Dobson on culture war: "We have lost all those battles"

[kpete]

Friday, April 10, 2009 14:50 EDT
Dobson on culture war: "We have lost all those battles"

This week has seen quite a bit of discussion about the state of religion in the U.S., and the power that Christianity -- especially conservative Christianity -- has in the country's politics. Now, from the other side of the pond, there's a bit of a scoop regarding how one of the most prominent leaders of the Christian right views his movement's efforts to date.

In the Telegraph, Alex Spillius writes that the religious right has conceded defeat in the culture wars. That's probably an overstatment; certainly, there's not much optimism coming from that side of the debate, but the movement is by no means retreating. Still, James Dobson, who stepped down recently as chairman of his organization, Focus on the Family, has at the very least conceded a long string of losses.

"We tried to defend the unborn child, the dignity of the family, but it was a holding action,” Dobson said in a farewell speech to staff, according to Spillius. “We are awash in evil and the battle is still to be waged. We are right now in the most discouraging period of that long conflict. Humanly speaking, we can say we have lost all those battles.
― Alex Koppelman

more at:
http://letters.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/04/10/dobson/view/?show=all

[fascisthunter]

1. yes you have... you narrowminded extremist

see we call you that for a good reason, because it really is true.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Dobson is free to rapture himself

Hey Dobby... Gawd sez so

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Sanctimonious prick to the bitter end

envisions himself as a misunderstood savior who just got swamped by all the evil in society. Don't go away, discouraged, Dobson...just go away!

[RTFirefly]

4. You can only use an issue for political advantage for so long...

I mean, abortion has been legal for what, 35 years? How long can to expect people to support anti-choice candidates in an effort to ban abortion, and not have those candidates deliver results? Eventually, you'll end up with less one-issue voters.

[MineralMan]

Yabbut...they gots lotsa ishus.

They gots abortion, them gays thaat wanna marry up, them prayers in schools, machine guns for everybubba, nasty movies and teevee.

Yessir...they gots lots of ishoos. Oh, yeah, and there's those comanists.

[calimary]

5. Well, james, we have indeed been awash in evil.

It's called "Focus on the Pharisees" - oops, I mean "Focus on the Family."

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. If Dobson were to actually read his Bible

he would know that Christians are not called to fight cuilture wars.....

[MineralMan]

12. Dobson has a very special Bible, see...

It's only got Genesis and Leviticus in the Old Testament, plus excerpts from the epistles of Paul for the New Testament. You see...he'd not a minister...just a child-beating psychologist. The Bible is pretty irrelevant to him.

His favorite verse in the Bible is: "Suffer, little children." Jesus said that in his Bible.

[stopbush]

18. You're misquoting Jesus.

Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."

The word "suffer" in this context is an archaic use of the word that means "allow."

I assume you were kidding with your post, right?

[MineralMan]

19. Of course I was kidding. You are aware of Dobson's theories

on punishing children, right?

[stopbush]

23. Yeah. Dobson is a perverted asshole.

[stopbush]

15. Christians not called to fight culture wars?

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." - Jesus Christ, Matthew 10

Sounds like the definition of a culture war to me.

Perhaps you're the one who needs to read the Bible.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. You just mentioned context...

He was taking his followers from their homes to follow him, removing them from one faith tradition to another, in that moment. And he clearly says the foes are in the family home. That is no the wider culture, now is it? Can you show us how he lead any form of war againt the wider Roman culture? He called out those of his own faith, not those of other faiths, so he was very much tearing families asunder, but gee, he never took up againt the powers that be or the poets of the day at all.
He was talking about his life at the time, to his followers at the time. If you ask me, that much is clear as a bell.

[stopbush]

24. "Context." Next to "metaphor" it's the Christian's favorite

gambit to excuse away the distasteful things Jesus said.

[Starry Messenger]

7. The right wing won the real battle they were fighting, though.

Sowing discord and misinformation that we will be battling for years. But if Dobson is depressed that does put a smile on my lips.

[blindpig]

16. You got that right.

The whole culture war's purpose is to divide the people on these non-economic issues while the rich make whoopie. Dobson is just a tool.

[burning rain]

8. Good to know he can die happy.

*

[stopbush]

9. Asshole.

[malaise]

10. Dobson isn't fooling me

He made a pile of money which was always the plan.

[opihimoimoi]

11. Only NOW he realized.....he was on the LOSING side of things? DUH he is such a dufus

WMCJ....."its TOO EASY"

[drm604]

13. Maybe this has been said on here before,

but it really bugs me that "family" has become a codeword for narrow-minded right-wing fundamentalist religion.

[L0oniX]

14. \/\/()()T

[ruggerson]

17. Does CBS still employ him with his ridiculous spew?

[pretzel4gore]

20. according to Frank's 'Whattamatta wid Kansas'? that was the idea all along!

Jesus Christ- and the guy still complains!

[ColbertWatcher]

21. WTF is with these superstitious asswipes?

Okay, let's pretend for a moment there is someone living in the clouds, just like Dobson believes.

Doesn't Dobson's cloud-dweller "test" "His children" from time to time?

Does Dobson really believe he would pass his cloud-dwelling "Father's" tests with all his war talk?

Seriously, I have no idea what these people have convinced themselves of but it would be quite entertaining if they weren't so dangerous.

[izquierdista]

25. How prescient of him to realize that

Now if he would just go watch "Downfall" and emulate the losers in that movie, the rest of us would be better off.

[Ishoutandscream2]

26. Don't let this bastard fool ya

They are not going down without a fight. The stake needs to be driven in the heart. Hard, and fucking deep. No mercy!

[butterfly77]

27. These are really something else..

they are a lot of the reason why some of these problems exist,due to 30 yrs of their policies.

[Crankie Avalon]

28. They don't want to "win."

These people just want to make themselves feel good and energized through relentless self-righteous posturing over how the world isn't up to their public moral standards. In private, they are usually the ones with the most moral failings and skeletons in their closets. Dramatically pointing the finger at "depravity" allows them to wallow in it in public while simultaneously shifting scrutiny away from themselves. Being able to declare victory would end all that. The thrill of titillation disguised as outrage is the real motive of these self-described "family" groups.

Edit to add: well, that and just the good old fashioned thrill of holding yourself above some other group.