Hate Dobson
by Ted Slater on 03/30/2007 at 11:22 AM
Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, has been the focus of a peculiar media attack over the past week.
Since Monday, I've read several articles that portray Dobson as a meddling bigot intent on promoting an adulterer for President (Newt Gingrich) while denouncing one of the more conservative potential candidates (Fred Thompson). The first article to appear was written by Dan Gilgoff, whose recent book The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War was written to cast an eerie and suspicious shadow on the ministry founded by Dobson.
Since then, others have picked up on the story, giving it misleading headlines like Dr. James Dobson: Fred Thompson 'Not a Christian' (not sure why that phrase is in quotes; Dobson never said that), James Dobson: Sen. Fred Thompson Can't Win Because He's Not A Christian (again, something Dobson never said), and Evangelical Leader Dobson Doesn't Like Fred Thompson ("doesn't like?" where did that come from?).
The thing is, Dobson is being mischaracterized and his words are being taken out of context in order to demonize him.
What did he say that's drawn the ire of the media? In a phone interview, he speculated that Fred Thompson might not be a Christian, and that that may prove problematic with the Republican party's conservative Christian base. Here's what he said about Thompson: "Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for.... I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression." He was giving an off-the-cuff conjecture of the man's faith, not denouncing him or saying that he's hell-bound.
These articles also reference something Dobson said a few weeks earlier in an interview with Gingrich: that he was the "brightest guy out there" and "the most articulate politician on the scene today."
In both cases, I don't see Dobson either supporting Gingrich as his nominee of choice or dismissing Thompson. He's just voicing his personal opinions, which seem to me pretty well grounded. And the media have taken these two completely different conversations, removed the context in which Dobson said these things, and have brought them together for the sole purpose of making Dobson look foolish and bigoted.
Because the media love cutting down high-profile Christians, and so many in this country are eager to latch on to any evidence that a high-profile Christian might be a Really Bad Person, the mischaracterizations about Dobson have blossomed.
And, frankly, I find that tiring. Why are we so eager to believe negative portrayals of high-profile Christians like James Dobson? Why do we on one hand denounce much of the media as being "liberal" and bent on cutting down those who are identified as being on the Right (like Dobson), and yet believe this same mainstream media when they have something negative to say about someone like Dobson?
Next time you read an article and are tempted to think less of a high-profile Christian, consider that the source might simply be twisting the facts in order to manipulate their readers into dismissing those followers of Christ who happen to be in the limelight. I think that's what the author of the cynical The Jesus Machine set out to do. And so far, it seems he's having some success in his twisted mission to make Dobson out to be a buffoon.
1. Mandi said the following at 12:23 PM on Mar 30:
In a way, this is all kind of a back-handed compliment to the man and his ministry. Of course I don't *agree* with the reviling of high-profile Christians, but to a certain extent we should expect it if we're doing the right thing. After all, the Bible says that "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5), and that the people of the world, "professing to be wise, they became fools" (Rom 1:22).
Dr. Dobson's reply is actually a beautiful witness to this world that doesn't appreciate truth or integrity. Instead of reviling back, he's simply clarified the facts. When worldly people stop to wonder why it is he has chosen to respond this way, they will be one step closer to seeing the One Whom Dr. Dobson serves, "who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return" (1 Pet. 2:23).
(I think maybe what some people might have found curious was the claim in this article that, 'We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians'. A quick look at the roster of writers for Boundless alone shows that FOTF employs people from many different Christian confessions, not just evangelicals.)
All of that said, we should do everything we can to safeguard the reputation of influential Christian missions, like Dr. Dobson's. So thanks for the reminder, Ted. That way, more people can hear the Truth of the Gospel, undistorted. And, the more we do that now, the more we can pre-emptively prevent what's happening to Christians in other parts of the world where the taunting and reviling has led to bloodshed. (Not that dying for the Name of Christ is a bad thing. It's not. It has kept the Church strong in those places. But it's not something we should encourage or invite upon ourselves either.)
God bless Dr. Dobson!
2. Justin said the following at 12:45 PM on Mar 30:
You make a fair point, Ted. I would only argue that the media mischaracterizes a lot of people on the right and left. It's kind of the sensational nature of the media.
It might be helpful if Dr. Dobson clarified why he doesn't think "Fred Thompson" is a Christian? At the very least, I think he owes it to Mr. Thompson.
3. Gina said the following at 12:49 PM on Mar 30:
I have a lot of respect for Dr. Dobson and don't think he should be mischaracterized or demonized.
But I do think maybe he should take a closer look at Fred Thompson, who just might be our best chance to get a pro-life, anti-gay-marriage president elected in 2008. What Dr. Dobson says carries a lot of weight, so if he -- wittingly or unwittingly -- gave a negative impression of Thompson through a discussion of Thompson's personal beliefs, perhaps he might want to revisit the subject on the air (if he hasn't already) to help clear things up.
And I have Catholic friends who were not too happy about Gary Schneeberger's statement that "Christian" was used to refer solely to evangelical Christians. I imagine there are some in other denominations who feel the same way. Perhaps this is something that may need to be addressed as well?
Just my humble opinion.
4. John M. said the following at 12:56 PM on Mar 30:
Certainly the media has spun this into a harsher comment than he intended, but if Dr. Dobson is going to give off-the-cuff conjectures about somebody's faith in an interview, he probably ought to be prepared to recieve off-the-cuff darts in return. If I don't know somebody well, I don't make any assumptions about their belief.
Plus, we have to realize that our understanding of the word "Christian" is different from most of society's. To us, a Christian is somebody who holds very specific beliefs about the person and divinity of Jesus, but to a lot of society, "Christian" is still thought to mean "nice and charitable". To many people, saying he's not a Christian is like saying he's a mean, selfish guy.
5. Laura said the following at 1:06 PM on Mar 30:
I think that is something that we as people, but even more specifically we as Christians have a problem with. We tend to either put high profile Christians on pedestals, or, when we disagree...or see sin(not that that was the issue here) in those high-profile Christians, we turn away from them, and bash them.
At what point are we going to remember that Christians, even High-profile Christians, are people, with a sin nature? If we put them on a pedestal, we are disappointed, and if we disagree with them, they must be the spawn of satan.
I have seen this issue recently in my own life...The recent blog on John Pipers comments hit me hard. I had him on a pedestal, then I was so disgusted that he was using profane language I went the opposite direction. I pray that God would continue to teach me how to respect people, but know that they are flawed, and how to respond to sin with love and grace.
Praise God for conviction, for I would never grow without it!
6. James said the following at 3:13 PM on Mar 30:
While I think Dobson is being mis-characterized, I also think that Dr. Dobson made an error. He made an off-the-cuff remark that he probably should not have said. For one, "I don't think he's a Christian" while off the cuff is just conjecture, I don't think it's a statement we should treat that lightly. I've been tempted to do the same thing before, and in retrospect, doing so would've or WAS a bad idea whether I was right or not.
So, shame on the media for jumping at any opportunity to twist Dr. Dobson's words, and Dr. Dobson: please, sir, be very cautious when speaking of another person's relationship with Jesus Christ, unless you have first hand knowledge about it (and even then, be careful of how much of that knowledge you feed to the media sharks).
7. Jonathan from Canada said the following at 3:15 PM on Mar 30:
I noticed the alarmist link on Drudge for a few days too. But we can't forget, the media are out to sell copies.
I am thankful that there are people like Dr. Dobson and Tony Perkins who do what they do to promote a healthy culture in America. They take the flak so ordinary guys like me don't have to (as much).
Even a hawk and supply sider like myself has to say that it's neither military strength nor economic strength that makes America strong. America is strong because her people please God. I hope that might continue.
8. Jordan Peacock said the following at 3:38 PM on Mar 30:
Alarmist is an excellent word for some of the reactions Dobson's various public and (especially) political statements garner.
Nevertheless, John M. makes a solid point above, and I would like to add this to it; I've grown up with Focus On The Family, Clubhouse, Breakaway, Adventures in Odyssey, and have been submersed in much of the discussion over various personal, spiritual, cultural and political topics that the publications and programs have tackled (sometimes head-on, sometimes less directly).
While my heart, and even my support goes out to them on some issues, there are an increasing number of times where particularly Dobson's statements have left a bitter taste in my own mouth, and even more in that of my colleagues and acquaintances who do not understand the context from which he is speaking. I don't have the hard quotes in front of me, so I won't do him the disservice of paraphrasing [and I grant that he is a far cry from the disturbed comments of Pat Robertson]. Nevertheless, I have come to the point where I refuse to allow him input in my life in certain areas; I will be using Dobson's material on child-rearing, and still be generally in support of the ministry, but my connection to the man himself has lessen to the distant de facto 'brother-in-Christ'. Any other connection points seem almost incidental. I hope for the best, but Dobson's comments on politics are [for me] at best a distraction and at worst, a stumbling block and an impediment to ministry.
9. Jethro said the following at 4:37 PM on Mar 30:
Well let's first remember, Ted, that Dr Dobson is your boss, so while we're being upfront about bias we know where yours lies.....
Now, here it does seem like Dr Dobson's comments have been given more weight than they deserve, but of course he knows the media hang on his every word so it probably wouldn't hurt him to be more explicit and intentional in his speech.
On top of this though is the fact that Focus have become more and more political over the years and I think alot of people, myself included, are very concerned about this. Note for instance the recent article in Citizenlink (the link is no longer on the website or I would post a url) which was just a character attack on Nancy Pelosi for using a jet to travel. The article had NO mention of Christ, Christianity and God. How do character assassinations fit into the Focus strategy I wonder?
ps I'm not sure if this post will make it past the screening stage or not, but if not can someone from Boundless please email me an explanation as to why? Thanks
pps Now it almost certainly will. Ah, the irony. haha.
10. Adam said the following at 10:49 PM on Mar 30:
What I find funny about this whole situation is that most of the media is probably going to be supporting some gay rights activist for presedent. They complain about Gingrich being an adulterer when they are supporting homosexuals? The hypocracy is absurd. I would rather support a repentant adulterer for president then a man who supports the normalizing of homosexuality.
God Bless,
Adam
11. James said the following at 11:40 PM on Mar 30:
"America is strong because her people please God."
If only that were true. One only has to look at the culture to see that such a vision is a pipe dream.
We, as Americans, do NOT please or honor God at all. There is a faithful remnant (though remnant isn't the best word since it assumes there was a larger body that has now disintegrated into that smaller body), yes, but the majority don't know God, honor God, or even care a single bit about God.
12. Leah said the following at 7:15 AM on Mar 31:
I would never have thought Christians would jump at the chance to believe that sort of stuff about a high-profile Christian. And if Dr Dobson thinks this Fred Thompson bloke isn't a Christian, why must he keep his mouth shut? I mean, he's expressing his opinion- like Ted said, he's not dismissing him and setting it in concrete. He even added "at least that's my impression" or whatever.
And I seriously doubt America is strong because her people please God. I mean, really. God doesn't play favourites when it comes to countries. Actually, he doesn't play favourites at all.
13. ccinnova said the following at 9:40 AM on Mar 31:
I'd rather see Dr. Dobson stick to ministry and leave the politics to others. He's much more effective outside the political arena.
As for Fred Thompson, I'd like to know more about him before I consider his potential candidacy. While he had a good record in the Senate and seems solid on family issues, I'd like to see how he would address the two biggest failures of the Bush administration, fiscal discipline and immigration. I live in an area where illegal immigration is a serious problem.
14. ethan said the following at 1:40 PM on Mar 31:
"He was giving an off-the-cuff conjecture of the man's faith"
It is my off-cuff conjecture that it was a mistake for Dr. Dobson to say that. Doesn't mean I hate Dr. Dobson it just means that I think he was wrong here, at least that is my impression.
15. Raj Sharma said the following at 3:13 PM on Mar 31:
I am sorry I don't buy it. Dr. Dobson is too experienced and has been around too long to make an "off the cuff" remarks about a politican's faith to the media.
16. Jethro said the following at 5:43 PM on Mar 31:
howcome my comment didn't get published? Could someone please explain to me?
It seems only pro Dobson comments have made it through....
17. Charles H. said the following at 10:26 PM on Mar 31:
Ted, you write that 'we' are eager to believe negative portrayals of Dobson; do you mean his listeners, or Americans in general?
I don't think the FOTF faithful would tend to side with the media on this, although I know his positions (i.e., the 'Biblical dating' ideas promoted here) can be controversial even among those of us who vote for very conservative candidates -- so it's not like we would back him blindly either.
As for the mainstream media, its liberal bias is a well-established fact. There's an outfit called Media Research Center that documents this sort of thing on a regular basis and awards mock prizes for the most overtly biased journalism each year. Given this bias, attacks on conservatives are not very surprising.
18. Darin said the following at 11:06 PM on Mar 31:
Isn't it heartwarming; the great lengths that the media will go to...just to defend a man from a statement that he MIGHT not be a Christian. (If you'll buy that; I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona....)
It's just another blatantly obvious attempt by the liberal media to divide and conquer. Same people...same sort of attacks...different day. If you ask me their tactics are getting kind of boring.
19. Emma said the following at 10:04 AM on Apr 1:
While I think many in the media will do anything in their power to make religious conservatives like Dobson look bad, I have to question Dobson's wisdom in publicly questioning someone's faith. Also, why does he use the word Christian to refer only to evangelicals? Even the expression "Evangelical Christian" implies that evangelicals are a subset of believers. Some of the writers for Boundless and Trueu belong to Christian traditions that are not usually defined as Evangelical, such as Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican.
Does Dobson feel these writers on a website linked to his organization are not even Christians? If so, why does he allow them to write on Boundless? I assume he would never have a Muslim columnist, so why have Catholics if they are not Christians? I am not saying Catholics are not Christian, as I think they certainly are; I am only questioning Dobson's logic here. I have great respect for Dr. Dobson, but I think he is mistaken here. Hopefully I am misunderstanding his position.
20. Darin said the following at 7:03 PM on Apr 1:
It's pretty obvious why the liberal media is out to discredit high profile Christians. But why are (some) fellow believers so eager to listen to the attacks?
Well, Dr. Dobson challenges people to take time to become informed on the issues; to contact their congressmen and make their voices heard; to get out and vote. In other words, he calls people off of the sidelines and asks for us to commit to what is right.
But many Christians don't want to be called to action. It's much easier to simply discredit the one who is asking for the committment.
This is nothing new. Christ himself witnessed a great falling away every time that he requested a committment from the crowd. As long as he was feeding them loaves and fishes they were happy. But then when he asked them for committment...they couldn't get back to the company of his accusers fast enough.
21. Peter K said the following at 9:18 PM on Apr 1:
Why can't Dobson actually "focus on the family" rather than "focus on politics?" I think political involvement for Christian organizations is usually a bad thing.
22. Diana Barry Blythe said the following at 12:48 AM on Apr 2:
Get used to it. This is bound to happen every time an important election is around the corner from now on.
Liberal authors [and movie makers, and Al Gore even] are doing their bit for to build an anti-conservative fervor before the 2008 election.
It's a nasty and unforgivable practice but that's where things are in this country.
No one wants a repeat of the very close 2000 election.
23. Marc Lofgren said the following at 9:55 AM on Apr 2:
Foremost, permit me to say that I have appreciated the depth and thoughtfulness found in this discourse thus far, and generally find boundless to be a great blessing in my life. That said, I believe that having such an emotionally invested outlook on our national government to the point of making conjecture on a man's personal walk with the Lord on the basis of his public appearance is outright dangerous.
I have found that it is far easier in my own life to personally lambaste public figures for their public failures than it is to, frankly, love them. While not easier, I think it would be more helpful to the Kingdom to expend my energy and time serving and living Christ into my (literal, maybe) neighbor than critiquing the world's politicians. I find it helpful to remember that Christ did not actively attempt to conform the surrounding government to His politics, but instead reminded us how His kingdom is not earthly. He didn't circulate flyers detailing his platform, but instead picked twelve men and lived with them, taught them, and from there grew a faith which is deeply personal.
I do believe that what Dr. Dobson and Focus on the Family does is a service to the nation, insofar as people who live according to God's design are better off than those who subscribe to a bent worldview which advocates things such as free abortion, homosexual partnerships, heterosexual extramarital partnerships and so on. I, as a citizen, have a voice and will vote according to my convictions and my desire to live in peace, but if the culture as a majority decides that it wants to condone abortion or homosexual marriage that decision won't change God's standard, and it won't change my desire to live a life of righteousness.
24. Darin said the following at 3:21 PM on Apr 2:
I've seen a few comments on here suggesting that Christian leaders should stick with spiritual matters and avoid politics. The reasoning is that Christ is our example and he never involved himself in politics....or did he?
Let's not forget what the political parties of the day were in Israel. They were the Pharisees and Saducees. You know...the guys that Christ referred to as "hypocrites"; "blind guides"; "whitewashed tombs"; "brood of vipers"; "fools"...is that enough? And let's not forget when he walked into the political headquarters and turned over the tables of the moneychangers. (By comparison, I'd say that Dr. Dobson seems a bit timid.)
As for the assertion that Christ was only concerned with God's kingdom and not the affairs of this earth; I disagree with that too. Remember the Lord's prayer? "...Thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven..."
Heaven doesn't need our help; the earth does. How is God's will going to be done on earth as it is in heaven if we as Christians don't stand up for what we believe. The liberals certainly aren't going to do it for us.
Thank you, Dr. Dobson and Focus on the Family for taking a stand!
25. William said the following at 11:02 PM on Apr 2:
But Jesus didn't work by hyping political candidates. He worked by finding the sinners and trying to make personal changes in their lives. This is the opposite of the type of political involvement Dobson has been involved in.
The danger with backing political candidates is -- and it would be incredibly naive to ignore this fact -- politicians are constantly embroiled in scandal, and Christian groups backing candidates because they put up a Christian face in public is incredibly dangerous. Evangelical Christianity has had an incredible boon in the last five years. In my opinion, Dobson's politics risk endangering all that's been gained.
The fact is that Dobson's words, whether published or broadcast, have immense ramifications, and he knows that. His committed listeners make decisions based on those statements. He needs to recognize his power and be extremely careful how he uses it.
And once again, although I wouldn't say it's totally unbiased, the media is an easy scapegoat. The U.S. News story is fairly balanced, but I'd agree the headline is sensational and inappropriate. On the other hand, no other major news outlets are picking up this story (I've never heard of any of the other links Ted posted). Major news outlets are only dealing with Dobson when he makes comments, for example, that we should support the nation of Israel. This is the same country that has performed horrible atrocities on Palestinians -- 20% of whom are Judeo-Christian.
I think it would be useful for Dobson to return to what he does best: use his platform to get Christians to improve themselves introspectively. We will not change this country by controlling it's politics; we will change it by convincing its people to change.
26. CN said the following at 11:40 AM on Apr 3:
Personally, I love the ministry that Dr. Dobson has started and how his work has touched my life. That said, we need to be careful(not just Dr. Dobson) when we make comments that tend to reflect on all the people affiliated with us, in this case Christians. I remember Dr. Dobson's initial response after the Ted Haggard fiasco, he initially said that the allegations were lies drawn up by enemies only for Ted himself to confess. That makes one loose credibility. I know one time my pastor(I love him to pieces) said that one political candidate was going to win and the other was an idiot and would loose(I still love him to pieces,forgive and forget). Well, after much prayer was offered for the elections and God's will, the 'idiot' won and actually invited my pastor to be on a panel he had to review some issues that needed Godly advice. But the fact is, when clergy and religious leaders make such comments on the pulpit, it not only discredits their political choices, but also casts doubt to the message they speak from the pulpit especially concerning prophetic words. So, in a long winded way, I say that we, not just Dr. Dobson, should realize that we represent the King of Kings and our comments should be based on His word and not our carnal feelings or thoughts.
27. Marc said the following at 7:31 PM on Apr 3:
Darin - Thank you for your response to my (and others) comments regarding Christ's relationship to the Government. I believe that this is an important issue to consider as citizens both of "thy kingdom" and the United States. I enjoyed how your knowledge of the scripture and willingness to be bold for the truth came out in your post, but I would like to make one (hopefully) clarifying distinction.
When Christ tore into the Pharisees and Saducees, he was tearing into their political system, yes, but not a secular political system. He was rebuking a system that was claiming to represent His father, and therefore Him.
In my opinion, when analyzing Christianity's relationship to the United States government a better correlation would be His relationship to Rome. Rome was secular, distant, and, most importantly, did not claim to represent Yahweh to His people. I may be inviting correction on this point (and I welcome it), but I don't believe our government attempts to guide us as believers. It doesn't tell us how a man receives eternal life, and it doesn't tell us what it is to know the Creator God and His Righteousness.
So I will give to Caesar what is Caesar's. I will pay my taxes and drive the speed limit. I will make my views known in the mass of voting voices in the country, but if the mass starts shouting for what I know to be against God, I won't try to yell louder than the world; I'll love my neighbor with the strength Christ gives me.