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Obama Dismisses Dobson's Statements about him Distorting
the Bible
 (AP) - 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.
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 OK 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."
"Folks haven't been reading their Bibles," Obama said in the speech.
"I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of
the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology," Dobson
said.
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 Web site to counter Dobson at http://www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.com. The site 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."
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