Faced with an increasingly negative public image and declining support for his holy war against GLBT individuals and every other sort of infidel, James Dobson is pulling out all the stops to rally his remaining troops.
“It’s not just marriage that is at stake, it’s absolutely everything,” Dobson solemnly warned listeners on his October 10 broadcast. Together with guests Maggie Gallagher, Chuck Colson and Robbie George, the spin machine was in high gear as Dobson laid out a grim scenario in which increasing support for gay marriage would lead to the destruction of all marriages everywhere, the repeal of religious freedom and the end of Western civilization.
How gay marriage would lead to the “abolition” of heterosexual marriage was never explained, nor did anyone on the program elaborate on how the efforts of gay rights activists to “stack” state legislatures are any different than the efforts of any other political group, much less how they could be any worse than the tactics employed by religious right groups in those same elections.
Maggie Gallagher repeatedly asserted that “60-65%” of the American public is “on our side” in the battle against gay marriage, notwithstanding recent polls that show that actual opposition to gay marriage now runs between 50-55%, and that many of those who oppose gay marriage support civil unions for gay couples. But then, Focus on the Family and its allies are no strangers to playing fast and loose with statistics.
The panel continued its rallying cry by suggesting that the evangelicals who form the core of the religious right’s support base are merely demoralized and in need of a good pep talk, conveniently ignoring the many Christians who have become disillusioned with the religious right’s political crusades, and the growing number of evangelical leaders who advocate dialogue over acrimony or seek to disentangle the church from politics altogether.
Dobson’s panel further sought to rally the troops by citing examples of religious liberty coming under attack, but again couldn’t make their case without a hefty dose of spin. Colson talked about his prison ministry’s recent expulsion from a British prison, claiming they were shut out for advocating chastity, when in fact his ministry was disqualified for failing to meet multiple criteria.
James Holsinger’s controversial nomination for Surgeon General was also referenced as a case of religious persecution, without any mention of the fact that he used doctored statistics and pseudoscience in a report intended to influence policy decisions being made by his denomination.
That Dobson and his allies are alarmed by the recent decline in their support base is understandable, and it’s hardly surprising that it would cause them to become even more shrill and alarmist in their rhetoric. A political empire that’s founded on fear and half truths can only be maintained through ever-increasing doses of the same tactics, after all.
Hat tip: Good As You
Years ago, Terry Gross interviewed Randall Terry (leader of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue) on her radio show “Fresh Air.” The most interesting thing that Randall Terry said on the show was that his work wasn’t really about abortion at all. Abortion was a vehicle for his goal of establishing a theocracy.
I am not saying that Randall Terry doesn’t oppose abortion or that Dobson doesn’t really oppose gay marriage. But both issues are used to coopt people who may agree with Terry and Dobson on one thing and then channel that support into creating something much bigger. I suspect that more and more Americans are catching on, and are uncomfortable with the directions that these theocrats would like to take us.
Dobson is clearly crazy. Everyone knows that interracial marriages are going to cause the destruction of western civilization.
I agree with everything that’s been said so far, but don’t count Dobson and Co. out just yet. Remember, even this year during his “increasingly negative public image” he was given a platform to express his views by both Time Magazine and, just last week, an Op-Ed in the New York Times.
Yep, we’re all about the destruction of heterosexual marriage. So much so, that when my wife and I got married, we introduced her male cousin and my female cousin, who were looking at each other. We served as co-matrons of honor at their wedding this summer, too. (I skipped a Sinead O’Connor concert and record-signing to do this, which shows everyone who knows me how much I love my cousin.)
Can’t you see how many more mixed-gender marriages will be created–I mean, destroyed–if more couples like us get to marry?
Pastor John Hagee concurs. It is the last days to him according to his 1 hour interview with Glen Beck on Friday. I call people like Dobson and Hagee “scare preachers with an addiction to money”. Although I hear Dobson is not a preacher?
I don’t normally watch Glen Beck but my work has the TV on Ch. 22 in the breakroom at all times for Headline News. Glen has also had the writers of the Left Behind series and Glen believes all of it. Or so it seems. Glen seems paranoid about everything tho. LOL!
I thought Beck was Mormon. I’m not a scholar on Mormon theology, but I didn’t think they had the same view of an “end times” as Evangelicals, certainly not the Tribulation. Are there any Mormons out there who know?
I cannot understand why their god is so small and impotent. That is not the God of my faith. What kind of god is stymied by a bunch of ‘mos? 🙂
During a discussion this week, a wonderful Christian lady stated that homosexual marriages would have a negative effect on society.
I offered to her, “Let’s pretend. Give me 1,000 divorced men and 1,000 divorced women. I’ll give them all a blank sheet of paper. I’ll ask them to list up to the top 10 reasons that they divorced – so, they can list 5 reasons, 7 reasons, or up to 10 reasons.”
She listened. And then I said, “How many will list in their top 10 reasons for their divorce, ‘The gay couple two doors down our street’?”
The wonderful lady replied, “Well, probably none.”
So I said, “As a former professor of college-level statistics, even if the effect of same-sex marriage is negative, I think we just ‘proved’ that the effect is not even in the top 10.”
The lady paused. I said, “And, remember that I gave the men and women a blank sheet of paper, so they listed all sorts of reasons. Let’s say I compile all the reasons for divorce, and now have a collection of 50 different reasons… do you think even one of those 50 reasons for their own divorce will be ‘the lesbian couple next door’?”
She said, “No… I don’t think so.” So I asked, “How big of a threat are we same-sex marriages, then? Really?”
I think she’s a wonderful woman… because you could sense the gears in her mind working.
Well that’s an interesting approach 😉
Good job, Caryn.
This guy is so passionate about his beliefs!!! I was listening to a podcast of him last night and he said, while shouting, that he would rather die than let some of these issues past. And while i myself am not a big fan of abortion either, i don’t think institutionalized Christianity is the way to go for our government.
But alas its the same old thing. “bringing our country back to what it was based upon” Do any of you wonder if we need to make a new Mayflower ship and find a new country?
Perhaps that would start the vicious circle all over again!
David, Mormon theology is different, but there is a belief in the end times, and much of it is the same. I think they would be known as post-tribulation. It is not something discussed often at church, so it is down on importance in the church.
I heard this all-star screed on Focus on the Dobson last week.
The hardest part for me was to determine why this episode was airing at all. Usually they time these fear factor broadcasts to coincide with something.
Maybe it’s because they had layoffs recently. Profits, er.. contributions must be down. Fear drives the dollars in.
I’m so glad Aaron said something. I was wondering if any recovering Mor’ ‘mos ** were reading this blog.
I don’t think there is much emphasis on “The Rapture” in the LDS Church. The Saints are waiting for the call to go back to Jackson County Missouri to a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman*** and THEN they will start to worry about the stuff in the Book of Revelations.
**or would that be: ‘mo Mormos ?
*** do a Wikipedia about this
The bible descibes and defines marriage when it says: “the man must leave his mother and father and cleave onto a woman” the gay activist left cannot play God and redefine marrige. That’s why the Christian Church (Catholic and Protestant) cannot accept homosexual marriage. In Fact the Jews, Muslims and the hindus ALL reject gay marriage. It is foreign to the teachings off its leaders. Ex-gays and other Christians don’t hate gay people. It’s some of your politics that we must stand against. As Christians we must be tolerant but never accepting of the gay lifestyle.
Actually, Conservative and Reform Jews accept gay marriage.
Don’t ever try to speak for my people again, Anthony.
Oh, and didn’t you say the end of the world was “near” in 1999? Yes, you did, because Wayne Besen says you told him to repent because Jesus was coming in 2000. Then when you saw him that following February the subject didn’t come up. Hmmm. I’m surprised you have the chutzpah to even comment in a topic on that, considering the blunder you made.
The bible rejects people who act in a homosexual manner not the person. It is the act that puts you in spiritual jeopardy for condemnation. 1 Corinthians 6:9 says: “do not be deceived practicing homosexuals WILL NOT enter the kingdom of God BUT THE GOOD NEWS COMES NEXT WHEN IT SAYS “and such WERE some of you ONCE!!! but you have been cleansed you have been sanctified by the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT> There were ex-gays in the 1st century Church. God has been calling homosexuals out of the lifestyle for 2000 years…that’s great news!!!
Hey Emily K,
I can speak for the Jews because they are MY people too. I have Jewish blood on my mother’s side. So I can speak with authority on this subject. In regards to Jews accepting gay marrige…you are not being truthful. The orthodox Jew has rejected practicing homosexuality for 6,000 years. The bible says in the “last days” there will be ,many falsr phrophets and TEACHERS out there who will tell you what you want to hear vs. what you NEED to hear. Many Jews and Christians have fallen off the Word of God and have strted liberal synogogues and “churches” and make up any doctrine that they want to attract people to come. These FALSE TEACHERS are sending many people to hell with their highly ERRONEOUS teachings. Any true Jew or Christian accepts the teahings of the OLD and NEW Testament as their authority. ANYBODY CAN BUY A BUILDING AND OPEN UP A CHURCH OR PHONEY SYNOGOGUE!!! That’s why Satan is called the father of all lies because his job is to convalute the Word of God…I pray that you will read the bible yourself and see what it says about homosexuality. The Old & New Testament forbid homosexual acts. This is punishable by spiritual DEATH. That is why I have dedicated the rest of my life as a ex-gay educating people on the real truth about the gay lifestyle.
So ANTHONY thinks THAT he HAS refuted EMILY when HE says THAT Orthodox JEWS reject GAY marriage, DESPITE the FACT that EMILY clearly STATED that CONSERVATIVE and REFORM Jews ACCEPT gay MARRIAGE.
Maybe ANTHONY simply DOESN’T understand THAT there ARE several DIFFERENT forms OF Judaism; OR maybe HE thinks THAT the TRUE Scotsman FALLACY isn’t A fallacy AFTER all.
OR maybe HE’S just A moron WITH random CAPITALIZATION.
Anthony, I never like to make fun of other peoples’ grammar, because as a sometime adult literacy tutor and the partner of a non-native English speaker, I like to be understanding about these things. Please don’t make me start. I only play grammar cop when bad, stupid grammar is accompanied by bad, stupid ideas.
Actually, Anthony, the Bible does not talk about “Practicing homosexuals.” The term did not exist as such in Paul’s time. There is considerable debate about exactly what the Greek words that Paul used in this passage really mean, but it is not likely he was referring to homosexuals in the modern sense. You are quoting from a modern version that has, in essence, paraphrased the original Greek. But then you probably have heard this before.
Remember, the same bad arguments that Dobson (et al.) make against same-gender marriage were the same ones that were used against bi-racial marriage. Same scriptures, too.
Skemono…I am well aware of the different diversions from Judaism. What I am trying to say is that Reform, Conservative and the other new apostate Jewish “denominations” aren’t Jewish at all! They are for Jews who really don’t want to live by the Torah so they make up their own sect of Judism to satisfy their guilt for not wanting to obey God’s Laws. Then in regard to Christianity…there’s a whole bunch of false denominations that have just popped up in the last 30 years that are trying to corrupt Christianity. Jesus said, “If you love ME YOU will OBEY my commands. That’s why I decided to leave homosexuality behind because I called myself a Christian yet I was living a sexual immoral life (Gay sex, Masturbation, pornography, etc). I couldn’t live any longer as a hypocritical Christian so the gay stuff and other immoral stuff had to go. I’m now married with children and have redeemed my bad years with giving my life to Jesus Christ and now I help anybody gay or straight that is living a sexually immoral life that wants to learn how to now offer “their bodies as living sacrifices” and refrain from sexual relations until they commit to heterosexual marriage. I hold my straight friends to the same standards. Any kind of sex outside the boundaries of holy matrimony is immoral PERIOD!!! (according to the Word of God)
Anthony: I noted that you gave a partial quote of First Corinthians chapter 6. For the sake of those reading, I’ll give the full quote and then ask you some questions, k? Here is the full quote:
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” [verses 9-11]
As a writer, the words in the Bible strike me as a general statement (“the wicked”) and then a partial listing of what the general statement can mean (to include, but not be limited to, those that are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, etc.). Therefore, I would be most careful that any logic applied to the general, would also be equally applied to all the listing.
Given the logic of your letter posted above;
Given that Jesus stated if a man married a divorced woman, then the man would be practicing adultery [Matthew 5:23], then:
Question 1: are you implying that believers (or non-believers) that marry a divorced woman are as wicked as homosexuals, or especially more wicked or less wicked?
Question 2: are you implying that a man that practices adultery (by remaining married to a divorced woman) is then forever excluded from inheriting the Kingdom of God?
Question 3: do you believe that a man can stay married to a divorced woman, thus living in a “wicked” lifestyle, and yet inherit the Kingdom of God by some means? What are those means?
Please do answer the questions. After all, your earlier use of a partial quote implies that only “homosexual” was mentioned in First Corinthians chapter 6 – when, in reality, the full quote shows multiple wicked “life styles” to include “adultery”. Sincerely; Caryn
Anthony, As long as you’re going to open that door, Christianity is a rejection of the Torah that Judaism holds so dear. Human/Man-God sacrifice? Blood Salvation? Original Sin? A Devil that opposes God because he fell from Heaven and now rules the Earthly realm? Vicarious Atonement? Virgin Birth? Hell? These are not Jewish things. None of these came from the Jewish Scriptures. Although people like you (well, probably people more versed in the Bible than you) cite “proofs” of this stuff existing in the “Old Testament,” the fact is, Jews and Christians are way more segregated scripturally – in both the language we read the scripture in and the way we interpret it – than you assume they are. We Jews believe being a good person gets you into heaven even when you don’t believe in Judaism. Christians of YOUR ilk believe Ghandi is in hell. Jews don’t (and, for that matter, most truly loving Christians I know don’t either). So I wouldn’t be calling on the alliance of Orthodox Jews you seem to respect so much, because trust me, according to your beliefs, they are all going to that Lake of Fire at the end of their lives.
That is why making random Biblical citations to justify alliances is not a good idea. If you’re going to nitpick verses like those that speak against homosexuality and then make claims that Jesus made eating shellfish okay because of a religious belief that Jews never even came close to including in their canon, well, you’re going to have a difficult time making alliances between even the most devout Jews and Fundamentalist Evangelical Christians.
You have to make alliances with love and respect and tolerance. What do Jews and Christians have in common? Our bibles speak of a God that is ultimately loving, graceful, and almighty. And when you take those things and try to build bridges and common ground, you get a much more peaceful solution over all.
[David, I know this is not an appropriate place for discussion of religious things/dogma, but i needed to say what i did. I promise i’m stopping here.]
Not so fast, Emily K — you and your wilful denial of Jewish tradition!!!
While you’re deciphering Falzarano… perhaps you could answer a few questions for us…
1) how many years did your father have to work in your grandfather’s fields before he was “given” your mother as a wife?
2) did he get only her, or did he have to take the sister as well?
3) any widow in your family recently had to marry their dead husband’s brother?
Everyone knows that in 500 BCE a bunch of Jewish religious scholars knew exactly all there was to know about the World. Anything and Everything, right down to precise detail.
Anyone WHO says OTHERWISE is clearly of THE devil. Satan’s PAWN. FROM the PITS of Hell.
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ps: and yeah, is there any finer example of wilful rejection of “Jewish tradition” than to declare oneself a Christian??? Jews say he isn’t, Christians say he is: no shades of grey about that.
Speaking about “false churches”… must be quite the dilemma for Falzarano and his ilk…
Anthony said:
Your mother was a Jew so therefore you have in depth knowledge of the details of that faith? Oh yeah, that makes perfect sense.
Well, at least you did add God as an after thought. And I’m sure your friends, whichever ones are left, will be delighted that you have requirements they must fulfill for the position.
Anthony, I’m beginning to understand why so many blog owners to whom I have spoken think of you like some sort of bizarre pet — debating you is like shooting fish in a barrel. Unfortunately, the threads where you post inevitably go careening off topic after a dose of your self-aggrandizing rhetoric. Some blogs like that sort of thing, we don’t.
As much as people seem to enjoy watching you bounce off the walls, you have no warnings left. One more comment where you disparage an entire faith or portion thereof, declare something as fact without the slightest reference to back up your statement, or are generally off-topic (except in open threads), and you will be banned.
If you actually wish to participate in an intelligent debate here, then I suggest you start by talking with, not at people. The choice is yours.
Of course, of course. And no true Scotsman likes sugar in his porridge, right?
The best thing is that Anthony shoots himself in the foot about how Judaism developed “apostate synagogues” in these modern times. Wrong. Before Pharisaism (Rabbinical Judaism) became the dominant/prevalent Jewish sect, the sect that survives today, there were Sadducees, Essenes, Ebionites, Zealots… There never was a monolithic Jewish sect – there hasn’t been for thousands of years. In fact, I’d say it’s safe to bet the schisms felt between my people 2,000 years ago were much greater and harsher than those felt today!
David: I am requesting that you allow Anthony to continue to post. In my opinion, Anthony is a believer in Dobsonian Christianity, and this thread is about examining Dobsonian Christianity.
Dobsonian Christianity has rewritten much of First Corinthians chapter 5 which prohibits political emphasis by the Church; does selective reasoning with First Corinthians chapter 6 (we haven’t even gotten to the definition of ‘slanderers’ yet); ignores Jesus redefining what is the ‘greater sin’ in John 19 (i.e., abuse of power, ignoring evidence presented, and emotionally forcing a quick political solution); and has a few other issues.
Anthony is one of the few that is willing to speak on these issues from a Dobsonian Christianity perspective. I don’t see Alan Chambers or Randy Thomas posting in this thread (and I truly thought they believed in Dobsonian Christianity, and have been watching for their comments to no avail). With all due respect to your observation, it is not Anthony that is a ‘fish in a barrel’, but rather his system of beliefs.
I truly want to understand the Dobsonian Christian belief system. Please do allow Anthony to continue to post. Most sincerely; Caryn
One thing that has been bothering me for sometime now is how often Paul is quoted by the religious conservatives. They quote more of Paul then they do Christ. Which makes me wonder: Is Paul some sort of co-savior to them? Was he not just a man like you and I? Why do they follow Paul (some refer to them as Paulists) as if he was crucified himself upon the cross? I’m sorry if I offend anyone but my understanding is that God alone is the one we follow and worship. There seems to be too many people following the dictates of another fallible man that needs salvation just as much as the next man.
And Anthony, the commandments that Jesus spoke of were loving God and loving others. These are the two greatest commandments that everything rests on. Unfortunately, the loving others have escaped many people on the religious right.
It doesn’t make any difference if it’s Anthony or the Pope, the same rules apply. It is Anthony’s choice.
Grantdale, I’m afraid i can’t answer the questions you posed b/c I’m part of the “Apostate Synagogue” of Reform Judaism (and also a li’l bit of Conservative Egalitarianism). 8)
you’ll have to go to a person vested in orthodox Judaism, like Anthony. Oh wait, not him… sorry. 😀