James Dobson doesn’t speak for me

First, with my tongue only slightly in my cheek, let me note that I find the use of the term “fruitcake” to indicate scorn or deprecation mildly offensive. My mother made wonderful fruitcake when I was young, and my memories of holiday cheer include fruitcake. I know some of you have been exposed to inferior constructions billed as “fruitcake” but trust me: you haven’t had fruitcake until you’ve tried my mom’s.

Now then, the increasingly infamous Mr. Dobson has, in fact, used that term in a manner intended to express disdain for how he believes Senator Barack Obama expresses his personal understanding of the bible. The coverage of the firestorm this has caused seems to be shining public interest on the contrast between the candidate’s audaciously inclusive view of Christianity and Dobson’s dogmatic, evidently monolithic intolerance of any point of view not in total alignment with his own espoused positions. This poses a challenge for any people of faith who view intolerance as contrary to their goals and beliefs, but to the extent it’s fostering a conversation it’s a wonderful event.

And now there’s a place on the web articulating that very dichotomy: James Dobson doesn’t speak for me. The site is organized by a coalition of pastors and other Christians in their individual capacities (not on behalf of our churches or denominations,) led by Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell, who are standing up for their Christian faith and supporting Barack Obama. The “James Dobson doesn’t speak for me” site is a perfectly wonderful tool for people of faith who are trying to come to grips with the ad hominem attacks launched by James Dobson. Among other gems, it presents one of my favorite quotes by Obama:

“Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God’s will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all”

While we all expect a certain amount of rancor in political contests since so much is at stake, it is disappointing to me when a man such as Dobson, who professes himself to be a moral leader, descends to rely on such disagreeable intolerant tactics. His behavior in this instance is the antithesis of what I teach my son regarding conflict resolution.

James Dobson not only doesn’t speak for me, he isn’t exhibiting the civility we need to resolve disagreements and live together in peace. I hope that, in the course of all the discussions his sound-bite-ready fruitcake smear has sparked, Dobson can find it in his heart to embrace a more tolerant, Christian approach to differences of opinion. When it comes to role models, I much prefer Barack Obama.

But then, my mother taught me to be open to new things,

and I do like fruitcake. Thanks, mom!

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