One of our contributors, Jacob Reitan, recently was arrested while attending a protest against intolerance at the Colorado headquarters of Focus on the Family (FOTF).
Personally, having been raised in the Evangelical tradition, I have long held Dr. James Dobson, the founder of FOTF, in high regard.
In 1977, suspicious of both reason and science, many Evangelicals had lost the ability to incorporate the modern world and its new behavioral sciences into viable Bible-centered lifestyles, and needed Dobson's then - "new" focus to assist them.
Dobson was effective in bringing sound child-development theories and mental-health issues to the attention of the Evangelical churches, an din providing essential family-counseling resources to church libraries and pastoral staffs.
As Evangelicals, we sorely needed someone like Dobson to promote rational discussions within our congregations regarding emotions, sexuality, mental illness, and child development.
A radical shift occurred in Dobson's ministry in 1982, however, when President Ronald Reagan appointed him to a special commission on pornography.
To some observers, Dobson began to lose focus on his initial ministerial aims, spending an increasing amount of on-air time discussing politics, a trend that only worsened during the great abortion wars of the late '80s.
By 2005, "Focus on the Family" more readily could have been called "Focus on Washington."
Instead of teaching Christians how to incorporate up-to-date psychological and counseling principles into their spiritual and family lives, Dobson now seemed intent upon injecting his personal spiritual view into their politics.
Where once we might have looked to him for help in understanding what it means to be a queer Christian or to have a gay child, he now simply informed us that gays do not fit his political agenda.
Dobson gave up his former professionally objective position, and assumed a personal political stance.
It is important to realize today, as we deal with FOTF as a political force, that Dobson still retains credibility with moderate Evangelicals because of that sorely needed assistance he once gave to them in their personal lives.
The only way for Americans of every stripe to survive to present culture wars is for all sides to agree reasonably to disagree, and to honor that old American ideal: freedom of (and from) personal religion.
With this in mind, Dobson's ministry could become effective again by refocusing, this time away from politics, with a return to his original calling and vision.
originally published 13-26 May, 2005
Lavender Magazine, v 11, no 260
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Personally, having been raised in the Evangelical tradition, I have long held Dr. James Dobson, the founder of FOTF, in high regard.
In 1977, suspicious of both reason and science, many Evangelicals had lost the ability to incorporate the modern world and its new behavioral sciences into viable Bible-centered lifestyles, and needed Dobson's then - "new" focus to assist them.
Dobson was effective in bringing sound child-development theories and mental-health issues to the attention of the Evangelical churches, an din providing essential family-counseling resources to church libraries and pastoral staffs.
As Evangelicals, we sorely needed someone like Dobson to promote rational discussions within our congregations regarding emotions, sexuality, mental illness, and child development.
A radical shift occurred in Dobson's ministry in 1982, however, when President Ronald Reagan appointed him to a special commission on pornography.
To some observers, Dobson began to lose focus on his initial ministerial aims, spending an increasing amount of on-air time discussing politics, a trend that only worsened during the great abortion wars of the late '80s.
By 2005, "Focus on the Family" more readily could have been called "Focus on Washington."
Instead of teaching Christians how to incorporate up-to-date psychological and counseling principles into their spiritual and family lives, Dobson now seemed intent upon injecting his personal spiritual view into their politics.
Where once we might have looked to him for help in understanding what it means to be a queer Christian or to have a gay child, he now simply informed us that gays do not fit his political agenda.
Dobson gave up his former professionally objective position, and assumed a personal political stance.
It is important to realize today, as we deal with FOTF as a political force, that Dobson still retains credibility with moderate Evangelicals because of that sorely needed assistance he once gave to them in their personal lives.
The only way for Americans of every stripe to survive to present culture wars is for all sides to agree reasonably to disagree, and to honor that old American ideal: freedom of (and from) personal religion.
With this in mind, Dobson's ministry could become effective again by refocusing, this time away from politics, with a return to his original calling and vision.
originally published 13-26 May, 2005
Lavender Magazine, v 11, no 260
Minneapolis, Minnesota
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