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Over the past seven years of the Bush Administration, I’ve realized that to know what people are lying about, just listen to what they’re accusing others of doing–which is exactly what Christian-right leader and founder of Focus on the Family, James Dobson has done by claiming that Barack Obama is ‘distorting’ the Bible. His comments come in reference to a two-year-old speech Obama gave in June 2006, while speaking to a Christian group.
Check out video of Obama’s full speech after the jump!
From CNN.com:
“Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy?” Obama asks in the speech. “Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is okay and that eating shellfish is an abomination. Or we could go with Deuteronomy which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount.”
“So before we get carried away, let’s read our Bible now,” Obama also said to cheers. “Folks haven’t been reading their Bible.”
On the radio show Tuesday, Dobson said Obama should not be referencing antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament.
“I think he’s deliberately distorting the tradition understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology,” Dobson said, later adding that Obama is “dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.”
Essentially, Dobson is deriding Obama for picking and choosing which Bible passages should determine law. But that is exactly what Dobson and his organization have been doing for years, especially concerning abortion and homosexual rights.
What Obama is vaguely pointing out is that the Constitution endorses non-discrimination, outlaws slavery, and promotes “the general welfare” of all people–all of which the Bible preaches, but is not cut and dry about. He is cherry-picking sections of the Bible that agree with the Constitution, which makes sense, in the context of his speech.
It is not acceptable–or legal–to go the other way around, (i.e., to make the Constitution agree with the Bible). This would be a violation of the Constitution’s own First Amendment; it would constitute the “establishment of religion.”
That said, sections of the Bible do, in fact, advocate (a) redistribution of wealth, called “Jubilee” (Leviticus 25:1-22, Matthew 4:1ff), (b) non-violence, instead of solving all international problems by war (the entire Sermon on the Mount).
So, not only is Obama not ‘distorting’ the Bible, he’s using examples from it to argue that the document should not be directly quoted for the purpose of forming public policy–something both legally and theologically sound.
Dobson, on the other hand, has been at the head of the evangelical movement, portions of which say the Christian religion should be used for personal gain (”God will make you rich!”) and that promotes Constitutional amendments banning Gay marriage, at least partially because of a couple of passages in Leviticus (yes, that’s part of the Old Testament). Both are ‘deliberate distoritions’ of the Bible’s message.
So basically, Dobson is a hypocrite, that doesn’t know what his beloved Bible even says. Because if he did, he’d know exactly how Jesus felt about hypocrites. (HINT: They don’t go to heaven.) So, good luck with that…
UPDATE: Thanks to a commenter, we now have video of Obama’s full speech.
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9 Comments
First of all, Dobson is not a member of the “prosperity gospel” movement which preaches that God will make you rich if you just believe enough. To put him in the same camp as those people is a disgrace. Second of all, Leviticus is not the only passage in the Bible that discusses the immorality of homosexuality. It is found in the New Testament numerous times, and never ok’s it. Jubilee is more of a discussion of how members of the early Church shared their possessions and wealth with those who did not have in order to spread the Church over lands that otherwise would not have been reached. It did not intend to promote over-taxation to force people to care for those who are unwilling to care for themselves. However, the Church has again and again been at the front of the charity movement, doing all they can in order to provide for the basic needs of those who need help. Obama is refusing to take the Bible in its whole and deciding that he is going to pick the sections that help make his cause, and he is doing this so that he can try to court the vote of the religious. Dobson isn’t trying to get anyone’s votes, he is only repeating what he has often repeated, and only preaching what he has always preached. Obama trying to appeal to the religious in order to gain votes, while continuing to violate important parts of the Bible, such as those that would say abortion is wrong, is dispicable.
^Someone forgot to read about half the article^
Interesting. I especially enjoyed the first angsty comment.
Anyhow, I suggest that both previously-mentioned commenter and Andrew (the poster) watch Barack’s full speech. Luckily, I bookmarked it not too long ago, here’s a link: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid353515028?bctid=416343938 .
I was amazed at the insight he showed when I first listened to it. I think the controversial quote referenced by Dobson was taken somewhat out of context, as it was not at all the main point of the speech.
I don’t think the speech served any nefarious purpose, just to outline his views on faith and its role in politics. He takes an extremely legitimate and correct pluralistic stance towards the issue. I definitely disagree that he only made this rather lengthy speech TWO YEARS AGO to ‘appeal to the religious.’
Good point, Mr. Goering…And I would also add that Dobson is a douchebag, why defend his dumbass??
Matt,
You don’t even know what you’re talking about, do you?
It’s impossible that you have any idea of the Bible’s historical context during which it was written and its contemporary application while making the arguments you’re making.
But besides all that, no matter how many times the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, it says dozens more times that giving away all that you have to the poor, helping your fellow man– that these are the pathway to Heaven. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with “those who are unwilling to care for themselves.” And the spite in your tone with that statement shows your true greedy colors.
Empathy, my friend, should be your next big acquisition; without it, eternal afterlife shall feel as such.
Jesus repeatedly asked his followers to take a vow of poverty, in addition to loving our neighbor, welcoming the stranger, not judging others, and never, ever using violence against another person.
I’d say it’s a pretty safe guess that spending your entire career railing against gay people wasn’t really what Jesus had in mind.
I don’t think eating shellfish is an abomination. As far as stoning children for straying from their faith…it sure would be a lonely world. Part of the human condition is the lack of faith. Hell, if we actually practiced faith, we surely wouldn’t worry much about what either of these guys said to whoever. Instead, We would trust that everything is as it should be and would probably get a whole lot more done. I guess I’ll thank God for my lack of faith, otherwise, I would actually be doing my work right now.
Lori, try these on for size:
1 Corinthians 6:8-10
8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:9-11
9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers
10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,
11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
KW-
Yeah, and that’s why non-Christians think your God is an asshole.
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