Monday, January 18, 2010

Fascinating Developments in the House of Dobson

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, has resigned as chairman of the board of that ministry and has left the "Focus on the Family" radio show he founded. His wife also left the Focus board.

Dobson is now creating a rival radio program, co-hosted by his son Ryan. An anonymous source at Focus on the Family said Ryan Dobson, who is divorced and remarried, could not be the voice of the organization under their policy.

Evidently James Dobson's policies are a little more flexible when he focuses on his own family.

Meanwhile, Focus on the Family, under new boss Jim Daly, has become less partisan and more devoted to hands-on helping with troubled families. Daly said he wants to work with Democrats. He praised President Barack Obama as a role model for African-American fathers. Focus now has a program that finds families to adopt children who have been in foster care.

8 comments:

Gay said...

It seems since the group is becoming more moderate you as a centrist would become less snarky. Go figure?

Gruntled said...

I celebrate the moderating moves of Focus on the Family. I read James Dobson's person moves as special pleading, rather than moderation. Do you see his change differently?

Gay said...

Not sure what you mean by person moves? Maybe he is evolving. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I just don't understand your smugness.

Gruntled said...

Sorry, that should have said "personal moves."

Dobson was the author of the policy that excludes his son. When that policy affects him, he did not say that he had rethought the policy, he just ignored it. This appears unprincipled to me. Does it not to you?

Gay said...

Seems to me hed played by the rules.

Life changed him. Maybe God changed him.

No need to throw it in his face. Why not welcome him? He moved to the center.

Maybe the house of Weston should practice a little humility?

Gruntled said...

I would be delighted to welcome him to the center. So far Dr. Dobson has not admitted to any change of mind. If anything, he has been more condemnatory in the last couple of years than he was before. I would wish to think well of him, as of everyone, so if you have read some account that I have missed, please point me to it.

Anonymous said...

Gay, you seem to be misunderstanding or misinterpreting Gruntled's post and the facts (or rumors) at issue.

Focus on the Family has become more moderate, not James Dobson. Dobson left Focus on the Family, reportedly to sidestep a policy he developed, but has made no mention of the policy or admission that he was wrong when he originally developed it. Instead, when the policy excluded someone he wanted to include, Dobson took his ball and went home.

In Dobson's absence, the successors have taken more moderate stances, a stance which Gruntled seems to approve of in the post.

Gay said...

Dr. James Dobson is an influential voice for Christian conservatives and is leaving Focus on the Family, which he founded 33 years ago, to start a radio program that will allow him more leeway to talk about politics.

Focus has always worked with Democrats and Dr. Dobson has never criticized Mr. Obama as a family man only only on his policies.

He has publicly asked people to continue to support Focus as he leaves the group.

The article Dr. Weston links to is based on anonymous sources (rumors) and the author, Ms. Goodstein, admits it in the story.

That said, Mr. Weston's smug tone is unbecoming.