First the liberal worldview was to blame for Congressman Mark Foley’s perversion, and now James Dobson is accusing the media of unfair attacks and bizarrely, he says, “trying to somehow connect evangelicals with this scandal.”
Yes, indeed. Let’s talk about bizarre.
Last week, shortly after Foley resigned in disgrace after his pornographic e-mails sent to 16-year-old boys came to light, the Colorado Springs-based ministry was quick to blame it on left-wing “notions” that “obscenity is just another form of free speech.”
In the latest version of point the finger left at the scandal, Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, has angrily denounced liberal politicians and the media for trying to “make political hay and tarnish the reputation of conservative candidates and all Christians – including him – in the process.”
Dobson’s convoluted efforts to elucidate the unfairness of it all appeared in an Oct. 6 article in Citizenlink, which is published by, yes, Focus on the Family. It details what Dobson spoke to that same day on his nationally syndicated radio program.
It’s best if we just try to piece through it.
“What Congressman Foley did was inexcusable, reprehensible and morally depraved,” Dobson was quoted saying. “Let there be no question about the position we have taken on this.”
That’s all he needed to say. Really. But he couldn”t stop.
“As we know, the media and the Democrats saw an opportunity to make much, much, more out of it,” Dobson said, “impugning the morals and character, not only of this disgraced congressman, but of entire the entire Republican Congress – and Christian conservatives, including me.”
Then Dobson launched into a tirade against New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who had wondered how Dobson would respond to the Foley scandal. Does anyone see Monica Lewinsky coming?
“In fact, it does outrage me, Mr. Krugman,” Dobson said. “We condemn the Foley affair categorically. And we also believe that what Mr. Clinton did was one of the most embarrassing and wicked things ever done by a president in power.
“Let me remind you, sir,” he said, referring to Krugman, “that it was not just James Dobson who found the Lewinsky affair reprehensible. More than 140 newspapers called for Clinton’s resignation. But the president didn’t do what Mr. Foley did in leaving – he stayed in office, and he lied to the grand jury to obscure the facts.”
OK so here’s the message I’m getting from that: Clinton stayed = villain; Foley quit = upstanding guy, did the right thing.
How wrong is that?
Read more on the flip…Then Dobson went on to blame – guess who? – the liberals some more, claiming that they knew about Foley’s problem for “years,” but only put it out on the last day of the congressional session.
Uh, Dr. Dobson, the Republican leadership reportedly was told about Foley’s perversion for years. Why didn’t you mention that?
Dobson goes on, and on, including equating pedophilia with being gay: “I’d like to remind everybody that Mark Foley was not an evangelical Christian, he was not a pastor, he was not an evangelist – he wasn’t even really part of the pro-family movement, he was a closet homosexual.” Dobson ended with a bottom-line call for “value voters” to turn out in November, ostensibly so we can turn the evil, immoral liberal ship around, possibly for good.
If you are confused beyond belief about this stream of consciousness, you’re in good company. On Oct. 10, the Rev. Jeff Carr, an ordained minister with the Church of the Nazarene, and the Chief Operations Officer for Sojourners/Call to Renewal, thankfully penned an open letter to Dobson in response. The following is a snippet of what Carr had to say.
“I just read your words that were posted on your Web site on Friday about the Foley scandal, and I must say I was very disappointed, but not surprised. While, thankfully, you did condemn the acts of Rep. Foley, you spent the majority of your time attacking “the liberal media,” the Democratic party, and gay people – who, according to your thinking, are the real problem in America.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think your statement rings true for millions of evangelical Christians, who believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus and the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures … inerrantly revealing the will of God concerning us in all things necessary to our salvation (Church of the Nazarene Manual). Your statement comes across as the same kind of partisan rhetoric that you claim to be fighting. More hubris than humility. More politics than principle.
“The problem in American politics is that our leaders have succumbed to a lust for power and domination that is characteristic of the world. Rather than just condemn the acts of a sick congressman, I had hoped you would criticize an entire political system that is held by the vice grip of this lust for power.”
