programs that reach out to the inner-ay,
poverty-stricken community, including basket
ball leagues populated by plavers who are gang
members and mentoring programs for recover
ing crack addicts and urban children. These are
the sort of salt and light activities that Dobson
believes are biblically countercultural and more
consistent with the message of Christ than
attempts to take over the machinery ot politics.
Wevrich's letter and the Thomas-Dobson
book immediately became the topic of discus-
sion in the Religious Right and even secular
right, and both received blistering rebuttal from
some of the Religious Right's heavy hitters. In
the April issue of Focus on the Family's maga-
zine Citizen, political activist and fanuly coun-
selor James Dobson tno relation to Edi took
ste with Wevrich's assessment of the culture.
Dobson argued ina very measured tone that the
situation was not nearly as dire as Wevrich had
argued and that there still was a real chance that
moral Americans could be stirred to pohitical
action that would make a difference in the cul-
ture. The same issue of Crzen also carried
rebuttals by Chuck Colson, Charles Donovan ot
Gary Bauer's Family ams
Research Council, and ;
Rehgious Right activist
Connie Marshner.-
Just a short time later
mer ——————
James Dobson's tone was
markedly ditferent. In
his own “Dear lriends”
letter to supporters that
appeared in his June
newsletter, he character-
ized the call for cultural
withdrawal this way:
“Some have concluded
that Americans no longer
care about right and wrong, and that believers
should throw up their hands and surrender”
This time the object of Dobson's wrath was not
primarily Wevrich, Rather, Dobson was taking
aim at Cal Thomas and Fd Dobson.
Characterizing the Thomas-Dobson message as
“this resurgence of isolationism.” lanes Dobson
said that while the authors are Christian men,
“they are dead wrong in ther perspectives about
public policy.” “Furthermore Dobson wrote,
“what they recommend for the Christian com-
munity would accelerate the decline of America
it the ideas they espouse become widely
accepted.” While agreeing with Thomas and Bd
Dobson that the church should never be marnied
as dire as Weyrich had argued and that there
to politics. Dobson Tshed out at the two authors
as iF thevwere part of the hiberal enemies he so
often excoriates, In discussing a recent kev vote
in the Senate concernimyg abortion, le boasted 7
was there on that Jan, Pat didn't see Cal or Fd.
And wonder if Pastor Dobson mourned the
tragedy mn his sermon the following sunday”
Fhen, after fisting some recent Religious Right
political successes, Dobson wrote," And [have to
tell vou that deeply regret Cal Thomas and Ld
Dobson's disparagement of these precious peo-
ple who are steadily winning the haule tor the
hearts and minds of thay fellow countrymen.”
As the letter progressed, PYobson became
increasingly agitated. “Dictrich Bonhocfter, a
Lutheran pastor and theologian, stood against
the Nazi regime and its oppression of the Tews,
tor which he paid with his lite, Dobson wrote.
“Would Cal and Bd have suggested that he
accommaodate Hitler's henchmen just because
he had no chance of winning? Then, shitting
to American history, Dobson wrote, “Who
would dare criticize those courageous pastors
today, who ware undoubted maligned ar the
time, for speaking out against the Contederacy?
J
make a difference in the culture.
No one dido and vet Cal and Fd now often this
Hl-cormidered advice to todays Churches, urging
them to ignore the current moral sues in gos
crnment and sodiets. Dobson called the
authors” ttle “a Tow blow” because it iplics
that the sacrthees made to detend rishteausness
in the culture have been products of egotism
and nancies Lkang authors Thomas and 1d
Dobson with Wevrach, James Dobson closed his
letter by ashame, “Is the culture war really Tost as
Paul Wevrich recently asserted?” Clearly
Dobson believes that conservative © hostians
can and most win the culture war,
\ teas months after Dobson's scathimg one
tse of the Waevnich Thomas Dobson thesis
Sobson argued in a very measured tone
still was a real chance thar moral Americans
could be stirred to political action that would
I CO CE g 1