Too Quiet for Comfort At Focus on the Family?
People for the American Way thinks that James Dobson of Focus on the Family has been unusually quiet of late.
Health problems and foot-in-mouth disease may have prompted Dobson’s low national profile, but PFAW suggests the organization’s strategic plan is alive and well:
Given a lackluster slate of Republican presidential candidates and a partisan refusal to support Democratic religious-values candidates such as Barack Obama, Focus is instead pushing its partisan agenda in state elections.
While some values voters may feel drawn to Obama’s frank talk about faith and charity, Focus and its state affiliates hope to mobilize “an army of citizen warriors” who believe that self-righteous militance is somehow Christian and convince them to vote for candidates who assert that politically correct, cherry-picked passages about fire and brimstone represent the totality of “Biblically based” values.
This article is a bit discouraging. I realize its not strictly from the writers of this site but it seems a bit conjectural. Folks, do you ever wonder where the line should be drawn? If people who are our “opposition” are having a down time. Should we dig for more garbage on them?
The Soulforce group is doing a great job of showing Focus on the Family that the glbt community is doing an amazing job with their own families. I realize that radical speech and deed sometimes help change, And yet Christ still calls us to love our enemies.
Hunting down info on FOTF’s next move may help us know their agenda. My question is how should we respond, when out enemies show us how wicked they are?
Love? Or Scheme?
This is the second mailing I’ve gotten mentioning that he’s busy — off writing his new book “Bringing Up Girls.” The newest letter begins:
If this turns out to be as anti-gay as “Bringing Up Boys,” it should be interesting – and thoroughly vilifying.
I don’t think Dobson has to do much of anything. He built an organization to do that. What Dobson doees is superfluous to the overall agenda, he does nothing but act to support it. Who needs Dobson when you have CitizenLink doing the lying for him?
Great questions, Michael G. –
Soulforce has one positive approach. What other options do we have to respond?
Bringing up girls to do….what?
James Dobson would have vilified my father…a probation officer for teaching me how to be a serious athlete in non traditional sports for girls. To overcome serious challenges with determination and to show smarts around boys.
And to not submit to them EVER and know myself and my strengths along the way.
I don’t even have a girl’s name. And neither does my sister. Mine means ‘prince’ or ‘little king’, hers is Ari-El, Hebrew for ‘lion of God’.
I was NEVER a girly girl. But simply MYSELF.
It’s something of a native American tradition to do that and see how children live up to such names.
Recently at a Townhall blog thread, I was accused of being a product of ‘radical feminist inculcation and women’s studies’ in college.
That’s one thing said to me that’s made me laugh heartfully.
This came from a woman who claimed much respect and love for her traditional family.
Mine was a traditional family at first, but loss through death changed that. And my family reconfigured.
But I wasn’t a traditional female and hooray.
What’s so radical about knowing one’s strengths? What’s so radical about competing intellectually and spiritually with men…if not always physically?
What’s so radical about being a prince or lion…at heart? Especially if you’re a female?
WOW Regan!!!
Ah, let the kids sleep, ’cause we know they’ll be up and raising hell soon.
Regan, I relate to your comment so well! My father died when I was seven. I have a younger brother. My mother (whom I jokingly refer to as the butchest straight woman I’ve ever met) told us both that we should learn to cook, clean, and do minor repairs, just in case we’re always alone or are made alone. So we still both cook, clean, and do minor home repairs. (Which is just as well, because both of us married women who never learned any of that stuff!
)
I am anticipating and dreading that “Bringing Up Girls” book! I remember seeing the “Boys” book at my uncle’s house–I felt so sorry for his sons! Thankfully, he stopped taking Dobson seriously shortly after buying that particular book.