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.
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(Photo: AP Images / Alex Brandon)Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks during a town hall meeting at the Springs Preserve, a cultural and historic attraction, in Las Vegas, Nevada Tuesday, June 24, 2008.
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."
Comments
Obama is right Christians are not reading the Bible, and that is to his advantage. Children are His creation in his image andd he would not stand for the acts of His followers to allow abortion, coddle gays, wreck the sanctity of marriage, allow hate preached from leaders, use poverty to distort truth, or to say there is more than one way to heaven. All of which the famous false prophet Obama has done.
Reminds me of a line in the movie "A Fish called Wanda". Jamie Lee Curtis tells Kevin Kline "a monkey can read Nitschke, he just doesn't understand it".
And Obama is still a muslim...
until he explains why he is a Christian and not a muslim...why Jesus and not allah, why Jesus and not muhammed...when the rest of his family is muslim and backs him all the way...
and when the new york times...a newspaper that ought to be defending freedom of speech when and where freedom of speech is being attacked in the U.N. by no other than those nations that systematically persecute nonmuslims...the OIC, who are pursuing an agenda in the U.N. to stifle any speech on sharia or so called extremist muslims...
and the new york times does nothing to warn Americans of these events that are pivotal in western societies survival, but instead publishes articles that militate against Macleans(magazine) fight in Canadas kangaroo courts that are being used by muslims to stifle free speech there....
and the NYT publishes articles questioning why people think obama is a muslim when he said he isnt...and yet provides nothing more as a reason other than obama says so....
compels me to think that the NYT is interested in supporting the likes of the OIC, who wish to persecute those that do not accept islam to be peaceful and point out that sharia law oppresses women...and humanity... but within a few minutes time are quashed because the U.N. is submitting to the demands of the O.I.C.
Why doesnt the NYT report on that, so that americans may know who their true enemies are?
Do tell. What are these excellent ideas and how can YOU guarantee that HE will do a better job?
What is Obama going to say? "Yeah, I distort the Bible." Read or listen to what he says and judge for yourself (if you know the Bible). He's no different than Pelosi or whatever her name is who is constantly "misquoting" scripture. It's just another commercial for why you should read your Bible daily. Deception isn't coming, it's HERE!
I have always liked Dr. Dobson, but I hate it when he does things like this. I don't find this sort of attack or presentation of information Scriptural. St. Paul was much more direct in identifying apostate people, etc. Dobson, Hagee, Pat Robertson, and others make too many suggestions or innuendos or jabs about Israel, Catholics, liberals, etc., etc.
Diana.....He should dismiss Dobson. Dobson is no one to talk regarding picking and choosing which scripture to follow. Dobson is nothing more than a modern day Pharisee (dragging the woman in adultery before Christ, while hiding those within his group who commit the same)... Hypcrit.
ha ha ha...you just did the same thing Dobson did, one question...what are your credentials? and have you been under the public scrutiny of the media for the last twenty years as Dobson has? please respond.
He should dismiss Dobson. Dobson is no one to talk regarding picking and choosing which scripture to follow. Dobson is nothing more than a modern day Pharisee (dragging the woman in adultery before Christ, while hiding those within his group who commit the same)... Hypcrit.
rolln4him - it's obvious you are a repuglican but are you a Christian? I haven't seen much evidence of that yet - just curious.
Let's see here. Who would be more qualified to speak concerning the Bible?
Dobson or Obama? A Christian psychologist or a liberal politician?
hmmm....
Artm I agree with u 100% not enough christians know the word and they need to become more diligent in our bible study and ability to defend the word. I agree also Obama can say he is a christian but its an oxymoron to say u are a christian and believe in stabbing babies in the head which is what they do in partial birth abortions and he is all for that. Sorry just this one point christians who vote for this guy have no discernment whatsoever.
I agree with obama on one point, Christians have not been reading their Bibles, And I will add one more point, Many have not been " Living " their Bible.
And that is one of the reasons we are in the mess we are in as a Nation and as a Church.
God help us if obama is elected president of America.
As for Christians voting for obama, " No discernment "
wjneill,
Any person can read the bible, but only a born-again believer and follower of JESUS CHRIST will be able to understand it. If you are not saved by GOD'S grace and filled with the HOLY SPIRIT it will not make sense to you, and yes a good bible study after being saved will open your eyes to GOD'S truths and HIS commands are simple,clear, if you truly are saved and love the LORD you will obey without a second thought.The person most qualified to interpret the WORD is the one who's LORD and MASTER in JESUS CHRIST and no other, hope this helps.IN JESUS NAME
Daniel Paul sez: "The Bible doesn't need to be 'translated' the way he is saying. It's quite simple just the way it is. People just don't want to be accountable for doing what it says."
Excellent point and my compliments to you, my good man!
So, uh, who is more qualified to interpret the Bible: (1) James Dobson, (2) John Hagee, (3) David Horowitz, (4) Karl Rove, (5) Rod Parsley, (6) The Pope, (7) Ted Haggard, or (8) Franklin Graham?
Or, can every living, breathing human on the face of the Earth interpret the Bible in their own, individual ways and be assured that God and Jesus will love them?
I eagerly await a response.
JHS -
I apologize for not getting to you on this article as I've forgot to check it. I've noticed that you were so kind as to move our discussion over to the other article. Thanks!