Obama Says Dobson "Making Stuff Up"

(AP)  Barack Obama said Tuesday evangelical leader James Dobson was "making stuff up" when he accused the presumed Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible.

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 that he belongs to a group of religious leaders who are working independently of Obama's campaign and launching a Web site to counter Dobson at www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.com.

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."

[dmgenet]

"dmgenet...
blame it all on a 6000 year old goat roper named Abraham, who couldnt stay faithful...

Posted by midland666 at 05:20 PM : Jun 25, 2008"

Great response, thanks. Amazing isn''t it?

[midland666]

dmgenet...
blame it all on a 6000 year old goat roper named Abraham, who couldnt stay faithful...

[dmgenet]

"Obama should just Punch Dobson for lying.
Posted by midland666

Obama decided he knows the bible better. He instigated the commentary. His bible quotes incidentially are very closely analogus to Shira law, too.

Posted by mudrose at 05:10 PM : Jun 25, 2008"

Has anybody read all three texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam? There is a lot of cross pollination in philosophy, canon and sharing a of Prophets and elders. These religions did not evolve out of a vacuum.

[midland666]

how can you be campaigning in 57 States?

[mudrose-2009]

Actually you can see that every time Bushkins gives a speech--his expression is that of "wow that sounded really good" thus, his belief system akin to the wizard of oz.

Posted by liberalme

At least W knows that we have 50 states of the union as opposed to Obama''s campaigning in 57 states - very muslim point of view as well as quoting Leviticus, close to Shira law.....

[dmgenet]

FYI, it was the conservative, shall we say "evangelicals" that were the biggest supporters of the separation of church and state. They above all were the butt end of discrimination in Europe. That is why they came to the new world. They knew what it was like to have religion and the state in cahoots. The evangelicals prior to the American revolution understood the dangerous liaison that it would become if unchecked in the new world. This was a common thread that ran through the 13 original states at the time. They would be the first to tell the religions to butt out.

[mudrose-2009]

Sorry, but Jefferson was a deist--do you people ever try to find things out or just call lintball?
Posted by liberalme

Nope he wasn''t, lintball. Classifying Jefferson as a "Deist" with regards to religious affiliation is misleading and meaningless. Jefferson was never affiliated with any organized Deist movement. This is a word that describes a theological position more than an actual religious affiliation, and as such it is of limited use from a sociological perspective. If one defines the term "Deist" broadly enough, then the writing of nearly every U.S. president or prominent historical figure could be used to classify them as a "Deist," so classifying people as such without at least some evidence of nominal self-identification is not very useful.

Although Jefferson''s specific denominational and congregational ties were limited in his adulthood and his ever-evolving theological beliefs were distinctively his own, he was without a doubt a Protestant. One should keep in mind that despite his later self-stated non-affiliation with any specific denomination, he was raised as an Episcopalian, attended Episcopalian services many times as an adult and as President, and he expressed a clear affinity for Unitarianism. However these denominations may be classified now, uring Jefferson''s lifetime, the Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Church were both considered to be Protestant denominations.

[midland666]

mudrose ...

who really cares how he interprets fairy tales?
i dont, GoBama.....
no 3rd term for SHRUB, no Neanderthal fossil in the oval office.

[liberalme]

And girlie-girl, if you tell a lie often enough it eventually becomes truth. Hilter said that, and I believe the Dimnowits are very closely connected with his kind of thinking.

Posted by mudrose at 05:09 PM : Jun 25, 2008

Actually you can see that every time Bushkins gives a speech--his expression is that of "wow that sounded really good" thus, his belief system akin to the wizard of oz.

[mudrose-2009]

Obama should just Punch Dobson for lying.
Posted by midland666

Obama decided he knows the bible better. He instigated the commentary. His bible quotes incidentially are very closely analogus to Shira law, too.