When I was growing up, Dr. James Dobson was a name to be trusted. I remember seeing copies of The Strong Willed Child and Dare to Discipline on my mother's nightstand. (Yes, I was the strong-willed one who needed the discipline) In my mind, at least, Dr. Dobson was someone my parents thought worthy of attention while they tried to raise me right. I'm sure that was Dr. Dobson's intent; to be one who helped parents instill Christian values in their children in a culture that was not always hospitable to them.
Today, my feelings have changed. I no longer trust Focus on the Family or Dr. Dobson, especially when it comes to raising my own children or commenting on parenting in the 21st century. Why? Because I get the feeling that Dr. Dobson is far more concerned with protecting his empire than actually protecting children these days. From the FotF bunker in Colorado, Dr. Dobson issues statements with all the authority of Pope Leo X, and all the effectiveness as well. From commentary on who will be the best president to demanding the resignation of a lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals, Dr. Dobson's tirades are growing tiresome and, I believe, more and more separated from the real world.
Jim Wallis and Brian McLaren have both written excellent commentary on Dobson's latest. For myself, I'm far more worried about the world Dr. Dobson would create than the straw men Focus on the Family has been setting up over the past few years. Methinks its time for a new focus.
AMEN, Brother!
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of people who oppose him don't remember that he was once a very trusted name in childhood psychology and parenting. Of course, he has used and abused that trust to a grievous level. He has jumped from parenting to politics.
Of course, he used the gays to make that transition (aren't we helpful people?), since GLBT issues can cover both families and politics. Within my circle of friends, we often dismiss anything that can be traced back to Dr. Dobson.
It's really too bad, we need some good advice on parenting and family life. Hey Scott, maybe you should take over that role?
Wow - parenting my own kid isn't enough? :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm still discerning what's going on in our church vis a vis GLBT issues and my own beliefs/prejudices, but one thing I do know is the vision Dr. Dobson has for this country is a vision founded on bigotry and fear, and I do NOT want any part of it. One of the reasons I like Jim Wallis & Brian McLaren is they cast a wider moral net than sex, abortion and prayer in schools - I think that they get after the moral values that are nearer to the heart of Christian morality, don't you?
It's true. When people start setting strict moral boundaries around narrow topics (sex, abortion, and public prayer in schools), then they tend to miss the major moral issues that Christians face.
ReplyDeleteI think Jesus had words about issues like this to a group of pharisees in his day. There's a comment about tithing off of mint and dill while still letting the poor go hungry. There's also something about a speck in your neighbor's eye and a plank in your own.
It's amazing how these passages are forgotten when we are debating these very narrow issues (and I do count GLBT life as a pretty narrow issues in the large sense of Christian morality). Can't we ask questions like, "What will give the fullest life possible to me and the neighbor?" That seems to impact all our decisions, not just a few.
I could go on about this forever!