James Dobson, Shut Up.
Prior to leaving for college, someone gave me Dr. Dobson's book, Life on the Edge. The book offers practical advice for young people trying to navigate through life unaffected by less than moral decision making. Dr. Dobson was revered in my household, the church I grew up in, and the university I attended. And though I fear excommunication for what I am about to say, or actually already said, I must say it: Dr. Dobson, Shut UP.
I try to stay out of politics on this blog because I don't think all of you smart people really give a hoot what Mr. McNamar from The Daily Grind thinks about politics. But I am tired of influential people like Dr. Dobson attempting to speak as if his beliefs always are from God.
If Dr. Dobson would rather not vote because both candidates, or one, does not have the exact same beliefs on abortion or gay marriage or whatever other non-issue he is preaching against, then should anyone really be listening to him? Yet, there he is, on cnn.com getting coverage.
posted by Mr. McNamar @ 7:19 PM
7 Comments
7 Comments:
How is abortion a "non-issue"? You see it either as the wanton murder of innocent life or as the embodiment of the fundamental freedom to choose. Either way, it's an important issue.
I thought I might be the only one that has reservations about Dr. Dobson. His books were helpful in the past, but he seems to be pushing his own agendas now.
...or, anonymous, I see it as a much more complicated matter than "wanton murder" or "fundamental freedom to choose."
If Dobson, and other religious leaders, really wanted to embody the figure of Jesus, they would probably make poverty THE central issue of American politics.
Mr. McNamar, I give a hoot about what you think about politics! But then, I'm not all that smart.
I am pro-life, but voting based on abortion is very chancy. Since 1980, three of our four presidents have been pro-life, but not much has changed. The most important thing a president can do is to appoint Supreme Court justices, and you can never depend on what they will do. Two of Ronald Reagan's appointees have supported abortion rights, and his first appointment was Sandra Day O'Connor who wrote the pro-choice opinion when Roe v. Wade was challenged in Pennsylvania vs. Casey. Even if Roe were overturned, I wonder how many states would decide to outlaw abortion. South Dakota voted against that in a referendum last year, and they are one of the most conservative states in the union.
I am a Catholic, and in church we are all but directly told to vote Republican because of abortion. But Republicans seem to me to be very willing to cut benefits for the poor. Somehow, that doesn't seem very "Christian" to me. I don't know if abortion should be classified as a non-issue, but politically, it's a heck of a lot more complicated than a lot of people realize.
Hello, this is the "anonymous" from before.
1) I have been involved with abortion and related issues for many years. I have not found it to be complicated because morality, when understood, is usually very simple.
2) I certainly agree that Christians ought to be concerned for the poor. But I do not believe that poverty's solution can be found through the federal government.
Peter, I think you were answering Mr. McNamar rather than me, but I'm going to respond anyway. You might not find the morality of abortion complicated, but the politics of it sure is. Rudolph Giuliani has said that he is pro-choice, but he has also said that he will appoint strict-constructionist judges. Most strict-constructionist judges are conservative these days, so it would stand to reason that they would be most willing to reverse Roe v. Wade. But strict-constructionist judges are also the ones who usually feel most bound by precedent, and are least likely to overturn previous decisions. We still don't even know for sure whether Roberts and Alito would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
On poverty, quite frankly what you say sounds a little like a cop-out. Under Johnson's War on Poverty, the percentage of people living in poverty in the U.S. went from 19% to 12%. That's a lot of people who were helped. Granted, there are problems with people becoming becoming dependent on government programs, which just goes to show that poverty is pretty complicated, too.
Someone must replace Jerry Fawell as the personal spokesman for God. Dodson is just doing what he is told, ala Moses ?????
IMO, like anyone who offers advice on any topic, if you like what is offered, accept it and try your best to make the positive changes, or decisions or whatever that will help you be a better person.
As for the abortion issue, well, it is a very personal issue. I feel it is sad in this country that too many people opt for this type of medical procedure to terminate the result of a choice they made (usually). I personally believe the "fetus" is a person from the moment of conception; the result will be a human being, not some chimp or lobster or earthworm. I would also like to see the father have a say in this issue.
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