LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY dkmnow)

(via gsa_lj)

It's always refreshing to see him being overtly asinine. As he increasingly slips out of stealth mode, more and more people will begin to see what he's really about.

Dobson endorsed sermon blaming "lesbian sex" for God's "abandonment" of America, justifying destruction of a U.S. city by God

On the June 4 edition of his Focus on the Family radio show, Focus on the Family founder and chairman James C. Dobson broadcast a sermon by John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, titled "A Nation Abandoned by God." In the sermon, MacArthur said America had forsaken God and engendered the "wrath of abandonment" as a result. MacArthur declared: "You know a society has been abandoned by God when it celebrates lesbian sex." MacArthur further argued that as a result of America's abandonment, the destruction of a major U.S. city "could happen" and that "God would be just in any calamity he brought upon us."

[...]

"MacArthur and his Grace Community Church were sued for clergy malpractice in 1985..."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

CNN: Christian right leader (Dobson) writes off Giuliani

( Excerpt. Click Headline for full story. )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY rwday)

Atlantic Online has the transcript of an interview between James Dobson and Joel C. Rosenberg concerning nuclear conflict and Armageddon. The scariest part, I think, is at the end:

Rosenberg:...And given the events going on in our world today, people at the Pentagon, people at the CIA, people at the White House are asking to sit down and talk about these issues, to understand the Biblical perspective, because it is uncanny what is happening out there and it deserves some study.

Dobson: Joel, you are doing a great work. What you just mentioned of people in the Pentagon and the CIA are asking you for interepretations of what you see that allowed you to write these books. I think that's done by divine inspiration. And I appreciate it.

Assuming Rosenberg isn't just talking out of his backside, the idea that people in the Pentagon/CIA are discussing foreign policy with someone who believes that nuclear war is God-ordained is frankly terrifying.

( The entire article, in case the Atlantic link doesn't work )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY nebris)

From CounterPunch

By STEPHEN LENDMAN
April 23, 2007

Chris Hedges is a journalist who for two decades was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times spending much of his time reporting from conflict zones in El Salvador, the Middle East and from Serbia covering the Balkan wars of the 1990s that divided and destroyed a country under the guise of humanitarian intervention providing cover for naked imperialism. There it allowed NATO (meaning the US) to expand into Central and Eastern Europe to keep predatory capitalism on the march for markets, resources and cheap labor everywhere using wars to get them and eliminate "uncooperative" heads of state like Slobodan Milosevic who was kidnapped, Mafia/Mossad style, by the ICTY kangaroo court in the Hague, hung out to dry when he got there, and in the end effectively or, in fact, murdered to shut him up and prevent ugly truths coming out about what the conflict was really about and who the real criminals were.

The wars and subsequent show-trials had nothing to do with myths about it fed us by Western media. Those wanting the truth can find it in excellent books like Diana Johnstone's Fools' Crusade; the extensive research and writings of Edward Herman, Noam Chomsky, Michael Parenti, law professor Michael Mandel; and the newest book out on the subject titled Travesty: The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic and the Corruption of International Justice by British journalist John Laughland. Edward Herman wrote a superb review of the book in the April, 2007 issue of Z Magazine now available in which he pointedly says "the rules of the (illegally constituted) ICTY (established by the US and UK) stood Nuremberg on its head" and Laughland states "instead of applying existing international law, the ICTY has effectively overturned it" to hide NATO's crimes and allow more of the same playing out now in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.

( The Christian Right supports these type crimes and motives for them readers will understand from Hedges' new book... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY nebris)

~Remember kids, even though Jerry Falwell is dead, James Dobson is still alive and kicking.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY exotic_princess)

So James Dobson apparently twisted someone's research to claim that two mommies was 'one too many.'

TruthWinsOut article about it, including the researcher's cease and desist letter

Dobson's article

Counterpoint by Jennifer Chrisler of FamilyPride

btw, I just loooove "Focus on the Fallacies." :D

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY velvetpage)

I wrote a follow-up to my critique of Dr. Dobson's view of the sexual revolution. It's about what I've termed the counter-sexual revolution. Check it out if you're interested: http://velvetpage.livejournal.com/428044.html

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY velvetpage)

A little while ago, someone on this community suggested that I read and critique a Dr. Dobson book I found on my shelves, rather than summarily pitching it. Well, I began the critique, but I'm not sure it's entirely appropriate for this community, so if anyone is interested in reading it, it's in a public post in my journal: http://velvetpage.livejournal.com/427459.html?view=2327747#t2327747

PoAC stands for Post of Actual Content, btw.

You're welcome to pop by and add your (polite, respectful) commentary.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY britzkrieg)

Focus on the Family advocates returning women to their "traditional" niche:

[Dorothy Kelley] Patterson said the account of creation illustrates clearly defined roles for men and women. The first responsibility for man in the account, she said, was to tend the garden God had created... But the greatest responsibility given to man was that of spiritual leadership. In the same way, she said, "my husband is to be the leader of my home..."

Women are given a different role than men in society, Patterson said. That role has "nothing to do with gifts or intelligence." She is to be a "helper" to her husband, she said, even though she is created equal to him...

Those who try to change God's plan follow the familiar path of deception displayed by the serpent in Genesis, she said. They assume that their plan is better and they contradict God. Still, the plan for the home remains the same as it was in the Bible, she added.

Dobson said he chose Patterson’s address for the broadcast because she well articulated the same principles he has been advocating his entire career. He said his goal in life has been to combat the "radical feminist distortions" about marriage, the family, and the role of women in society. While the radical feminist movement no longer exists, he said, the ideas it promoted so permeated American society that they have influenced modern Christian culture.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY dunesong)

Hello all. First off a heartfelt thanks from me to all who posted advice or information to my post concerning my sister. I have posted a longer thank you there, but in case it was missed, I wanted you to know I really appreciated the time you took to post and the wealth of info provided.

Now onto the insanity:

Alito kisses up to Dobson. Plus Dobson pulls a Robertson and prays for a vacancy on the court.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/alito-sends-james-dobson-_b_16596.html

To me it seems like these people are getting more and more bold. This just reeks of conflict of interest. This thing that strikes me is that he wanted it public. Even if this is somehow legally legitimate, it has the appearance of impropriety. That use to mean something.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY cheap_laugh)

An Abramoff/Dobson connection?
Excerpt:

Gambling might not rank as high as homosexuality or abortion on the list of social evils monitored by Focus on the Family found er James Dobson, but its growth has provided many occasions for his jeremiads. The indictment of Indian casino lobbyist and influential GOP activist Jack Abramoff was one such occasion. In a January 6 press release issued three days after Abramoff's indictment, Dobson declared, "If the nation's politicians don't fix this national disaster, then the oceans of gambling money with which Jack Abramoff tried to buy influence on Capitol Hill will only be the beginning of the corruption we'll see." He concluded with a denunciation of vice: "Gambling--all types of gambling--is driven by greed and subsists on greed."

What Dobson neglected to mention--and has yet to discuss publicly--is his own pivotal role in one of Abramoff's schemes. In 2002 Dobson joined a coterie of Christian-right activists, including Tony Perkins, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, to spearhead Abramoff's campaigns against the establishment of several Louisiana casinos that infringed on the turf of Abramoff's tribal clients. Dobson and his allies recorded messages for phone banking, lobbied high-level Bush Administration officials and took to the airwaves. Whether they knew it or not, these Christian soldiers' crusade to protect families in the "Sportsmen's Paradise" from the side effects of chronic slot-pulling and dice-rolling was funded by the gambling industry and planned by the lobbyist known even to his friends as "Casino Jack."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY cheap_laugh)

Poor Dobson. The Khristian Right's Agenda hasn't borne fruit:
From Media Matters
,blockquote>Dobson: Republican majority has "very little" to show for "pro-family, pro-moral" agenda; Santorum pushed marriage amendment in response
Summary: On his radio program, James Dobson complained that the Republican Party has "very little ... to show for it" in terms of accomplishing the goals of "the pro-family agenda, the pro-moral agenda, [and] the sanctity of life." In response, Sen. Rick Santorum expressed his desire for Congress to vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment, describing the amendment's purpose as "protecting marriage ... between one man and one woman."</blockquote>

Poor babies. That's what they get for selling their soul(s) for the Whole World - It profited them not a whit. Oh,and thier is audio.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY anadart)

From one of James Dobson's PAC's CitizenLink
--------------

CITIZENLINK DAILY UPDATE
Dec. 7, 2005

=========================
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Weigh in on School's Rewriting of 'Silent Night'

Think you've heard it all when it comes to the war on
Christmas? Not if you haven't heard what a Wisconsin
public school has done to "Silent Night."

The powers that be at Ridgeway Elementary, it seems, were
so offended by the lyrics to the song, which detail the
miracle of Christ's birth, that they rewrote them. The
version to be performed by children during this year's
"winter program" is called "Cold in the Night" and goes
something like this:

"Cold in the night, no one in sight/winter winds whirl and
bite/How I wish I were happy and warm/safe with my family,
out of the storm."

These details come courtesy of the religious-liberties law
firm Liberty Counsel, which is representing a concerned
parent and demanding school officials change the program
-- because their actions are a violation of the
Constitution.

"When a public school intentionally mocks Christian
Christmas songs by secularizing their content," Liberty
Counsel President Mat Staver said, "they cross the line
from a neutral position, which the Constitution requires,
to a hostile position, which the Constitution forbids."

You can help Ridgeway Elementary's principal, Julie Piper,
understand this truth by contacting her and letting her
know -- respectfully -- what you think of the school's
efforts to marginalize Christmas. You can call her at
608-924-3461 or e-mail her by visiting the link below and
clicking on the "Take Action" button.

http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/issues/alert/?alertid=8299621&type=CU

-------------------------------

So what's the difference with "christian" bands like the ApologetiX doing the same thing to popular "secular" songs?

They change the lyrics of songs many enjoy to lyrics promoting christian propaganda.
Where's the outrage with that? Dobson's Focus On the Family has purchased large amounts of Apologetix CD's in the past and promoted them for free (per members of the band).

It doesn't look as if the school was mocking Christian Christmas songs, just changing the lyrics to something everyone could relate to, not just christians.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

'Far-right group to use Macy's parade to spread antigay message' (More Dobson high-jinks)

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kittynboi)

Two book on the subject of dominionism and dominionist groups that I enjoyed, but can't completely recommend as they are both rather out of date, are Close Encounters With The Religious Right, by Robert Boston, and Facing The Wrath, by Sara Diamond. They're good and thorough, but the first was released in 1999-2000, and the other in 1996, are very out of date. But they ARE good for historical reference, and knowing where these people came from. Bostons book in particular gives a more or less decent history of how these groups rose up. Another one that seems largely devoted to that topic, how these groups rose up in the late 70s, is, damn, I can't recall. Its called "In Gods Name" or something to that effect. Its by the same publisher as Close Encounters. It's more focused on how these groups rose to power.

Another one is an old but good book called American Militias, though it may be out of print. It's largely about the militia movement, though one chapter details the connections with more well known dominionist groups, and how new world order conspiracy theories, racism, homophobia, conspiracism, and other beliefs that often form the foundation of far right militias intersect and are shared by more conventional dominionist groups.. (Conventional meaning groups more akin to "ordinary" political groups.)

But the best, by far, is called Too Close For Comfort:Right Wing Populism in America, by Chip Berlet. It gives the entire history of right wing populism in America, starting in the day of Francis Bacon and going up to the 21st century. Some may object to it being about "right wing", as if all right wing populism is dominionist, but lets not kid here. Anyway, it details everything, from anti mason and anti clericalism and political parties based on these in the 1800s, to the rise of the religious right, and how "mainstream" right wing populist and political groups have connections to dominionists, "reconstructionists", militias, the extreme far right, etc. It also explores the mindset of these groups, as well as just their histories and political activites, which gives it a more timeless quality than the other books I've listed. Its a thick book. 350 pages, another 150 or so of notes and references.

Some good resrouces are as follows.

Skeptical and Humanist publisher Prometheus Books publishes a lot of books on the subject of dominionists, separation of church and state, and the religious right.

http://www.prometheusbooks.com/index.html
http://www.prometheusbooks.com/groups/group_38.html


Some individual titles that I think look interesting are;

http://www.prometheusbooks.com/catalog/book_63.html
http://www.prometheusbooks.com/catalog/book_64.html
http://www.prometheusbooks.com/catalog/book_1569.html
http://www.prometheusbooks.com/catalog/book_629.html

I hope this all doesn't seem too ad-like. I don't work for this publisher. XD

Anyway, I think those last two in particular would be good reads for this group. Degree Mills are often employed by dominionist "experts", especially the anti evolution crowd. I think it would be helpful if we knew more about this phenomenon and were able to more easily spot potentially fake credentials.

The Dobson book is a few years old, I think, but I also think its very important, since Dobson has emerged as the leading religious right spokesperson these days.

The other books I mentioned...

The history of right wing populism one is the work of Chip Berlet, of the Political REsearch Associates group, a group that monitors hate groups and extremist right wing groups. In the past few years, they have given much focus to dominionist groups. I see a link to his blog on the left, but not one to his groups website; http://publiceye.org

They have some good documents on the site that seek to reveal how dominionism is influencing the GOP and current policy, both dmoestic and foreign.

Sunfell said he/she would like it if we had regular book reviews. That would be nice, but I have a slightly more ambitious idea. What about our own reading group of sorts? Every month or two we pick out a relevant book on the topic that none or most of us have no read, and we read it, then have a discussion post on it?

Per CNN and multiple other news-sources, Bush is withdrawing Harriet Miers' nomination for Supreme Court justice:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/27/miers.nominations/index.html

This is relevant to this community because--in large part--Miers may have been specifically selected because she was a dominionist rather than on her qualifications. The most infamous example of this link appears to be multiple reports that she was selected on specific information from Focus on the Family's leader James Dobson. Dobson refused to provide the info until threatened with a possible subpoena; more on this below.

Miers has links to other dominionist groups, as documented in this article (most of the evidence is in the responses), but I'll summarise the relevant info:

( links to dominionist groups, as noted by article above )

Interestingly, as more info on her links came out, the dominionist groups started backing away; Concerned Women for America was one of the few dominionist groups not to endorse her, and after a while Dobson started backpedaling. Most news sources are in fact reporting much of the reason she eventually lost the nomination was she wasn't enough of a hardline dominionist (as frightening as it sounds!).

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

From Tom Paine.com:

Bush Plays The Faith Card
Ralph G. Neas
October 13, 2005

Ralph G. Neas is president of People For the American Way.

With statements yesterday from influential evangelical leader James Dobson and the president himself, the hypocrisy over the role Harriet Miers’ religion is playing in her nomination continues.

During previous judicial confirmation debates, including the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts, right-wing leaders insisted that any mention of a nominee’s faith—or even indirect implication that their faith might influence their judicial opinions—would be evidence of rank religious bigotry. But now, the White House and leaders of the religious right rallying around the beleaguered nomination of Harriet Miers continue to cite her religious beliefs and the church she attends as reasons to believe she will oppose abortion rights—and to bolster support for her among activists on the far right.( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

twistedchick led me to these three Boston Globe articles about Religious Right leaders:

James Dobson Founder of "Focus on the Family".

Richard Land a Baptist lobbyist in DC.

Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, a megachurch in LA.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gleef)

According to our President, his most recent Supreme Court appointment, Harriet Miers is associated with Exodus Ministries, an organizing body for an number of Dominionist "Ex-Gay" groups.

Harriet has also earned a reputation for her deep compassion and abiding sense of duty. In Texas, she made it her mission to support better legal representation for the poor and under-served. As president of the Dallas Bar, she called on her fellow lawyers to volunteer and staff free neighborhood clinics. She led by example. She put in long hours of pro bono work. Harriet Miers has given generously of her time and talent by serving as a leader with more than a dozen community groups and charities, including the Young Women's Christian Association, Child Care Dallas, Goodwill Industries, Exodus Ministries, Meals on Wheels and the Legal Aid Society. [emphasis added]
    --From the official transcript of the nomination speech on the Whitehouse's website

Can anyone find more detail on this connection?

(Thanks to pooperman for noticing this.)

Update: Apparently the group she's associated with is actually Exodus Ministries, a religious group working with ex-convicts (thank you helenangel). The group still troubles me, and I am still interested in details.

Update 2: According to Slate, Miers has been an active member of Valley View Christian Church, a non-denominational 1,500 seat megachurch in Dallas, for 25 years. How can we tell if VVCC is an Assembly of God church, or other dominionist bent?

Also, according to the same article, James Dobson and Focus on the Family have already endorsed Miers. I find Focus on the Family to be very reliable at endorsing positions and people I disagree with.

Interesting note the first:

( a glossary of dominionist-speak? )

( Dominionists and the misuse of Blair's 3am Reserve, or the hot-saucing of kids )

It should be noted that one of the major promoters of "hot saucing" as noted above is James Dobson, as in the fellow who runs Focus on the Family--who has also, as an aside, a href="http://www.nospank.net/n-n84r.htm">promoted the use</a> of "chastening rods" on kids as young as 18 months old, and who actually documented the blatant beating of his family dog as an example of how children's spirits should be broken.