Obama should pick a fight with Dobson

[Perky]

by making a speech on the Religious Right akin to his speech on Race Relations

Dobson accuses Obama of `distorting' Bible


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-REL-Dobson-Obama.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 24, 2008
Filed at 1:29 a.m. ET

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement's biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a ''fruitcake interpretation'' of the Constitution.

The criticism, to be aired Tuesday on Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program, comes shortly after an Obama aide suggested a meeting at the organization's headquarters here, said Tom Minnery, senior vice president for government and public policy at Focus on the Family.

The conservative Christian group provided The Associated Press with an advance copy of the pre-taped radio segment, which runs 18 minutes and highlights excerpts of a speech Obama gave in June 2006 to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. Obama mentions Dobson in the speech.

''Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?'' Obama said. ''Would we go with James Dobson's or Al Sharpton's?'' referring to the civil rights leader.

Dobson took aim at examples Obama cited in asking which Biblical passages should guide public policy -- chapters like Leviticus, which Obama said suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination, or Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, ''a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application.''

''Folks haven't been reading their Bibles,'' Obama said.

Dobson and Minnery accused Obama of wrongly equating Old Testament texts and dietary codes that no longer apply to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament.

''I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology,'' Dobson said.

''... He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.''

Joshua DuBois, director of religious affairs for Obama's campaign, said in a statement that a full reading of Obama's speech shows he is committed to reaching out to people of faith and standing up for families. ''Obama is proud to have the support of millions of Americans of faith and looks forward to working across religious lines to bring our country together,'' DuBois said.

Dobson reserved some of his harshest criticism for Obama's argument that the religiously motivated must frame debates over issues like abortion not just in their own religion's terms but in arguments accessible to all people.

He said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the ''lowest common denominator of morality,'' labeling it ''a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution.''

''Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?'' Dobson said. ''What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe.''

The program was paid for by a Focus on the Family affiliate whose donations are taxed, Dobson said, so it's legal for that group to get more involved in politics.

Last week, DuBois, a former Assemblies of God associate minister, called Minnery for what Minnery described as a cordial discussion. He would not go into detail, but said Dubois offered to visit the ministry in August when the Democratic National Convention is in Denver.

A possible Obama visit was not discussed, but Focus is open to one, Minnery said.

McCain also has not met with Dobson. A McCain campaign staffer offered Dobson a meeting with McCain recently in Denver, Minnery said. Dobson declined because he prefers that candidates visit the Focus on the Family campus to learn more about the organization, Minnery said.

Dobson has not backed off his statement that he could not in good conscience vote for McCain because of concerns over the Arizona senator's conservative credentials. Dobson has said he will vote in November but has suggested he might not vote for president.

Obama recently met in Chicago with religious leaders, including conservative evangelicals. His campaign also plans thousands of ''American Values House Parties,'' where participants discuss Obama and religion, as well as a presence on Christian radio and blogs.

[eShirl]

1. pot calls kettle black (as the saying goes)

Dobson and Minnery accused Obama of wrongly equating Old Testament texts and dietary codes that no longer apply to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament.

''I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology,'' Dobson said.

''... He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.''

:nopity:

[Solon]

2. What's funny is that its impossible to prove a distortion...

when the book in question contradicts itself on so many levels and is so ambiguous in many parts that ALL interpretations are valid. This is perhaps the greatest reason why Christianity and Bible belief has lasted as long as it has. The interpretations of the Bible have been so varied over the years that they can apply to any time and any circumstance, for both sides of any issue.

[rox63]

3. I disagree - I think it would be pointless to pick a fight with Dobson

Dobson and his followers don't think rationally. And we all know how frustrating and useless it is to try and reason with the unreasonable.

[Perky]

5. That is not the point.

Evangelicals need to have a dialog about the efficacy of their tactics and the bluntly the motivations of their heart. They need to start looking at the world the way Jesus did more than the way the Old Testament did.

[Kahuna]

6. I disagree with you. When McCain picked a fight with the "religious right"

it enamored him with indies. If Obama picks a fight with Dobson it could have the same effect with indies, while reminding them that what they once admired about mccain is no longer applicable.

[NorthCarolina]

17. I disagree. I think having Obama open a discussion within the ranks of the Christian Community

is a brilliant idea, and one that's long overdue. By identifying that there are in fact two forms of Christianity, one tolerant and one intolerant, he puts forth a question that each congregation should examine and decide...where do you want to be?

[AllentownJake]

4. I'd rather Dobson be irrelvant to this race

and his rabid supporters to stay at home on Election day because they hate McCain like he does. :evilgrin:

[Perky]

8. I disagree their is a real generational divide among Christians

There is ample evidence that thos under 45 want to move beyond Abortion and Gay marriage and start talking about Darfure. and human trafficking, and environmental stewardship.

The lateest Pew report was very insigntful

I will get the link later on. Hi Ho HI Ho.....it off to work.....(you know the rest)

[AllentownJake]

16. That may be the case

However, the ones over 45 don't need any incentive to go to the polls and attacking Dobson may give them a rallying cry.

[Maureen1322]

7. How do you reason with a crazy man?

[Perky]

9. Who said anything about reasoning with him?

The fundies need to be called for beeing the phariseees that they are.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

11. You don't...

But you can expose him to his followers as a demagogue and a charlatan. That would be a debate worth having.

[ladjf]

10. It would be better to leave Dobson alone. He is a professional

master of the irrational. There's no way to "win" an argument in this situation. Obama should focus his attention on more substantive issues.

[genna]

13. Disagree. Injustice within the Church is the main reason why we had a number of heinous acts.

Just because Dobson is a present day sadducee does not mean he should not be challenged on religious and political grounds. The Evangelical movement in and of itself is not a big problem in my book (in so much as I embrace faith).


The problem with this group of people who ask if you believe in Christ is if you don't agree with them on 2 issues (abortion being one of them), they maintain the right to exclude you from Christianity. Obama is actually gaining traction within the Evangelical movement which is why Dobson is trying to cut him off at the path. McCain doesn't want to deal with these people because they exert way too much power in Republican circles and many politicians on the Right are beholden to him.


Obama is going to have to face them one way or the other because of their campaign against Rev. Wright and Trinity United (he can resign membership all he wants, the right is still going to kick him on this issue), they say he had the wrong religion all this time. They are going to eat him up if he turns his back to the quivers and knives in his back. He might as well face it head on.

[flpoljunkie]

12. Speaking of "fruitcake," Mr. Dobson. Look in the mirror.

[Captain Hilts]

14. As FDR said to ER, "don't get into a pissing contest with a skunk." nt

[JohnnyLib2]

15. Agreed! Terrific quote for this occasion.

My sense is that Obama's huge appeal to younger voters will automatically cause challenges to Dobsonian thinking and already is. Obama himself can
stay away from the "skunk."