Well that was fast! Within hours of broadcaster James Dobson’s attack on Senator Obama, one of the most prominent ministers in Texas (along with others) has lept to Obama’s defense, establishing a website bluntly titled, “James Dobson Doesn’t Speak for Me.” The site, the creation of the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of a vast United Methodist congregation in Houston and a minister who has long been on friendly terms with President George W. Bush, plays a three-part role.
One, it takes the form of a petition, which site visitors can sign. Two, it’s a statement, listing items* on which Dobson “doesn’t speak for” the signers. And three, it lists five instances in which it suggests that Dobson’s radio broadcast distorted Obama’s speech. (As a reminder, Dobson made his remarks as a reply to an Obama speech on religion and public policy, delivered June 28, 2006; Dobson said he had not learned of the speech until very recently.)
Among the items:
James Dobson doesn’t speak for me when he uses the beliefs of others as a line of attack;
He doesn’t speak for me when he denigrates his neighbor’s views when they don’t line up with his…
Although the text is relatively brief, the site grounds itself in biblical references, citing no fewer than seven from the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, not least this:
The apostle John speaks for me in reminding us of Jesus’ command to love one another. The world will know His disciples by that love.
If nothing else, the site indicates that, influential Dobson may be, but he and other leading religious conservatives can expect to be directly responded to–in religious language–in this election cycle. And that is a very different situation from what has prevailed in recent presidential elections past.
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posted June 25, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Yep, that’s what I ws just saying in my prior post. Dobson seems incapable of loving others as Christ loves him. I stopped listening to him quite some time ago when he let his political views over ride his spiritual values.
Back to the Bible Dr. James Dobson and learn how to live in Love rather than hate the world. You will make better changes with compassion than with the verbal (slash and dice)sword.
posted June 25, 2008 at 5:24 pm
It’s too late,Dobson. Obama is one of the most spiritual.
posted June 25, 2008 at 10:08 pm
“[Dobson] and other leading religious conservatives can expect to be directly responded to–in religious language–in this election cycle. And that is a very different situation from what has prevailed in recent presidential elections past.”
Religious progressives have always responded in religious language. You, ooops, those on the right simply ignored them/us. I’ve been responding in ‘God talk’ since at least 1975 and have changed many right-wing politicians’ minds and hearts because of it.
It’s a myth that the ‘left’ would’t/couldn’t/didn’t respond in religious language. Sometimes it’s just hard to be heard over the extremely loud and bombastic voices of condemnation (Falwell, Robertson, Swaggart, et al).
Glad to see you’re finally paying attention.