Bible War!

#1
OrangeEmpire

OrangeEmpire

The White Debonair
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Nov 28, 2005
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#1
The Associated Press: Dobson accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement's biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.
The criticism, to be aired Tuesday on Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program, comes shortly after an Obama aide suggested a meeting at the organization's headquarters here, said Tom Minnery, senior vice president for government and public policy at Focus on the Family.
The conservative Christian group provided The Associated Press with an advance copy of the pre-taped radio segment, which runs 18 minutes and highlights excerpts of a speech Obama gave in June 2006 to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. Obama mentions Dobson in the speech.
"Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama said. "Would we go with James Dobson's or Al Sharpton's?" referring to the civil rights leader.
Dobson took aim at examples Obama cited in asking which Biblical passages should guide public policy — chapters like Leviticus, which Obama said suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination, or Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application."
"Folks haven't been reading their Bibles," Obama said.
Dobson and Minnery accused Obama of wrongly equating Old Testament texts and dietary codes that no longer apply to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament.
"I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology," Dobson said.
"... He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter."
Joshua DuBois, director of religious affairs for Obama's campaign, said in a statement that a full reading of Obama's speech shows he is committed to reaching out to people of faith and standing up for families. "Obama is proud to have the support of millions of Americans of faith and looks forward to working across religious lines to bring our country together," DuBois said.
Dobson reserved some of his harshest criticism for Obama's argument that the religiously motivated must frame debates over issues like abortion not just in their own religion's terms but in arguments accessible to all people.
He said Obama, who supports abortion rights, is trying to govern by the "lowest common denominator of morality," labeling it "a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution."
"Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?" Dobson said. "What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe."
The program was paid for by a Focus on the Family affiliate whose donations are taxed, Dobson said, so it's legal for that group to get more involved in politics.
Last week, DuBois, a former Assemblies of God associate minister, called Minnery for what Minnery described as a cordial discussion. He would not go into detail, but said Dubois offered to visit the ministry in August when the Democratic National Convention is in Denver.
A possible Obama visit was not discussed, but Focus is open to one, Minnery said.
McCain also has not met with Dobson. A McCain campaign staffer offered Dobson a meeting with McCain recently in Denver, Minnery said. Dobson declined because he prefers that candidates visit the Focus on the Family campus to learn more about the organization, Minnery said.
Dobson has not backed off his statement that he could not in good conscience vote for McCain because of concerns over the Arizona senator's conservative credentials. Dobson has said he will vote in November but has suggested he might not vote for president.
Obama recently met in Chicago with religious leaders, including conservative evangelicals. His campaign also plans thousands of "American Values House Parties," where participants discuss Obama and religion, as well as a presence on Christian radio and blogs.
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Thoughts?
 
#3
#3
Sometimes I wonder if either one of those guys really gets the message conveyed in the Bible!
 
#6
#6
I have changed my mind drastically over the past few years with regards to how I was raised and such.

The Dobson's and the Liberty U types are really starting to turn me off.
 
#8
#8
...and Vader has taught me that not all tatooed people are hells angels!
 
#9
#9
OE if you don't mind, what do you believe, or how would you raise your kids? I'm curious since you said you've looked back on the way you were raised.
 
#11
#11
Actually, I think the debate that Obama and Dobson are having is a good one for the country.

I'm not referring to their competing readings of individual passages from the Bible. Those debates have been raging for centuries and always will.

I mean the debate over the extent to which public policy can or should be founded on religious principles. Obama tells Dobson that if he wants to win people over on abortion, then he needs to appeal to them with new arguments which are not based on theology. Dobson retorts that he's free to make whatever argument he wants and that the law should be formed based on the Bible so what's wrong with using scripture to support his position on abortion?

Its a valid point of disagreement on the process itself and its an interesting one for Christians.
 
#14
#14
Vol Mania 21 said:
OE if you don't mind, what do you believe, or how would you raise your kids? I'm curious since you said you've looked back on the way you were raised.
Click to expand...

I was raised within a super strict legalistic Indy Baptist Church who decided there were not strict enough and dropped their Indy title to become Distinctively Baptist.

Their church slogan is, "What good Baptist churches used to be, we still are.".

For 6 years I went to church to run the sound system and that was a pretty low point in my life.

Then for some reason I went to a church that my pastor called the whore of the devil for being a liberal Satan worshipping church.

It was not too long before I moved my membership to a Southern Baptist Church and that is where I have been ever since. My main like for the SBC is their collective missionary work which I think makes total sense.

Though I am not foolish enough to believe that Methodists, Wesylans or any one else doesn't basically believe the same thing that I do.

When I was young I attempted to reach God through rules and regulations and now I am the complete opposite seeking a personal relationship on a daily level. That is super special to me!

When you break it down, christianity is simple and we make it complicated. I used to get caught up in stupid fights such as baptism...... A special preacher talked about not having scriptual baptism and used the example of a glass of water and pouring dirty water in to it saying that the church had lost its witness for letting people of other denominations, ie the ones I listed above into their churches.

Meanwhile, your next door neighbor just died and went to hell because you were arguing over something trivial instead of talking to them about Jesus!

Christianity is about love and spreading the gospel!

Sorry, I get fired up.............

:thumbsup:
 
#15
#15
I don't think guys like Obama should be nominated for president but what can you do?
 
#17
#17
lawgator1 said:
Actually, I think the debate that Obama and Dobson are having is a good one for the country.

I'm not referring to their competing readings of individual passages from the Bible. Those debates have been raging for centuries and always will.

I mean the debate over the extent to which public policy can or should be founded on religious principles. Obama tells Dobson that if he wants to win people over on abortion, then he needs to appeal to them with new arguments which are not based on theology. Dobson retorts that he's free to make whatever argument he wants and that the law should be formed based on the Bible so what's wrong with using scripture to support his position on abortion?

Its a valid point of disagreement on the process itself and its an interesting one for Christians.
Click to expand...

Dobson and Sharpton are attention whores and pimps......

Keep it simple....
 
#18
#18
OrangeEmpire said:
I was raised within a super strict legalistic Indy Baptist Church who decided there were not strict enough and dropped their Indy title to become Distinctively Baptist.

Their church slogan is, "What good Baptist churches used to be, we still are.".

For 6 years I went to church to run the sound system and that was a pretty low point in my life.

Then for some reason I went to a church that my pastor called the whore of the devil for being a liberal Satan worshipping church.

It was not too long before I moved my membership to a Southern Baptist Church and that is where I have been ever since. My main like for the SBC is their collective missionary work which I think makes total sense.

Though I am not foolish enough to believe that Methodists, Wesylans or any one else doesn't basically believe the same thing that I do.

When I was young I attempted to reach God through rules and regulations and now I am the complete opposite seeking a personal relationship on a daily level. That is super special to me!

When you break it down, christianity is simple and we make it complicated. I used to get caught up in stupid fights such as baptism...... A special preacher talked about not having scriptual baptism and used the example of a glass of water and pouring dirty water in to it saying that the church had lost its witness for letting people of other denominations, ie the ones I listed above into their churches.

Meanwhile, your next door neighbor just died and went to hell because you were arguing over something trivial instead of talking to them about Jesus!

Christianity is about love and spreading the gospel!

Sorry, I get fired up.............

:thumbsup:
Click to expand...


i'm southern baptist myself, and couldn't agree more with what you said
 
#22
#22
lawgator1 said:
Dobson retorts that he's free to make whatever argument he wants and that the law should be formed based on the Bible so what's wrong with using scripture to support his position on abortion?
Click to expand...

If laws are based on scripture then how is that not forcing religion on those that do not care for it? (not really at you LG) Does basing it on the teachings of JC not alienate non-believers (like Jews, Muslims, etc)?
 
#24
#24
utvolpj said:
If laws are based on scripture then how is that not forcing religion on those that do not care for it? (not really at you LG) Does basing it on the teachings of JC not alienate non-believers (like Jews, Muslims, etc)?
Click to expand...

Oh, you mean like the framers of the Constitution did?
Christian principles apply to all. It is Christians that do not always practice what we preach. I am guilty.
 
#25
#25
T-TownVol said:
Oh, you mean like the framers of the Constitution did?
Christian principles apply to all. It is Christians that do not always practice what we preach. I am guilty.
Click to expand...

You can argue the law in a lot of different ways....... some choose to see it as christian laws while others would say the christians borrowed from cultures that predated theirs....

Either way, you are going to make someone mad!
 
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