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Dobson to Attack Obama Tuesday for Distorting the Bible, Having a "Fruitcake" Interpretation of the Constitution
June 23, 2008 9:35 PM
Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family -- who has stayed unusually quiet in this election cycle likely due to his loathing of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. -- will tomorrow attack Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, on Tuesday for a speech the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee delivered in 2006 to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal.
The AP was given an advance copy of Dobson's 18-minute radio segment, which has already been taped, and will air Tuesday.
In it, Dobson hammers Obama's views of religion, and says the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is trying to govern by the "lowest common denominator of morality," and calls Obama's views "a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution."
Obama's original speech, delivered on June 28, 2006, (you can listen to it HERE) started with a discussion of his 2004 Senate opponent, Alan Keyes, who said that "Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama."
Obama said that he "was urged by some of my liberal supporters not to take this statement seriously, to essentially ignore it….But what they didn't understand, however, was that I had to take Mr. Keyes seriously, for he claimed to speak for my religion, and my God. He claimed knowledge of certain truths." Moreover, "Keyes's implicit accusation that I was not a true Christian nagged at me."
The speech delves into Obama's view of the constructive role religion plays in society, beseeching "work that progressive leaders need to do" on the subject, followed by his views of "what conservative leaders need to do -- some truths they need to acknowledge."
That included "the critical role that the separation of church and state has played in preserving not only our democracy, but the robustness of our religious practice," Obama said, as well as "the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers."
"And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama asked. "Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount - a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let's read our bibles. Folks haven't been reading their bibles."
Dobson responds, per the AP, that "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology" and charges that Obama "is dragging Biblical understanding through the gutter."
"Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?" Dobson asks. "What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe."
In response to Dobson's comments, Joshua DuBois, national director of religious affairs for the Obama campaign responded in a statement: "Barack Obama is committed to reaching out to people of faith and standing up for American families, and a full reading of his 2006 Call to Renewal speech shows just that. Obama is proud to have the support of millions of Americans of faith and looks forward to working across religious lines to bring our country together."
- jpt
June 23, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (199)
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Why are people always so against fruitcake.....I personally really like fruitcake. I live in a free country were I can have my fruitcake and enjoy it too! Whether it is Obama or Dobson.
Isn't it great that we live in a free country....Obama can say what he likes and I don't have to agree with him....Dobson can say what he likes and I can agree with him if I want to.....or not. I can vote for whoever I wish.....Dobson is not running for President, but, I could write him in if I want to vote for him. No one ( at least not yet) will come looking for me and drag me away if I vote for what I believe in....if I vote for the person I believe in. It would be so great if people in this country could come together on some of these things that bother us and work for the good of all people instead of name calling back and forth.... this country was meant to work that way. I believe we are on the brink of another Civil War....will the Black man please stand up for the innocent ones who are not given human being inalienable rights to LIFE, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Obama, could it be that you were given those freedoms for such a time as this?
Posted by: Jan | Jun 24, 2008 12:23:53 PM
You have to be an idiot to pay any attention whatsoever to James Dobson.
Posted by: david dial | Jun 24, 2008 12:15:52 PM
This is too delicious. So Dobson is saying that the New Testament is what should guide us, not the Old. I guess that means that gay marriage is cool now, given the fact that it's only mentioned in the Old Testament. What a chump.
Posted by: SpaceCat | Jun 24, 2008 11:54:42 AM
Nobody distorts the bible to fit their straight-jacketed views than "Focus on the Family" or other far far right evangelicals.
I remember on Pat Roberstson saying debit and cash cards were another sign of the apocolypse.
People talk about the seperation of church and state. Many think this was done so that people could worship as they pleased (As long as it was Christian). What seperation of church and state really means to me is the right to live our lives without being told by the church how to do sow. Church should stay out of politics, and politicians should leave there religious beliefs at the door.
Posted by: Sean | Jun 24, 2008 11:33:44 AM
What we are looking at here folks is some scary stuff, indeed. Let's reflect: This is a member of the same group that helped mastermind the Bush elections in the name of family values without a second thought to how many families would be destroyed in their wake. This is a man who was also a member of a so-called advisory team to the president that has slowly crumbled as the truth about who these people really are has begun to tumble out. This is a man who millions of people turn to regarding matters of family and home and because he is willing to fight (verbally) for all those babies, to them, he is a saint. They will pay him handsomely to speak and keep speaking because they believe in what he is saying. Calling him names isn't going to make him go away. Blaming his followers won't either--the pro-life stance will always tug at the heart strings of people everywhere...what we should do is worry a little more that he hasn't quieted down despite the failure of his team for the past 8 years--people are still listening to him and for that reason, I'm very, very afraid...
Posted by: recovering born again | Jun 24, 2008 11:28:22 AM
Dave: Does Reverend Wright fit into your fundamentalist model?
Posted by: Just Curious | Jun 24, 2008 11:22:54 AM
Once again, the literalist interpretation is assumed to be the only correct interpretation of the Bible. It is in fact a distortion. These people, such as Dobson, claim 'the Bible only,' but are really slaves to a historical tradition of inconsistant literal interpretation of the Bible. This fundamentalism has dominated evangelicanism for decades. It is a broken vessel. Things are changing. The teachings of Jesus continue to inspire and enrich well beyond the literalists. Evangelicanism itself may well expand beyond the literalists. Just look at the move among many evangelicals to embrace stewardship of the environment related to environmental concerns. Many evangelicals are motivated by faith as they work hard for peace and justice. People who apply the faith in these ways naturally move toward an appreciation and tolerance of others and leave behind the literalistic fundamentalism which has poisoned evangelicanism. Dobson and other fundamentalists are losing control and they are hopping mad about it.
Posted by: Dave | Jun 24, 2008 10:48:29 AM
Dobson can't stand McCain, now he's critical of Obama, who is the man for? The simple rhetorical point Obama was making in his speech which had to do with making allowances for religious differences in our pluralistic society was completely sound, Dobson only took exception to it in order to draw attention to age old differences between evangelicals and the Democratic party. We've had elections where our most urgent priorities, (the economy, Iraq etc.) were submerged in a tide of anti gay marriage and anti abortion rhetoric, and now look where it's gotten us. I'm no fan of either of those democratic positions, but I'm willing to put them on the back burner to stop the bleeding in the economy, the war, health care and all the more pressing issues.
Posted by: colinalcarz | Jun 24, 2008 10:33:53 AM
Obama is correct.
Christians tend to treat the Bible as à la carte only choosing which verses they want to adhere to.
Most of the verses against homosexuality is in the Old Testament so Dobson obviously doesn't believe the crap of the Old Testament/New Testament separation.
Don't speak about morality. McCain isn't a bastion morality and neither is Bush. If I had to align myself with either the associates of McCain, Bush or Obama... I'm going with Obama. At least it's a better class of losers.
Posted by: ThunderMonkey | Jun 24, 2008 10:14:38 AM
Obama says whatever you want to hear!
Posted by: Soetoro No! | Jun 24, 2008 10:03:26 AM
From what I can see - When Obama speaks he brings division - division between races, division with religion, people. They'll be more division with him, just watch.
This man of unity is a man who chooses to ridicule and make accusations to pave a path for his agenda. He's a snake.
Posted by: sarah | Jun 24, 2008 9:58:43 AM
Obama is a follower of Black Liberation Theology.....
For 20 Years.
Black Liberation Theology HELPED OBAMA FIND GOD.
THE ONLY THING OBAMA BELIEVES IN IS OBAMA AND HIS HYPED UP IMAGE/BRAND.
BTW ---Ramadan is coming up in September. Is Obama visiting a Mosque soon or will he wait til the holiest day for the Muslims....Bush visited Mosques...even took his shoes off during a prayer....Is visiting a Mosque part of his Religious Unity Tour?
Posted by: carpenter.nyc | Jun 24, 2008 9:51:21 AM
Another reason for Obama to come out to his supporters and whine about being attacked again.
He is always the victim.
I don't totally agree with Dobson, but I do wonder what God thinks about some of the things going on in Obama's church.
Posted by: riley | Jun 24, 2008 9:44:13 AM
Read Matthew 7:1-5 Mr. Dobson.
Posted by: God | Jun 24, 2008 9:41:47 AM
Why does the media always refer to an "ATTACK" on Obama?
Posted by: geevill | Jun 24, 2008 9:30:18 AM
The tapes just keep coming out. There are a lot more where this one came from
Posted by: geevill | Jun 24, 2008 9:24:22 AM
A Christian and don't support what Dobson teaches? (sanctity of life, there is right and wrong, families are good, death is bad, violence is bad, love is good, raise our children instead of turning them over to pop culture and Britney Spears . . .)
Hmmm. Can we agree that Christ quoted the old testament? If so then Christians should believe and live the Bible. (of course Christ was the end of the sacrifice and that part of the law) Can we even agree that you have to support and believe what Christ teaches to be a Christian or has it been changed to where you can believe what you want and just say you are a Christian? Sorry, you can't follow the world and be a Christian. I could call myseld a hot air balloon, but I would fly and Ten thousand people calling a horse a dog won't make it bark.
best
Posted by: Scott In TN | Jun 24, 2008 9:13:59 AM
Now that the race war is behind us... we can enjoy a religious war. Pathetic! Dobson is making a mountain out of a mole hill. Trying to paint Obama as a satan loving baby killer is just not going to work... and its not very Christian of him either.
Posted by: Blake | Jun 24, 2008 9:11:17 AM
I think the statement " Jesus Christ would not vote for Mr Obama" is true.
Jesus Christ cannot vote for Mr Obama firstly because He is not of this world.
Secondly, Jesus Christ's Christians should not VOTE for OBAMA since he supports ABORTION and Opposes a Constitutional Ban on Same Sex Marriages.
Mr Obama in HIS CAPACITY as a SENATOR is ready to tell his children: "hey no same sex marriage in my house" yet he is out to support a constitutional freedom for other parents kids to become Gays. What an IRONY for a CHRISTIAN.
Mr Obama, you are no Christian, you speak with your mouth that you are a CHRIST ( a citizen of Jesus Christ's Republic) yet your ACTIONS SHOW YOU ARE NOT.
YOUR CASE IS IN THE BIBLE: prophesy with words but actions NOT.
Oh God in Heaven, Bless US the CHRISTIANS who wordwise and actionwise trust you in spirit and in Truth, AMEN.
Posted by: CHO RANSOME | Jun 24, 2008 9:06:07 AM
WOW! Dob.......son has spoken! Thank you for bringing true interpretation of the Bible for us dumb lay people! Thank you for showing us lowly sinners, how truly kind, loving, charitable and uplifting Christianity is!
Now I know the truth about Obama... folks, he is one of us!
Posted by: Vinny | Jun 24, 2008 9:04:23 AM
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