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Conservative Bush Supporter Rev.
Kirbyjon Caldwell Disagrees with Dr. Dobson
Launches Website: JamesDobsonDoesnt
SpeakforMe.com
 Barack Obama said Tuesday that
evangelical leader James Dobson was "making stuff up" when he accused
the presumed Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible.
On Tuesday, Dobson used his Focus on the Family radio program to
highlight excerpts of a speech Obama gave in June 2006 to the liberal
Christian group Call to Renewal. Speaking to reporters on his campaign
plane before landing in Los Angeles, Obama said the speech made the
argument that people of faith, like himself, "try to translate some of
our concerns in a universal language so that we can have an open and
vigorous debate rather than having religion divide us." Obama added, "I
think you'll see that he was just making stuff up, maybe for his own
purposes."
In his program,
Dobson focused on examples Obama cited in asking which biblical
passages should guide public policy. For instance, Obama said Leviticus
suggests slavery is okay and eating shellfish is an abomination. Obama
also cited Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "a passage that is so radical
that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its
application."
Bible"Folks haven't been reading their Bibles," Obama said in the
speech. In response to that recorded statement, Dobson said: "I think
he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible
to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology."
Asked about Dobson's assessment, Obama said "somebody would be pretty
hard-pressed to make that argument" that he was distorting the Bible.
Obama supporters also responded to Dobson. The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell,
a Methodist pastor from Texas and longtime supporter of President Bush
who has endorsed Obama, said Tuesday he belongs to a group of religious
leaders who, working independently of Obama's campaign, launched a
website to counter Dobson. That website, JamesDobsonDoesntSpeakForMe.com, highlights statements from Obama and Dobson and asks visitors to compare them.
Caldwell said he has great respect for Dobson's advocacy for families,
but said the criticism of Obama was "a bit over the top" and "crossed
the line."
"There has been a call for a higher level of politics and politicking,"
Caldwell said. "So to attack at this level is inappropriate and I think
unacceptable, and we at least want to hold everybody accountable."
Tom Minnery, a senior vice president at Focus on the Family, responded:
"Without question, Dr. Dobson is speaking for millions of evangelicals
because his understanding of the Bible is thoroughly evangelical."
Source: OneNewsNow
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