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Dobson Memo Announces Plans to Launch Political Arm For His New Organization

Submitted by Kyle on July 29, 2010 - 11:18am

You know who we haven't mentioned here in a while?  James Dobson. 

Ever since he left Focus on the Family, he has sort of fallen off the radar, but rest assured that he is still hard at work advancing his Religious Right agenda, only on a much smaller scale with his new effort "Family Talk With James Dobson."

For instance, earlier this month he hosted a two-day discussion with Tony Perkins and Gary Bauer about how President Obama is on a mission to systematically destroy the Christian faith and another two-day discussion with Chuck Colson and Robert George about the same thing.

And he has also penned a new memo explaining that God told him he was not allowed to retire because "there is still too much work to be done" and to that end Family Talk will soon be launching a 501c4 political organization so that they can take a more active role in the fight: 

I have never been more concerned about this great nation and its families than I am right now. Every day, it seems, another tenant of traditional morality goes down in flames. When I left Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and USC School of Medicine, the institution of the family was already showing signs of cracking. I’m not claiming to be a prophet, but I foresaw three decades ago what we are experiencing as a nation today. The Judeo-Christian system of values was despised even then in some circles. The only thing that has changed is that the assault on the family and cultural morality has become much more vicious.

The institution of marriage is undergoing a complete overhaul. For example, despite the fact that 30 out of 30 states have voted to define marriage as being exclusively between one man and one woman, various courts have begun chipping away at that foundation. One of them, a district court in Massachusetts, struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, on July 8th, which was passed by the votes of 427 members in Congress, and signed by President Bill Clinton. It has been the law of the land since 1996. A single, arrogant, imperious judge has decided to declare the law null and void. The Obama Administration might not choose to appeal the ruling, which causes me anguish.

On another front, the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court is considering the constitutionality of Proposition 8, by which the exclusivity of traditional marriage between one man and one woman was affirmed by the people of California. The Ninth Court is the most liberal appellate court in the land, yet the future of marriage rests in its hands, at least for now. A decision is expected any day.

The attack on America’s institutions continues in full swing. The National Day of Prayer has been declared unconstitutional, and Congress is about to end the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for the military, which will make open homosexuality legal in all branches of our Armed Forces.

The country is being systematically bankrupt, and beginning January 1, 2011, every family is going to be hit with draconian new taxes. Even the marriage penalty tax is scheduled to be reinstated. We MUST fight this attempt to undermine the financial integrity of the family!

Judge Elena Kagan, President Obama’s selection for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, may be confirmed by the time you get this letter. She has encountered little opposition from Republicans to this point. Kagan is a supporter of partial birth abortion and holds numerous other leftist positions.

And on it goes. This is a time for Christian people to be in fervent prayer for our country.

Family Talk will fight with all its resources to defend the family against those who would destroy it. We will wage war on those who would manipulate children for political purposes, or try to weaken the military. These and other institutions of our democracy need all the help they can get. We want to be counted among those who will stand firm against the forces that are trying to bring Western Civilization down.

In order to do that job more effectively, we hope to start a 501(c)(4) organization just as soon as we are able to accomplish it financially. This will be a vitally important addition to the Family Talk tool chest, helping us do even more to address the moral and cultural issues confronting the family. Our day will come, but it is not here yet.

Of course, that might have to wait a bit because elsewhere in the memo, Dobson reports that "only 25% of the required funds are coming in to support Family Talk even at current levels."

But perhaps the most interesting revelation is that Dobson admits that though he intended to eventually step away from Focus on the Family, the Board basically forced him out this year:  

There is another reason for my departure. There is wisdom in the old adage that two captains can sink a ship. Jim Daly was my choice to succeed me, and we saw many things similarly. It gradually became clear, however, that we had significant philosophical differences. Jim has expressed his views on these matters in numerous articles and interviews. I have not spoken about them until now, but my perspectives are quite different, especially when it comes to confronting those who would weaken the family and undermine our faith. When I recognized these divergent views, therefore, I knew that I would be leaving, probably on June 1st or August 27th of this year. Our board of directors agreed but asked us to complete the transition on February 26th. Thus, my tenure at Focus on the Family suddenly came to an end.

PFAW
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The Religious Right's Bizarre Understanding of the Establishment Clause

Submitted by Kyle on July 7, 2010 - 1:55pm

Every once in a while we get an insight into the rather unique views that drive the Religious Right agenda and realize that they tend to inhabit a world of their own.

Take, for instance, this brief filed by the Liberty Institute on behalf to James Dobson, the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family Action, Liberty Counsel and nearly thirty other Religious Right groups in support of the National Day of Prayer in the case of Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Obama.

The Religious Right has been up-in-arms for months ever since a judge ruled that the National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional and so these groups have decided to lay out their arguments as to why that ruling was wrong. 

Most of the brief [PDF] focuses on the question of standing and claims that the "history and tradition" of events like the National Day of Prayer prove that it is constitutional. 

But it is this final line of argument that really demonstrates the Religious Right's fundamentally skewed view, which is that not having a National Day of Prayer is an act of hostility toward religion:

The National Day of Prayer is a benign acknowledgement of the religious nature of the American people. Moreover, participation in this acknowledgement is entirely voluntary, and does not entail any person’s being subjected to unwelcome assertions of religious faith.

Congress amended the National Day of Prayer statute in 1988 to specify the calendar day upon which the observance is proclaimed. This amendment, too, was an accommodation of religion consistent with Supreme Court precedent, as well as the precedent of this Court.

Invalidating the National Day of Prayer would be an act of hostility to religion, not the accommodating neutrality required by the Establishment Clause.

Apparently, the First Amendment means that the US government is obligated to declare a National Day of Prayer because failure to do so would be "an act of hostility to religion" and therefore a violation of the Establishment Clause.

That's right - to the Religious Right, the "neutrality" required by the Establishment Clause actually requires Congress to promote religion. 

PFAW
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Dobson Gets Back In The Game

Submitted by Kyle on June 14, 2010 - 8:57am

James Dobson officially left Focus on the Family in February and started his new radio program, "Family Talk With Dr. James Dobson" in March ... and it took him just about a month to use his new program to do what he does best: 

On today’s program, Dr. Dobson sits down with Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes for a revealing interview about how forces in American society are sometimes surreptitiously removing all references to Christianity. Congressman Forbes describes the formation of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and the successes this group has had on the cultural battlefront.

The Christian Post reports that Dobson reiterated his standard concern that Christians are under constant attack while Forbes used the program as opportunity to call for the creation of state-level prayer caucuses that will monitoring legislation, court rulings, and elected officials:

Before Forbes was featured on Friday's broadcast, Dobson noted to listeners that the newly launched Family Talk is not being turned into a ministry that has "a political or public policy bent." But he stressed the significance of still addressing such issues and was unapologetic about doing so with passion.

"That's who we are and might as well state that up front," said Dobson, who started Family Talk with his son after leaving the prominent Focus on the Family ministry in February.

"This is the one reason that I didn't want to retire when I left Focus on the Family," the 74-year-old conservative evangelical leader stated. "The country is in a great deal of trouble and I just felt like we needed to do something about it."

Like many like-minded Christians, Dobson feels there is a growing attack against Christianity and efforts to eliminate all references to the Christian faith.

Expressing the same level of concern, Forbes said "anti-faith" groups around the country are amassing huge sums of money and focusing their resources on one particular situation or lawsuit so that they can get a precedent ... A number of states have begun to form prayer caucuses, including Mississippi and Virginia. Part of the purpose of prayer caucuses is to monitor legislation, agency rulings and court opinions that deny religious freedoms and access to the marketplace of ideas for people of faith, he said.

Forbes hopes to see prayer caucuses in every state "because it would be the first time that we have been able to integrate all of these policymakers across the country so that they can know what's going on and we can have policies that effectively deal with some of these attacks before it's too late."

Dobson also used the opportunity to post a commentary on the Family Talk website, blasting various legislative efforts - including efforts to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell - and vowing to place Family Talk on the "front lines" in fighting them: 

Time and space limitations permit me only to mention another regrettable piece of legislation that passed in the House of Representatives on May 27, 2010. It would eliminate the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for all branches of the military. The four senior officers of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, have said “Don’t do this.” It threatens to affect morale, recruitment, retention, and the effectiveness of those who are risking their lives to protect this great nation. Yet, the attitude by liberals in Congress appears to be, “This is our window of opportunity,” and they are plunging ahead at breakneck speed. President Obama has promised to sign the legislation. Why does that surprise us?

On these issues and many others, Family Talk will be on the front lines of the battle to preserve the family. It is difficult now for us to engage fully because of the limitations of a 501(c)(3) organization. Nevertheless, we will do everything permitted by the IRS. We hope soon to have more freedom to defend families and help preserve the Judeo-Christian system of values. Your assistance in making Family Talk a strong and effective ministry will pay dividends in days to come. That is our passionate commitment.

PFAW
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Rove, Dobson Headline Pacific Justice Institute Banquet

Submitted by Kyle on May 13, 2010 - 11:45am

The Pacific Justice Institute is not a particularly well-known group.  In fact, it is quite likely that most people who read this blog don't even recognize the name ... but they probably recognize this video:

That is Brad Dacus, PJI 's President, explaining before the 2008 election how failure to pass Prop 8 in California would be akin to failing to stop Hitler.

But just because PJI is less well-known than many of the other right-wing legal groups, that doesn't mean that it doesn't have some rather high-profile supporters, like Karl Rove and James Dobson:

Addressing a group of roughly 600 people, a senior advisor to former president George W. Bush recently spoke on the importance of faith, family and freedom -- the "timeless values of America."

At the Pacific Justice Institute's 2010 Celebration of Justice Banquet in Anaheim, California, Karl Rove exhorted listeners to defend these values and to make an "argument" for them in all communities. He praised the family as the source that defines America and molds its individuals, saying, "It's in the family where hearts and minds of children are shaped. If society loves and cherishes life, it is because families love and cherish life."

...

He exhorted the audience to continue taking a stand for the values in which they believe, concluding that "if we stay in the fight, we will win the fight. If we love our country, we need to defend our country."

Other gala speakers included PJI attorney Brad Dacus, Dr. James Dobson, and Father Frank Pastore of Priests for Life.

For those that are interested, the East Bay Express ran a good profile of Dacus and PJI last year:

Religious convictions have compelled Dacus to take on such cases as a fight to allow Bakersfield students to opt out of a homosexual teacher's class, a tussle with a Utah public school that he claims was peddling a book "promoting witchcraft" via the Scholastic Book Club catalog, and — while employed by the conservative Rutherford Institute — the defense of the family of a teenage Nebraska boy who, with his parents' help, had his girlfriend arrested for seeking an abortion. For the courts to find in favor of the girl, Dacus told Time in 1994, would have had "a chilling effect" on free speech.

PFAW
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Dobson and Graham Warn Christians Are Losing Their Religious Freedom

Submitted by Kyle on May 5, 2010 - 9:57am

Earlier this morning, the Family Research Council hosted a pre-National Day of Prayer webcast featuring Franklin Graham, James Dobson, Harry Jackson, and Tony Perkins.

During their respective addresses, both Dobson and Graham warned those in attendance that Christianity was on the road to becoming illegal, with Dobson claiming that there are people in high places committed to eradicating every vestige of Christianity from the public square and Graham comparing the US to Communist Europe and China where Christians are not allowed to preach outside of the church walls, saying such restrictions are coming to America, probably in his lifetime:

In related new, it seems that Graham is miffed about being disinvited to the Pentagon's Day of Prayer event and is now lashing out at President Obama, saying that if he doesn't get the action reversed, "it will be a slap in the face of all Christians":

If President Obama fails to intervene to allow controversial evangelist Franklin Graham to lead a National Day of Prayer event Thursday inside the Pentagon, "it will be a slap in the face of all Christians," Graham said Tuesday.

And invited or not, he'll stand in front of the Pentagon and pray, Graham said in an interview.

...

In an interview Tuesday with USA TODAY, Graham reiterated his belief that "Muslims do not worship the same 'God the Father' I worship." He laughed at Hinduism's many manifestations of God: "No elephant with 100 arms can do anything for me. None of their 9,000 gods is going to lead me to salvation.

"We are fooling ourselves if we think we can have some big kumbaya service and all hold hands and it's all going to get better in this world. It's not going to get better," Graham said.

He also said Obama pays attention only to black charismatic and Pentecostal pastors, such as his spiritual adviser, Joshua Dubois. Dubois heads the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which has dozens of advisers from a wide spectrum of denominations.

...

Still, Graham said, he "warned" Dubois that Obama is losing millions of "mainstream evangelicals" because he appears to be "soft on Islam" and he doesn't stand up for the "rights of the historic Christian majority."

PFAW
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Dobson's Makes "Embarrassing Mistake" in Kentucky; Unendorses Grayson, Endorses Paul

Submitted by Kyle on May 3, 2010 - 8:03am

Last week, we noted that James Dobson, despite his claim that he doesn't endorse many political candidates, seemed to be ... well, endorsing a lot of candidates.  

Among the candidates he had endorsed was Trey Grayson in the Republican primary for a Senate in Kentucky.

But now Dobson has withdrawn his endorsement of Grayson, calling it an "embarrassing mistake" and instead endorsed Rand Paul:

Dr. James Dobson has changed his endorsement in the Republican primary for United States Senate in Kentucky. Below is the text of Dr. James Dobson's endorsement of Dr. Rand Paul in the race for U.S. Senate.

Dr. James Dobson: "Have you ever made an embarrassing mistake? I did just that last week. I was given misleading information about the candidacy of Dr. Rand Paul, who is running in the Republican Primary for the U.S. Senate. Senior members of the GOP told me Dr. Paul is pro-choice and that he opposes many conservative perspectives, so I endorsed his opponent.

“But now I've received further information from OB/GYN's in Kentucky whom I trust, and from interviewing the candidate himself.

“I now know that he is avidly pro life. He believes that life begins at conception.

“He opposes earmarking and supports Israel. He identifies with the Tea Party movement and believes in home schooling. Sounds like my kind of man.

“If I lived in Kentucky, I would vote for Dr. Rand Paul. Would you consider sending him to the U.S. Senate to shake things up in Washington?"

This message from Dobson has been turned into a radio ad for Paul, which can be heard here.

PFAW
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Dobson: "As You Know, I Do Not Personally Endorse Many Political Candidates"

Submitted by Kyle on April 28, 2010 - 10:01am

Back in February, James Dobson announced his endorsement of Rep. Todd Tiahrt, who is running for the vacant US Senate in Kansas, claiming that while he normally didn't endorse candidates, 2010 was so important that he had to make an exception: 

As you know, I do not personally endorse many political candidates. However, with the stakes so high in the 2010 elections, I believe it is imperative that we elect Christian leaders who will fight for the principles that promote strong family values. That is why I am enthusiastically endorsing Todd Tiahrt in his race for the United States Senate.

If the idea that Dobson was reluctant to endorse candidates seemed odd to you, you were not alone, considering that he endorsed Mike Huckabee back in 2008 and then all but endorsed John McCain after explicitly and repeatedly declaring that he would not vote for McCain under any circumstances.

Since then, Dobson has gone on to endorse several other candidates heading into the 2010 elections: 

Rick Perry

Gov. Rick Perry today received the endorsement of Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, for re-election in 2010.

“Over the years, Gov. Perry has established a record that is consistently pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-religious liberty,” said Dr. Dobson. “He has demonstrated his deep regard for the sanctity of life by signing more pro-life bills into law than any other governor in Texas history. He demonstrated his support for the God-given institution of marriage by strongly supporting the Texas Marriage Amendment. And he has helped lead the effort to establish the strongest protections for religious liberty in the state of Texas. No other candidate in this race measures up to the high standards established by Gov. Perry on these critical issues of our day.”

Dan Coats

Dr. James Dobson, the influential evangelical and founder of Focus on the Family, is endorsing Republican Dan Coats in the race for Senate in Indiana, the Coats campaign said Monday.

“I have long respected former Senator Dan Coats for his integrity and his legislative influence in the Congress,” Dobson said in a statement. “I also admire his personal commitment to his Christian faith in public life. Dan has been a consistent leader of pro-family causes and a stalwart defender of unborn children. If my wife Shirley and I were Hoosiers, we would definitely vote for Dan Coats in the May 4th primary.”

In addition to the endorsement, Dobson cut a radio ad on Coats’ behalf that is set to run starting on Tuesday.

Trey Grayson

Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, announced today that he is endorsing Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

“Trey Grayson is the only candidate with the conviction to lead on the issues that matter to Kentucky families. His unwavering commitment to the sanctity of human life and the family resonates with me. I know that he will be a leader on these issues, not just another Senator who checks the box. As a matter of conscience, I encourage Kentuckians to support Trey Grayson on May 18th,” said Dobson.

You know, for someone who claims not to "personally endorse many political candidates," James Dobson sure does seem to be personally endorsing a lot of political candidates.

PFAW
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Dobson Set To Return Next Month With "Family Talk"

Submitted by Kyle on April 22, 2010 - 8:12am

After finally leaving Focus on the Family in February, James Dobson kind of dropped off that radar as he went out setting up his next venture with this son, Ryan.  Now it looks like that venture, called "Family Talk" is set to officially kick off next month:

It is with excitement that I tell you that the ministry of Family Talk is coming together rapidly and that our first broadcast is scheduled to be heard beginning May 3rd. The best estimate at this time is that approximately 200 radio stations will carry the program at least once daily throughout the United States. The format will feature my two associates, Ryan Dobson and LuAnne Crane, and me in a 30-minute discussion about family-related topics, cultural issues, and matters relevant to our Christian faith.

And as Dobson, Ryan, and LuAnne Crane prepare to launch their radio program, he wants it knows that anyone expected a "softer, gentler" James Dobson is going to be disappointed: 

Another reason we have started this new ministry is to continue our defense of righteousness within the culture. That commitment to moral and spiritual truths has not changed and will not be compromised one iota. Please don’t expect me to take a “softer, gentler” approach to the issues that burn within my soul. I have never spoken or written without passion for values in which I believe, and I don’t intend to start now. Babies are dying, the very definition of marriage is under attack, the financial underpinnings of families are being destroyed by confiscatory taxation, and children of all ages are being taught wickedness and every form of godlessness. This is no time to grow timid!

...

Let me assure you again that we have NOT, and will not, abandon our commitment to morality, liberty, the sanctity of human life, marriage and parenthood, and the essentials of our Christian faith! Those eternal verities will never change.

PFAW
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Dobson Teams Up With Porter For May Day Prayer Rally

Submitted by Kyle on February 25, 2010 - 3:27pm

I can't decide if this is evidence that Janet Porter is becoming more "mainstream" within the Religious Right movement or evidence that James Dobson is moving further out toward the fringe, but Dobson has recorded an audio message on behalf of Porter's upcoming "May Day" prayer rally at the Lincoln Memorial:

Hello everyone, I'm James Dobson and today I hope you'll give some serious though to participating in a very important event this spring; it's called "May Day 2010: A Cry to God For a Nation in Distress." Our nation faces what is perhaps the most serious moral crisis since the Civil War as we've turned our backs on God and have clearly displeased him.

May Day 2010 is a time to come together and proclaim what God has done in the past, to pray for forgiveness, and to plead for God's mercy on all of us. It will be held Saturday, May the first at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

We're looking for thousands of pastors and churches to get involved. Call (405) 796-PRAY or log-on to Mayday2010.org to find out how you can participate or volunteer.

PFAW
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James Dobson Striking Out On His Own

Submitted by Kyle on January 4, 2010 - 9:14am

Last February, it was announced that James Dobson was stepping down from his position as Chairman of Focus on the Family.  Following that announcement, we started seeing lots of articles claiming that Dobson had conceded the culture wars and was throwing in the towel, a claim which Dobson vigorously disputed, saying that even though he was stepping down as Chairman, we would maintain his presence as the voice of Focus on the Family's flagship radio program and continue to speak out on moral and political issues.

Then Jim Daly took over as Chairman for the organization and began hinting that we'd see a different tone from them ... but that proved to be easier said then done, with Dobson remaining that voice of the organization and agenda.  Which is why, in October, it was announced that Dobson would be leaving the Focus radio program in February.

As Dobson made clear, the decision to leave was not his, but came to him from the Board of Directors, which Dobson only accepted because God told him that he had bigger plans in mind.

Now it looks like those plans are beginning to take shape because when Dobson leaves Focus in February, he's striking out on his own and setting up a new organization and radio program that will seemingly compete directly with his former organization because, as he explains, he just cannot sit on the sidelines at a time of such "moral decline":

This is the first announcement of a brand new 30 minute daily radio program to be carried on numerous stations, beginning in March, 2010. It is called JCDs Family Forum, and will be changed soon to James Dobson on the Family. The program will be much like what you have heard on Focus on the Family for the past 33 years. It will deal with marriage, child-rearing, family finances, medical and psychological concerns, national issues, the sanctity of human life, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My son, Ryan Dobson, will co-host the program with me, which will be a exciting adventure.

...

From one perspective, it would be pleasurable for Shirley and me to get up in the morning and go to breakfast, read the newspaper, travel and be with friends. That prospect of an easy life is attractive to us. On the other hand, the institution of the family continues to be in deplorable condition, and children are growing up in a culture that often twists and warps their young minds. Furthermore, our nation is facing a crisis that threatens its very existence. We are in a moral decline of shocking dimensions. I have asked myself how I can I sit and watch the world go by without trying to help if I can. That is what motivates me at this time.

It is not fame or fortune that drives this new effort. I will not take a salary from the ministry and I have had more than my share of fame. My purpose is much like it was all those years ago when I made the most dramatic career move of my life, transitioning from a coveted professorial position in academia to a lowly little Christian radio program heard once a week on 34 stations. Tyndale House Publishers gave us a grant of $35,000 to get us started, and when that money ran out, we almost closed our doors. But then, the Lord's people reached out to us generously and the ministry caught fire. Perhaps it will happen again.

If you wish to help us get started, send your contributions to JCD's Family Forum, which will later be called James Dobson on the Family. Gifts are tax deductible and will be receipted. The address is 7150 Campus Drive, Suite 150, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80920. Contributions can also be made through the website. Your participation will be greatly appreciated, especially during this time when startup costs will be very expensive. The budget for the first year, including the costs of radio airtime, will be about two million dollars. Even a small gift for that purpose will be significant.

Once again, we will build from the ground up in a shared venture.

Please be in prayer for us as we take this step. We don't want to get ahead of or behind the Lord. If He doesn't bless our efforts to serve Him, it will all be for naught. Thank you for reading along with me today. Once again, my heart is pounding with the excitement of doing something that could be significant for others. I invite you to take the journey with us.

PFAW
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