Focus on the Family’s James Dobson yesterday used his daily broadcast to complain about the hate crimes legislation that recently passed the House. Dobson called it “utter evil” and said it will “undermine the rule of law and seriously damage morality and decency in the culture.” Dobson frequently rails against various cultural issues. But as Dan Gilgoff at U.S. News notes, what was different in this broadcast was Dobson’s utter hopelessness:
I want to tell you up front that we’re not going to ask you to do anything, to make a phone call or to write a letter or anything.
There is nothing you can do at this time about what is taking place because there is simply no limit to what the left can do at this time. Anything they want, they get and so we can’t stop them.
We tried with [Health and Human Services Secretary] Kathleen Sebelius and sent thousands of phone calls and emails to the Senate and they didn’t pay any attention to it because they don’t have to. And so what you can do is pray, pray for this great nation… As I see it, there is no other answer. There’s no other answer, short term.
We'll pray for you too, Jim.
Speaking of schadenfreude: I was amused by this story on Scalia.
14 comments:
Life is haaaaaard.
That's annoying. James Dobson is a blessing for those of us who don't like theocracy - he's so intransigent and uncompromising that he misses opportunities to make alliances that strengthen his cause. If he stops agitating, it's possible that a more effective leader will, for example Rick Warren.
I find myself performing the swiping away of mock tears I do whenever a driver I hate wrecks. Except this is much higher stakes for me. I need a new kind of gesture for that.
Like Alon, I think someone new and more effective for today is on his (and of course it's *his*) way up. We also don't discount the possibility that Dobson, who is a canny bastard, might be trying to get his audience to prove him wrong. But I do think he's really hurting a bit. That's just fine. I'm glad Dobson's starting to feel despair at the end of his very long and hurtful run. He deserves it, he really does. So many people, not just LGBTs, have felt despair thanks to the attitudes and agendas he helped to promote.
This says itself, but I will close with it anyway: Anyone who describes an effort to obtain justice for a group that has historically had a difficult time obtaining it as "utter evil" is pointing one finger at others--and three back at himself. Karmically speaking, he made his bed.
Yes, please, keep praying. That's SURE to work! Make sure you stop doing anything else though and just stay inside your houses praying and praying. Kthx!
You think a dude like Dobson really believes his own wackaloonery, or is he just a power-hungry liar?
There was actually an article about that I was just reading--the next religious right leadership, can't seem to find it again. But yeah, the gist was that just because it's changing doesn't necessarily mean we should all cheer yet, it might turn out to be more effective.
That said, it's more than just Dobson being a whiny poor loser--the piece noted that as a whole, most of the big leaders--Robertson, Falwell, Lou Sheldon, wossname from Coral Ridge, some others--are either dead or getting up there; and there don't seem to be many people in that exact mold poised to take their place. Rod Parsley was probably the closest, and I still kind of worry, although he seems to have lost his moment for the moment. Otherwise they were talking, like, Newt Gingrich (!) or, yeah, Rick Warren.
It's the same as the Republicans in general, really: yeah, they'll probably resurrect, but they seem to be a bit lost for the moment, and can we all say: Amen. The longer it lasts, hopefully the more we can do to undo some of their damage and/or immunize against this particular iteration of the "culture wars."
There was also an article noting a rather dramatic shift in just how many younger Americans had "lost their religion" as compared to the older ones. Put it together with there's an "Echo Boom" now coming of age and yeah, it doesn't bode well for the people clinging to old forms that no longer serve.
which by no means means the end of fundamentalism, of course. just, yeah, the times they are a-changin'.
CPP: He believes in Authoritah; it serves both the content of the beliefs and the way he acts.
oh yeah, and Tim LaHaye is 83 too. god those books are rubbish. and so are the LaHayes.
Rick Warren--right now he's not all that effective on account of the hardcore are looking at him with extreme suspicion since going to Obama's party. Which could mean that it was a really clever move on Obama's part; but I'm not giving him any credit for anything until he gets off the frigging fence on DADT and DOMA. If not now, when, ffs?
also as others have noted: how does he know people haven't been praying at least as hard for the passage of this bill, and/or Obama, and so on and so forth?
Speaking of schadenfreude: I was amused by this story on Scalia.
CPP said:
"You think a dude like Dobson really believes his own wackaloonery, or is he just a power-hungry liar?"
That is not really an "or" kind of question...
BD: Warren's bipartisanship is what worries me most. In his capacity to lead, he's really good, but no better than Robertson or Falwell. However, unlike Robertson and Falwell, he heeds C. S. Lewis's recommendation that Christians form significant factions in both parties rather than stick to one.
Warren's political mission seems to be to turn the US into something like Israel, where the religious parties have disproportionally high power because they're willing to ally themselves with either Labor or Likud (or Kadima), whichever offers them more concessions. Fortunately these concessions are always about money, for example ample child credits for large families or more money for religious schools, but I can easily imagine Warren get concessions about abortion. Already Obama has more to lose politically by letting gays openly serve in the military than Clinton did, even though this stance is more popular now than it was in 1993.
Yeah, I can see that. Not sure how it translates exactly, or how much of what Obama's doing now is really realpolitik and--shrug. I mean, I don't know that he's winning people over exactly so much as holding them slightly at bay while they auto-cannibalize. Which is all very well, but y'know, meantime, shit to do...
I started listening to focus on the family a few months ago because of my mom. She had sent me a message by Alistair Begg about choosing the right spouse. The message was great and I thought I had fallen in love with this podcast for sure. They have had some great speakers come through like Alistair Begg and Chantal Hobbs, both awesome speakers, however I absolutely cannot even stand the voice of James Dobson himself. He needs to retire and stop pushing his propaganda on air. I am officially tired of religious figures promoting hate under the umbrella of religion and spirituality... Something needs to be done soon!
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