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.
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