Dear Dr Dobson
Football, “Christophobia”, and the Misuse of Science
By Patrick M. Chapman, PhD
Recent Focus on the Family articles celebrated a football coach opposed to homosexuality, discussed the supposed “Christophobia” of homosexual organizations, and defended Focus on the Family founder James Dobson from accusations that he misuses scientific research.
Tony Dungy, head coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts football team, was recently honored at an Indiana Family Institute award banquet. Focus on the Family’s Pete Winn quoted the IFI president as saying “the purpose of this award is to celebrate those who live out the family ethic we think is at the heart of a healthy and successful society.” The IFI identified Tony Dungy as an appropriate recipient of the award, given his Christian faith and public comments opposing same-sex marriage.
Dungy is a popular, respected and trailblazing African-American coach. In late 2005 he gained considerable support and sympathy when his teenage son committed suicide. Although commenting on a suicide is considered taboo, some speculate that Dungy’s son may have been homosexual and that his suicide was connected to Dungy’s evangelical beliefs and outspokenness against homosexuality. Sociologists demonstrate that homosexual teens have a significantly higher suicide rate than heterosexual teens. A family’s homophobic religious beliefs and the homophobia present in the African-American community are important factors when examining why some teenagers commit suicide. However, the motivations for this particular suicide and the son’s sexual orientation are unknown. Nonetheless, it is valid to question why Dungy merits an award for his family ethic. It appears that Dungy was chosen for the award solely for his celebrity and his political stance against homosexuality, considering the publicity the Indiana Family Institute gained from it.
After homosexual organizations commented on the political aspect related to Dungy’s award, Jim Daly, the president of Focus on the Family Action, said the homosexual activists suffered from “Christophobia”; as if criticizing the activities of a political organization implies that one is opposed to Christianity. Daly’s desire appears to be applying the term as a shield against all criticism of evangelical political action. In using “Christophobia,” Daly seems to imply that Christianity is solely represented by the evangelical strain; that non-evangelical denominations are not Christian. Many Christian denominations accept homosexuals, reject as misinterpretation the evangelical views of Scripture, and some even bless same-sex marriages. Some evangelical leaders, such as Tony Campolo, are advocates for equal rights for homosexuals. Based on Daly’s comments these Christian denominations and evangelical leaders are “Christophobic,” given that they also criticize the anti-gay evangelical agenda. Furthermore, many homosexuals are Christian. These gay Christians recognize that no Bible before 1952 condemned all homosexuals in either 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10 – considered to be two key “clobber passages.” They also recognize that other passages used today to condemn homosexuals were not interpreted as such for the first 1,000 years of Christian tradition. Yet, it appears that Daly believes these gay Christians to be “Christophobic”, if they express these views in public, views that are in agreement with leading biblical scholarship.
Daly further comments: “They want to control our speech in the public square, embarrass us and try to belittle us. It really is a form of fascism.” James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, was recently criticized for taking scientific research out of context to suggest that homosexual parenting harms children. Dobson referenced studies showing children do better in two-parent families than in one-parent families. He then misapplied these studies to argue that children do better in heterosexual families than homosexual families, even though the latter were not included in the study. Dobson is also criticized for arguing there is no sound scientific evidence that homosexuality is inborn. Yet, even Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler recently admitted the scientific evidence increasingly indicates that homosexuality is probably an inborn orientation. Daly, Dobson, and other evangelical leaders do not realize that homosexual organizations and scientists are not trying to silence them or “control” their speech; nor do they fear Christianity. Rather, they are simply demanding these evangelical leaders be accurate and fair in their statements on homosexuality. Attempting to label as “Christophobic” and “fascist” those who hold evangelical leaders accountable is simply a rhetorical political ploy that is not consistent with the spirit of Jesus’ teachings.
James Dobson,
Practice What You Preach!
By Patrick M. Chapman, PhD
In response to Don Imus’ recent racist comment involving the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, Gary Schneeberger, senior director with Focus on the Family’s “Citizen Link” ministry, criticized the media for its part in a “coarsening of culture.” Schneeberger states:
”Each song, film, TV show, Internet or print article and talk-show comment that enters the pop culture mainstream has the potential to do good or ill. To build people up or tear them down. To offer hope or despair. Don Imus has long contributed to the latter half of those equations. But he is hardly alone. A society truly outraged by his remarks would do more than realize that “ it would do something about it.”
This is typical of the hypocritical behavior and rhetoric from James Dobson’s organizations: denounce the media for its tolerance of hate speech on the one hand, but with the other invite Ann Coulter to be a featured speaker at last fall’s Values Voters Summit, co-sponsored by organizations linked to James Dobson. For years Ann Coulter’s comments have done ill, tore people down, and offered despair. Coulter has frequently drawn criticism for her bigoted, homophobic remarks.
Coulter recently called John Edwards a “faggot.” Defending her comment, Coulter explained: “Frankly, I didn't think Edwards was really worth attacking, and I promise you, an audience of conservative news junkies know John Edwards, with his two Americas and you know, his charlatan performances before illiterate juries. They know that that is wussy. That is lame. That is a sissy thing to do.” Thus, because his actions represented a wussy, lame and a sissy, she felt justified in using a term directly associated with homosexuals.
And what does James Dobson’s organizations do about her consistent hate speech? They invite her to be a featured speaker at their Christian conferences. While denouncing hate-speech directed at people of color, James Dobson does not object when people denigrate homosexuals: his organizations are among the guiltiest in doing so. This is apparent to anyone who regularly reads his organizations print and online articles.
Focus on the Family’s Citizen Link recently reported on the Concerned Women for America’s suggestion that gays and lesbians actually fake hate-crimes to gain public sympathy (“Pro-Family Group Calls for Investigation of Hate-Crimes Claims,” April 9, 2007). The article did not criticize this assertion or highlight the murder of Matthew Shepard, which was not “faked.” They did not mention that 14.2% of hate-crimes in 2005 occurred because of sexual orientation; ranking third on the FBI’s list. In fact, when Focus on the Family did comment on the FBI statistics, their article implied that homosexuals do not experience discrimination or physical assault for being gay or lesbian (FBI’s Hate Crime Report Debunks Gay ”Victim Myth,” October 18, 2006).
Despite the high incidence of hate-crimes based on sexual orientation, Dobson’s organizations criticized recent Congressional bills that would add sexual orientation to race, religion, and national origin in national hate-crime laws (Ex-Gays, African-Americans Unite Against “Thought Crimes’ Bill,” April 16, 2007). Not surprisingly, Dobson’s organizations did not object when religion was included as a protected class, despite this being a chosen lifestyle that one can change at any time.
Dobson’s organizations also protested a recent bill introduced by Washington’s Jim McDermott “Gay Rights Bill Quietly Introduced in Washington,” April 11, 2007). The bill allows employers to offer tax-free health benefits to the partners of their homosexual employees, similar to those offered for married couples. Apparently, Dobson believes that homosexuals should receive less health care than heterosexuals, or should have to pay more for it.
If James Dobson and his organizations practice what they preach, they would not denigrate hate speech on one hand and with the other honor those who practice it. While his organizations agree that Don Imus’ recent comment was racist and hurtful, they refuse to speak out against comments that denigrate homosexuals. Instead of reprimanding Ann Coulter for her public insults of John Edwards and all homosexuals, Dobson’s organizations remained silent: not surprising given that James Dobson’s organizations are at the forefront of hateful speech and behavior directed at the gay community.
I am unable to reconcile Dobson’s actions with Jesus’ teachings. If James Dobson desires to be recognized as a Christian leader, then it is time for his organizations to practice what Jesus preached. They need to denounce all hate speech, even when it is directed at homosexuals by Dobson’s allies.
Dr Patrick Chapman is an anthropology professor at South Puget Sound Community College.
REFLECTIONS OF A CHRISTIAN
Fr. Bob Withrow, M.Div.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Catholic Style
A news tidbit came to my attention recently out of Gillette, Wyoming. It seems that a lesbian couple returned home from their wedding in Canada and decided to vocally oppose a Wyoming bill that would deny recognition of same-gender weddings. The media interviewed them on Ash Wednesday, their foreheads still smudged with ashes from their local Roman Catholic parish. Soon afterwards, they received a letter from their pastor, instigated by the bishop, stating they were no longer allowed to receive Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic Church.
About eleven years ago, I wrote an article for the Capital “Q” News encouraging Christians and other people of faith to work within their own church to bring about a metanoia, a change of heart, toward GLBT issues. I soon found my own church, the Roman Catholic Church, becoming more repressive. I needed to leave in order to breathe. I needed to maintain my integrity. I needed to leave in order to save my soul.
I encourage all Christians to leave repressive church homes and find a place where their spirits can soar without condemnation. Since I am familiar with the Roman Catholic Church, I want to specifically address GLBT Roman Catholics in this column. It seems that these lesbians were okay as long as their relationship was not made public. They had gone to church and Holy Communion as a couple for years. When the “secret” came out, they were no longer welcome.
The Roman Catholic Church will not change in our lifetimes or even the next several lifetimes. In October, 1987, Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) issued a doctrinal letter stating that “homosexuals are intrinsically disordered and essentially self-indulgent.” Homosexuals are tolerated as long as they are celibate. In the last twenty years, all of the bishops who have been consecrated and Cardinals who have been raised are committed to this belief. You will always be second-class citizens in the Roman Church; you will be repressed; your soul will be stifled; you will not be allowed to give or share love with one another and frankly, you will be pushed away from the fullness of God’s love that you deserve.
You deserve all of the love that God has to offer which includes the love of a same gender spouse. To share intimate sexual love with the one you love is to share in the reality of God’s love, both giving and accepting. Don’t participate in your own repression. There is another way. There are independent Catholic churches and communities in the Puget Sound area that are open and accepting of GLBT folks, have valid apostolic succession and clergy, have valid sacraments, and familiar liturgy. One of these churches, St. Aelred’s, will offer Mass in Olympia beginning June 3, and will offer a special Mass June 17, after the festival in the park.