The Dobson Way

US News & World Report ^ | 1/10/05 | Dan Gilgoff

[jebanks]

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. --The biggest portrait in the office of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson--the best-known leader among America's 50 million-strong evangelical Christians--isn't of Jesus Christ. It's of Winston Churchill. "Churchill knew in '41 he could never beat Germany," says Dobson, rising to pull a biography of the master statesman from the bookshelf. "So his hope was to help the British people hang on until the Americans came." Dobson, helmsman of a multimedia empire--his radio show reaches nearly 2 million listeners daily and the volume of constituent mail to his organization requires a separate ZIP code--says it's a role he relates to. "For the last 20 years, all the centers of power have been influenced by a different worldview than what we share as evangelical Christians," he says, mentioning Congress, the judiciary, universities, and Hollywood as examples. "Our strategy has been to let people who see things the way we do know what's at stake and encourage them to hang on until change occurs."

[jebanks]

Read entire article at link above.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

TOTAL DOBSON-BOT PING!

[mcg1969]

The biggest portrait in the office of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson--the best-known leader among America's 50 million-strong evangelical Christians--isn't of Jesus Christ.

Yeah, so? It's not like we know what He looked like.

[TomSmedley]

a century or two from now, dr. dobson's reputation will, i belive, eclipse that of entertainer/vaccinator billy graham. according to his own statistics, rev. graham has a 96% defect rate; only 4% of those who "go forward" at his circuses actually become indentifiable, fruitful, consistent believers. the 96%, i suspect, get a vaccination, just enough denatured vitiated "gospel" to protect them from the real thing.

our kids grew up on 'adventures in odyssey,' and we as young parent profited profoundly from dr. dobson's common sense approach to child rearing.

so on the one hand we have an entertainer, like a stage hypnotist trying to induce a momentary experience in the susceptible among his audience. otoh, a godly clinical psychologist who attempts to apply God's word to all of life, every stage of life.

[Eccl 10:2]

The biggest portrait in the office of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson--the best-known leader among America's 50 million-strong evangelical Christians--isn't of Jesus Christ.

"Yeah, so? It's not like we know what He looked like."

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Not to mention that having such a portait would be grossly unbiblical.

[Tax-chick]

Dr. Dobson is a fine man and has a very valuable ministry.

[AppyPappy]

The great irony is Protestant Christians who can't stomach throwing away a picture of some hippie they pretend is Jesus.

[annyokie]

I have several issues with Dr. Dobson.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

dr. dobson's reputation will, i belive, eclipse that of entertainer/vaccinator billy graham

I would hope that Dobsons rep would eclipse that of an 'entertainer'. But that doesn't describe Billy Graham. Please, don't knock the man. OK.

When I found out that Dobson was gonna tell me how to raise my kids/treat my wife, but he didn't change diapers himself, I lost a lot of respect for the man. My kids like Adventures in Odyssey, and I used to listen to his show daily. But not for a long time...

[Tax-chick]

Most evangelicals could not tell you what denomination Dobson is," notes the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

That's true ... the article says he's Church of the Nazarene. I would have guessed some kind of Baptist, simply because the majority of "Evangelicals" would probably fit under "some kind of Baptist."

[Tax-chick]

So do I, but I still think he's a fine man with a valuable (not perfect) ministry :-).

[Lekker 1]

I'm just curious if any of you know how exactly the term "Evangelical Christian" is defined. I hear both sides slinging this term around but I am not sure what it means. I am not sure THEY know what it means. Soooooooo...what the heck is it?

[Guyin4Os]

The biggest portrait in the office of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson--the best-known leader among America's 50 million-strong evangelical Christians--isn't of Jesus Christ.

Good. Dobson isn't an idolator. People who have a painting of some person they think looks like Jesus are filling their minds with a false image. When Saul of Tarsus saw the Savior, he was blinded because of the brightness of Christ's visage. No painting on earth could capture that kind of appearance. Nor should any try.

[loreldan]

I only have one issue with him - he's a very slow driver....

[joesnuffy]

Focus on the Family -Dr. James Dobson

[Lekker 1]

Wasn't He transfigured by the time he appeared to Saul? I'm sure he wasn't brighter than the sun when he walked the streets of Jerusalem.

[joesnuffy]

Exactly...revering someone and worshiping them aren't the same thing...
We also do not worship 'the law'...it is a goad to bring us of full knowledge of ourselves as sinners that we might be brought to repentance and a saving relationship with the risen Jesus

However the 2nd commandment is good to keep in mind

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

[silverleaf]

ping

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Hmm. Interesting person for them to highlight. I think liberals are beginning to see him as a big threat. I mean, he did have that I vote values campaign right before the election and all.

It looks like they are up to no good, zoning in on him. They are looking to discredit him in some way is my guess. Oh well. Goes with the territory. Dobson can handle it. He needs our prayers, though.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

What issues?