
Just wondering.
hi heath,
when you incorporate and file officially as lobby group (as Dobson has done) to speak on behalf of evangelicals, then I think your understand of how this works breaks down a bit.
I like your post on Dobson. Also, I wrote a Bill Mallonee post before seeing him at Convergence in Tulsa. I read a blog that you went with a friend there. The post is at my site
http://the-cuff.com/?p=63
I write about Obama extensively there, too, but I may be a bit more liberal in my interpretation of the bible than your blogs. Anyway, I always enjoy discussions and will continue reading your work.
--JINGLETT
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