I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of James Dobson. Some of my evangelical friends recoil in disgust when I tell them that, so I rarely discuss this fact in public. I usually find myself muttering under my breath.

My biggest problem with Doc, as he’s called by his employees and fans, is that he must have a gigantic ego. Anyone who fancies themself as a Christian leader without having earned that position MUST have a huge ego. Dobson is a pediatrician by training. That’s fine, as long as he limits his expertise to issues of children’s health and well-being. I’m even willing to overlook his involvement in pseduo-child psychology, even though he’s not a trained psychologist. But I must draw the line when he tries to lecture people on politics. Not only does Dobson have absolutely no theological training, but he has even less training in government, politics, or public policy. He’s a political hack.

I think his group Focus on the Family does good work when it’s limited to dealing with family issues, like child raising, relationships, health, etc. But I think it’s shameful for Dobson to use his mailing list and influence to flex his political muscles, even though I agree with many of his positions.

This all leads to an exchange on ABC’s This Week between George Stephanopoulos and James Dobson:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Dr. Dobson, you also have a problem with the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy. I want to show something that was reported in “The Daily Oklahoman” during the campaign. In the “Daily Oklahoman,” it quoted you saying, “Patrick Leahy is a God’s people hater. I don’t know if he hates God, but he hates God’s people.” Now, Dr. Dobson, that doesn’t sound like a particularly Christian thing to say. Do you think you owe Senator Leahy an apology?

DR JAMES DOBSON: George, you think you ought to lecture me on what a Christian is all about? You know, I think -I think I’ll stand by the things I have said. Patrick Leahy has been in opposition to most of the things that I believe. He is the one that took the reference to God out of the oath.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But Dr. Dobson, excuse me for a second. You use the word hate. You said that he’s a “God’s people hater.” How do you back that up?

DR JAMES DOBSON: Well, there’s been an awful lot of hate expressed in this election. And most of it has been aimed at those who hold to conservative Christian views. He is certainly not the only one to take a position like that. But
I think that that is -that’s where he’s coming from. He has certainly
opposed most of the things that conservative Christians stand for.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apology?

DR JAMES DOBSON: No apology.

Look, I’m no fan of Pat Leahy, but to call him a hater of God’s people is really crossing the line. Not to parse Dobson’s words too much, but he does go on to say that Leahy, “opposed most of the things that conservative Christians stand for.” I think that’s different than hating God’s people, which is a distinction that should have been made.

For Dobson and so many of the religious right, faith and politics have become inseparable, which is a dangerous position to take. While I agree that one’s faith ought to inform one’s poltical stands, I think there comes a time to distinguish between faith convictions and public policy. I think this goes to th heart of Jesus’ call to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to render unto God what is God. Jesus makes a distinction between these two spheres. Certainly God has authority of Caesar, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Jesus recognizes that Caesar’s ways are not God’s ways and that God’s people need to understand that. When they understand this difference, they’ll know where and how to direct their energies and efforts.

In the meantime, Dobson will continue to offer the world a very skewed perspective of the Kingdom of God.