James Dobson, you owe America an apology. The fictional letter released through your Focus on the Family Action organization, titled "Letter From 2012 in Obama's America", crosses all lines of decent public discourse. In a time of utter political incivility, it shows the kind of negative Christian leadership that has become so embarrassing to so many of your fellow Christians in America. We are weary of this kind of Christian leadership, and that is why so many are forsaking the Religious Right in this election.
This letter offers nothing but fear. It apocalyptically depicts terrorist attacks in American cities, churches losing their tax exempt status for not allowing gay marriages, pornography pushed in front of our children, doctors and nurses forced to perform abortions, euthanasia as commonplace, inner-city crime gone wild because of lack of gun ownership, home schooling banned, restricted religious speech, liberal censorship shutting down conservative talk shows, Christian publishers forced out of business, Israel nuked, power blackouts because of environmental restrictions, brave Christian resisters jailed by a liberal Supreme court, and finally, good Christian families emigrating to Australia and New Zealand.
It is shocking how thoroughly biblical teachings against slander--misrepresentations that damage another's reputation--are ignored (Ephesians 4:29-31, Colossians 3:8, Titus 3:2). Such outrageous predictions not only damage your credibility, they slander Barack Obama who, you should remember, is a brother in Christ, and they insult any Christian who might choose to vote for him.
Let me make this clear: Christians will be voting both ways in this election, informed by their good faith, and based on their views of what are the best public policies and direction for America. But in utter disrespect for the prayerful discernment of your fellow Christians, this letter stirs their ugliest fears, appealing to their worst impulses instead of their best.
Fear is the clear motivator in the letter; especially fear that evangelical Christians might vote for Barack Obama. The letter was very revealing when it suggested that "younger Evangelicals" became the "swing vote" that elected Obama and the results were catastrophic.
You make a mistake when you assume that younger Christians don't care as much as you about the sanctity of life. They do care--very much--but they have a more consistent ethic of life. Both broader and deeper, it is inclusive of abortion, but also of the many other assaults on human life and dignity. For the new generation, poverty, hunger, and disease are also life issues; creation care is a life issue; genocide, torture, the death penalty, and human rights are life issues; war is a life issue. What happens to poor children after they are born is also a life issue.
The America you helped vote into power has lost its moral standing in the world, and even here at home. The America you told Christians to vote for in past elections is now an embarrassment to Christians around the globe, and to the children of your generation of evangelicals. And the vision of America that you still tell Christians to vote for is not the one that many in a new generation of Christians believes expresses their best values and convictions.
Christians should be committed to the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of America, and the church is to live an alternative existence of love and justice, offering a prophetic witness to politics. Elections are full of imperfect choices where we all seek to what is best for the "common good" by applying the values of our faith as best we can.
Dr. Dobson, you of course have the same right as every Christian and every American to vote your own convictions on the issues you most care about, but you have chosen to insult the convictions of millions of other Christians, whose own deeply held faith convictions might motivate them to vote differently than you. This epistle of fear is perhaps the dying gasp of a discredited heterodoxy of conservative religion and conservative politics. But out of that death, a resurrection of biblical politics more faithful to the whole gospel--one that is truly good news--might indeed be coming to life.
Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening, Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.
When I read the 'Letter from 2012 in Obama's America', I had ALREADY known that these things were what I was fighting against in opposing Obama. I homeschool - it is always under attack. I support marriage only between a man and a woman - it is constantly under attack. I own a gun self defense - it is constantly under attack. I listen to AM talk radio - it is constantly under attack. And Obama is just the man to bring the furthest left wing ideologies to fruition. He has a voting record.
It is as 'Palpatine
Here is the link to the interview. http://www
A Message In A Name
Look at the hidden message in Focus On The Family
“
Yesterday, Satan's invisible organizati
Cross out a letter of the name for example cross out the y in family and the word yesterday in the message. Keep doing this until all letters and words are crossed out and see the result.
Based on the Letter from 2012 it is clear that an invisible demonic force is in play with Focus on the family. Maybe everyone who reads this letter should also read the scriptures below that apply directly to Letter from 2012.
Ephesians 4:17 "This, therefore, I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you no longer go on walking just as the nations also walk in the unprofitab
I really believe that the Right-Wing Conservati
I think people finally woke up from the nightmare!
Keep the faith....
Obama/Bide
One of your fellow brother's in Christ.
"inner-cit
Semper fi
Leland R. Erickson
Citizen
It is like a doctor who smokes warning you about the dangers of smoking. Do you listen to the medical evidence or take yourself "off the hook" by citing hypocrisy? No logic to create a second fool.
In any case, please don't even consider it, whatever happens over there, intolerant religious fanatics, whether christian or muslim, are not welcome here in Australia or NZ.