Progressive Revival

James Dobson's letter from 2012

Wednesday October 29, 2008

The so called "letter from 2012" released by James Dobson is one of the most disingenuous pieces of political rhetoric I have ever encountered. The letter, portrayed as his worst fears, actually reveals the details of his agenda over the...
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Comments
Paul Willson
October 29, 2008 4:46 PM

This sounds like some one with nightmare on his mind.
If I understand the US Constitution a lot of what he predicts could get bogged down in the checks & balance of the system.
Reversing the law as it stands now would take a much more determined leader than either of the current ones. Also there is the probability of a Republican resuragance in 2010.
This is fearmongering at its worst. And Dr Dobson thinks he is a leader ?

Jeff
October 29, 2008 4:58 PM

If nothing else, this is what pushes me into voting for Obama. I want nothing to do with this kind of manipulation.

Justin
October 29, 2008 5:08 PM

Sen. Obama supports U.S. expansion of tax-funded partial birth abortion, a barbaric procedure that involves piercing the skull of an infant at full-term delivery and vacuuming-out the child's brains, a child that could be born that instant and survive perfectly on it’s own. Worse than this, Barack Obama voted over three straight legislative sessions to kill Illinois ' Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA) – which requires that a baby who survives a late-term abortion receive protection equal to that granted other newborns. One of Sen. Obama's Illinois votes was against a version of this lifesaving bill passed unanimously, bipartisanly, and in essentially identical form at the Federal level, with the support of John McCain.

An Illinois nurse testified to Obama how, at a suburban hospital, "One night, a nursing co-worker was taking an aborted Down syndrome baby who was born alive to our Soiled Utility Room because his parents did not want to hold him, and she did not have the time to hold him. I couldn't bear the thought of this suffering child lying alone in a Soiled Utility Room, so I cradled and rocked him for the 45 minutes that he lived."

Here is what Obama didn’t like about the Born Alive Infant Protection bill on the Illinois Senate floor on March 30, 2001: Senator Obama: "...[W]hat we're really saying is, in fact, that they[babies who survive abortions] are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – child, a 9-month-old – child that was delivered to term. ...the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this [a baby who survives an abortion] is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute.”

In other words, the reason that he opposed saving these little babies, who at times were living for as much as ten hours after these botched abortions, was because to protect them would amount to a chink in the armor of abortion rights. I’m sorry, but this level of callousness and political calculation regarding a tiny defenseless baby (aborted simply because he had Down Syndrome!) is worthy of a Hitler or Stalin, but not an American President. If you are a Christian or anyone for that matter who cares about children, I just don’t see how in good conscience you could vote for someone who voted for the continuation of the barbarous practice of that Chicago Hospital?

Stephanie
October 29, 2008 5:19 PM

Wow! I did not realize Obama was THAT sick. It's essentially satanic to know what he supports! Justin, I thank you very much for this information. I checked up on it and it is actually true! I was undecided about the election, but now I know that the God of the Bible would want me to vote again him and vote for McCain/Palin... Praise God!

pagansister
October 29, 2008 8:51 PM

For those that believe the lies that Mac and Sarah have pushed are certainly free to vote for them. Our country (USA) has that right. Personally, most things posted by both sides should be taken with a grain of salt. The idea that Sarah would be a heartbeat away from the Oval Office if Mac and Sarah got to DC is way to scary to contemplate. Somehow thinking that because she can see Russia from her living room qualifies her for the job of VP (never mind a heartbeat from President) isn't a chance I'm willing to take. Thus, I'll vote for Obama. Plus not even 1/2 of the scary things Dobson "predicts" (or his god told him in a visison....whatever) won't happen. The man would be president, not dictator. Those are in other countries.

Personally, women should always have the right to terminate a pregnancy safely (or it will just continue in back alleys) and homosexuals are citizens of this country entitled to all the rights their heterosexual brothers and sisters have to marry and form families. No government should deny the citizens of this contry their rights...they tried that with slavery, fought a war over it, and then had to go through the civil rights movement of the 1960's to get all citizens of this country equal rights.

Aa to Dobson? Letter full of BS to scare folks into voting for the conservative "Chrsitians" whose representative(the mighty "W") has already taken this country into war, and economic troubles that haven't happened since the 1939 crash. Thanks, "W".

Grace
October 30, 2008 9:38 AM

Does anyone else notice how a disproportionatly large section of this letter is dedicated to the "damage" that homosexuals will do to this country? It just boggles my mind that people are THAT scared of gays and lesbians. And I always thought myself to be a nice person who minds her own business and tries to do good in the world. Who knew I was going to destroy the United States!

Helen
October 30, 2008 10:12 AM

what a load of crap and lies from Justin. I am a hospital chaplain and I will tell you that #1 an aborted fetus is often held by parents, is baptized and is loved. The reason for the abortion, which is none of anyone's business, can be related to genetics, or any of a host of birth defects that will make life unbearable and painful for the child. #2 The business of an aborted baby being taken to a closet in a hospital absolutely does not happen. Where in the world do you people find this information? Do you ever call a hospital to find out information? Have you ever visited an ob-gyn unit to see the loving care all patients are given? Gees, talk about rumor-mongering and filth.

Jewel Mathias
October 30, 2008 11:53 AM

McCain has lied and smeared Obama so much -- now, if McCain came up with a true, negative charge against Obama, no one would believe it.

Brenda Trent
October 30, 2008 1:45 PM

In response to Pagansister, and anyone else that lives thier life apart from god, if more people had a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and was reading his word, the Bible, they would know that we are living in the last days of time and they would know that what you see happening in our nation today is the Bible being fullfilled. 2nd cor 4-4 says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them, This is why God raises up men and women like Dr. Dobson, T. D Jakes Pat Robison and others who have comitted thier lives to serving the Lord and that know the voice of God to speak to our nation through writing Books or preaching gods word through television or radio, America needs to repent and go back to serving God. Those who worship god must worship him in spirit and in truth and if you don't have the spirit of god in you, you will not know the truth even when you hear it. God told Noah to build an arc because god was going to send a flood upon the earth, but people didn't believe what Noah was saying to them and look at what happened to them, they were all destroyed by the flood. God has been warning our nation to repent and turn thier hearts back to him, but whether you believe what gods leaders are telling you or not, there is coming a day ahead of you when you will stand before the great white throne of jugement and you will believe then, when you see him face to face. My comments are not to juge anyone, but the word of god juges all of us. It is the heart of god that no one be lost, but that all know him as thier Lord and savior.

DixieWrecked
October 30, 2008 10:13 PM

Brenda,

Followers of Christ have been claiming the last days since the day he died on the cross. The men of God you cited are no better than mafioso using fear to extort money from impressionable people. It's one hell of a racket. Legal and tax free to boot.

Whether you agree or disagree, Christ laid out ground rules as how his followers were to live until his return. His followers in America would do well to study how Christ lived. The man was humble and fair. He loathed those who took advantage of the disadvantaged, i.e. the money changers at the temple. He revolted against the teachings of his Jewish elders. He took what food was offered him by those who could spare it and gave food to thousands. He asked his followers to reject all earthly possessions to follow him. His message was of peace, love, and reconciliation, not war, hate, and division. He suffered for all and asked no person for anything except obedience and faith. Not once did he ever reject an individual based on any litmus test.

Your views on belief hark back to John Calvin's specific beliefs of predestination which are very inclusive and selfish. You should read your Bible, but you must understand that there are 2000 years of history behind your religion. What you claim to be truth today was not necessarily truth 2000 years ago.

Remember that no man knows the day or the hour, and the signs that Christ gave were broad enough to be interpreted in many different ways. Do not allow yourself to believe that you must live in misery on this earth to gain acceptance into heaven. This tactic was used for by the Catholic church for over a thousand years to support European feudal society. Treat the Revelations of St. John as but one part of a larger text. Do not treat the Bible as a large puzzle with the culmination being the Revelations and your favorite sports team winning.

Rob
October 31, 2008 12:05 AM

Truth is Truth. It has not changed. Christ's message was of peace, love, reconciliation, AND war, hate, and division, while telling us to love those who hated us. He asked us to love people unconditionally, but to hate the sin that so easily entangles all of us. He asked us to deny ourselves...take up our cross and follow him...no easy thing, yet simple in initial thought...

pagansister
November 2, 2008 3:53 PM

Brenda,
You're too focused on the "end times" routine when you should be focused on the here and now. What is this bit about worrying about the end of the world? Folks have been saying that since we crawled out of the slime and eventually learned how to stand upright. Generations before ours had to deal with wars,( in my time WWII, Korea,Vietnam,and the Middle East ones) and economic hard times,lack of rain, storms etc. So far, the world is still here. I'm so glad that I'm not worrying about it or being saved (from what I don't know) and am living my life to the fullest...without having to worry about some divine beings opinion or how many times I worship him or her a day. Having been raised in a Christian home, I soon figured out it wasn't for me. Left at 17 and haven't looked back since. If the end times come and all those folks get lifted up to somewhere, there will be more room down here.

Nathan Myers
November 4, 2008 12:21 AM
http://anothernathanmyers.com

Welton,

I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. I was so frustrated by the letter that I wrote my own letter addressing many of the same issues seeking a more Christlike engagement. You might like to check it out?

http://nathanmyers.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/letter-from-2012.pdf

Nathan Myers

Laurie O
November 4, 2008 10:26 AM

Brenda -

The Bible also says "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." I read recently that you can tell when a god is ego-driven (coming from inside of a person rather than outside) - he/she hates the same people that you do. Dobson preaches a frightening and divisive world view that has nothing to do with my relationship with a bright and loving world. Good luck to you. And watch out for those false prophets.

DeeDee Fetters, PCC-S
November 5, 2008 8:45 PM

Considering that arguing with people who do not believe is never win win. I would just like everyone to consider a few things. - Has there ever been a canidate that had so many scandels and all were pushed aside--first Rev. Wright, Connections with Ayers now proven with a videos as soon as 2003 that now was not released by LA times, Mrs. Obama's thesis from College that cites as paranoid ideas about race, or that Obama will go down in history not only as our first Black/White President and most inexperienced, and some other ideas we never had a chance to decide ourselves about. Federal Hatch Act prohibts officials using office to interfere with 1st amendments rights for public to know and yet Obama admin used criminal, judical, and legal intimidation about anything incriminating info getting out about him--look it up on the internet for citations of such. Think about the past to be elects and what was the most we had to deal with about them. The whole world watched this election and also celebrated Obama.

I do believe God is in control and I do believe that the truth will set us free. I believe in God and Jesus is our Savior. That is enough for me.

Steve
November 7, 2008 11:04 AM

I just finished reading the letter and to be honest, people who were offended by it need to take a step back, It wasn't half as bad as all these topics led me to believe and honestly, its not half as bad as people saying the only seat McCain should have is in a wheel chair, that hes going to die of skin cancer, ect. So really, stop complaining about it, its theoretical and based on what Obama HAS done, it seems possible, you cant just write it off like the things listed in the letter wont happen, also you can say they will, the letter just says they could. Its not 'fear mongering' as half you people would call it, its his opinion on what might happen, granted I'm not all for Dobson as he really disappointed me taking such offense to what Obama said, had he not said what he did I doubt this letter would have been written, so overal Its not really bad I just dont agree with why he wrote it, thats all.

Buzz
November 7, 2008 3:59 PM

What no one is mentioning is that every assertion is backed up with a footnote documenting a claim made by either Obama or the Democrats.

Sure, it's speculative, but it's speculation based on the facts already on the table.

Shocked
January 20, 2009 11:38 AM

True Buzz. This letter "gives a visual" of what the U.S. MAY look like if Obama succeeds in his push for liberal legislation. Why be offended? Do your research! These are facts!
Dobson's letter may be fiction, but the results are logical and likely with Obama heading in the direction he is. CALM DOWN PEOPLE! Talk about hate! It's okay to love liberals, but hate James Dobson? Talk about haters! Hypocrisy! Get a grip!

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Diana Butler Bass and Paul Raushenbush both stand firmly within the Mainline Protestant tradition and, along with guest bloggers of all religious backgrounds are dedicated to the revival of religious progressivism and its influence in American politics.

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Diana Butler Bass is a commentator and scholar in American religion. She is the author of seven books including A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (HarperOne, 2009).
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