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James Dobson

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James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Ph.D. (born April 21, 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a conservative Evangelical Christian and child psychologist who presents a daily radio program called Focus on the Family on over 6,000 stations worldwide in more than a dozen languages. He founded and is chairman of the board of a nonprofit organization of the same name, founded in 1977 and based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it has its own zip code. He says that 200 million people every day in 164 countries hear his programs, including one translation carried on all state-owned radio stations in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Focus on the Family is also on 80 U.S. television stations daily.

Biography

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Background

Dobson first became well-known with the publication of Dare to Discipline, a book that became a cultural phenomenon among conservative Christian families. Dare to Discipline asserts the value of spanking children who defy their parents. This caused some controversy among those who oppose all physical discipline of children. Dobson's social and political opinions are widely read among many evangelical church congregations in the United States. Dobson publishes monthly bulletins also called Focus on the Family which are dispensed as inserts in some Sunday church service bulletins.

Dobson and his wife Shirley have two children, Danae and Ryan. Ryan Dobson is a public speaker in his own right, often speaking on issues relating to youth, the philosophical belief in ontological truth, and the pro-life movement. Ryan Dobson was adopted by the Dobsons and is an ardent supporter of adoption, especially adoption of troubled children.

Degrees, positions and awards

Dobson earned a doctorate in child development from the University of Southern California in 1967. He was an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine for fourteen years. He spent seventeen years on the staff of the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in the Division of Child Development and Medical Genetics.

Dobson is a licensed psychologist in California, and is listed in Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare. He also has a long list of honorary doctorates from various institutions.

At the invitation of presidents and attorneys general, Dobson has also served on government advisory panels and testified at several government hearings. Among many other awards, he has been given the "Layman of the Year" award by the National Association of Evangelicals in 1982, "The Children's Friend" honor by Childhelp USA (an advocate agency against child abuse) in 1987, and the Humanitarian Award by the California Psychological Association in 1988.

Social views

Views on marriage

James Dobson is a strong proponent of patriarchal marriage. He believes men have the divine right to be the leaders of their families and have the final say in matters of conflict, and women have the divine obligation to submit to their authority. He has supported Christian men's organization such as Promise Keepers who advocate for similar views. He does not believe women with children under the age of 18 should work for income outside the home. In his opinion, the call for men to lead isn't limited to the home, but stretches to both the church and government. He is highly critical of efforts to increase a female presence of leadership in these realms of authority. -->

In his opinion, the call for men to lead isn't limited to the home, but stretches to both the church and government. He is highly critical of efforts to increase a female presence of leadership in these realms of authority. -->

In the 2004 book Marriage Under Fire: Why We Must Win This Battle, Dobson outlines his view of traditional marriage. Dobson suggests that falling heterosexual marriage rates in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are due to the recognition of same-sex relationships by political leaders in those countries during the 1990s (pp. 8-9). He remarks that traditional marriage "is rapidly dying" in these countries as a result, with "most couples cohabiting or choosing to remain single" and illegitimacy rates rising in some areas of Norway up to 80%. Dobson writes that "every civilization in the world has been built upon ," (p. 7) and describes the institution of marriage as "the bedrock of culture in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and even Antarctica" (p. 8). He also argues that homosexuality is "curable." Railing against "the realities of judicial tyranny," Dobson has written that "here is no issue today that is more significant to our culture than the defense of the family. Not even the war on terror eclipses it" (pp. 84-85).

Views on schooling

Dobson and Focus on the Family support private school vouchers and tax credits for religious schools, and they reject education efforts that address multiculturalism or homosexuality. According to Focus on the Family website, Dr. Dobson believes that parents are ultimately responsible for their children's education. He encourages parents to visit their children's schools to ask questions and to join the PTA so that they may voice their opinions. Dobson opposes sex education curricula that are not abstinence-only. According to critics, local schoolbook censors use Focus on the Family's material when challenging a book or curriculum in the public schools. Focus on the Family encourages Christian teachers to establish prayer groups in public schools. Dobson supports student-led prayer in public school but doesn’t support teacher-led prayer for fear that a teacher would encourage Christian students “to pray to Allah, Buddha, or the goddess Sophia against the wishes of the parents and/or students.”

Views on corporal punishment and authority

In his pamphlet, Dare to Discipline Dobson advocated the spanking of children of up to eight years old when they misbehave, but warns that "corporal punishment should not be a frequent occurrence" and that "discipline must not be harsh and destructive to the child's spirit." He does not advocate what he considers harsh spanking because he thinks "It is not necessary to beat the child into submission; a little bit of pain goes a long way for a young child. However, the spanking should be of sufficient magnitude to cause the child to cry genuinely."

Dobson recognizes the dangers of child abuse, and therefore considers disciplining children to be a necessary but unpleasant part of raising children that should only be carried out by qualified parents: "Anyone who has ever abused a child—or has ever felt himself losing control during a spanking—should not expose the child to that tragedy. Anyone who has a violent temper that at times becomes unmanageable should not use that approach. Anyone who secretly 'enjoys' the administration of corporal punishment should not be the one to implement it."

In his book The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson suggests that by correctly portraying authority to a child, the child will understand how to interact with other authority figures: "By learning to yield to the loving authority... of his parents, a child learns to submit to other forms of authority which will confront him later in his life—his teachers, school principal, police, neighbors and employers."

Dobson stresses that parents must uphold their authority and do so consistently, comparing the relationship between parents and disobedient children to a battle: "When you are defiantly challenged, win decisively." In The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson draws an analogy between the defiance of a family pet and that of a small child, and concludes that "just as surely as a dog will occasionally challenge the authority of his leaders, so will a little child — only more so. (emphasis in original)

When asked "How long do you think a child should be allowed to cry after being punished? Is there a limit?" Dobson responded:

"Yes, I believe there should be a limit. As long as the tears represent a genuine release of emotion, they should be permitted to fall. But crying quickly changes from inner sobbing to an expression of protest... Real crying usually lasts two minutes or less but may continue for five. After that point, the child is merely complaining, and the change can be recognized in the tone and intensity of his voice. I would require him to stop the protest crying, usually by offering him a little more of whatever caused the original tears. In younger children, crying can easily be stopped by getting them interested in something else."

Views on tolerance and diversity

Dobson has contended that "tolerance and diversity" are "buzzwords" that the We Are Family Foundation misused as part of a hidden agenda to promote homosexuality. He stated in the February 2005 edition of the Focus on the Family newsletter that "childhood symbols are apparently being hijacked to promote an agenda that involves teaching homosexual propaganda to children." He offered as evidence the association of many leading LGBT rights organizations, including GLAAD, GLSEN, HRC, and PFLAG, with the We Are Family Foundation and the foundation's distribution of elementary school lesson plans which included discussions of compulsory heterosexuality, gender, heterosexism, and homophobia.

The We Are Family Foundation countered that Dobson had mistaken their organization with "an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called 'We Are Family,' which supports gay youth." A spokesman for the foundation suggested that anyone who thought the video promoted homosexuality "needs to visit their doctor and get their medication increased." Dobson contended that the controversial material had been removed by the We Are Family Foundation following their remarks to the press, stating that Focus on the Family obtained "clear documentation that these materials were being promoted on the Web site."

Views on homosexuality

Dobson believes that homosexuality is not genetic but a chosen behavior that deviates from God-ordained male-female marriage, which he defends as the central stabilizing institution of society. He maintains that homosexual behavior can be broken free from. His Focus on the Family ministry sponsors a monthly conference called “Love Won Out,” where self-professed ex-gays are among the speakers. Dobson opposes the gay rights movement's efforts legitimize same sex relationships on par with male-female marriage. In his book Bringing Up Boys, Dobson notes that "Homosexuals deeply resent being told that they selected this same-sex inclination in pursuit of sexual excitement or some other motive.

Political and social influence

Although Dobson initially remained somewhat distant from Washington politics, in 1981 he founded the Family Research Council as a political arm through which his ideas could achieve greater political influence.

In late 2004, Dobson led a campaign with social conservatives to block the appointment of Arlen Specter to head of the judiciary committee because of Specter's moderate stances on abortion. Responding to a question by Alan Colmes on whether he wanted the Republican Party to be known as a "big-tent party," he replied, "I don't want to be in the big tent... I think the party ought to stand for something." In 2006, Focus on the Family spent more than a half million dollars to promote a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in its home state of Colorado.

On January 1, 2005, The Washington Times reported that Dobson promised six Democratic senators "a battle of enormous proportions" if they filibustered conservative appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court. "He singled out six Democrats up for re-election : Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Bill Nelson of Florida." According to a 2005 Washington Times article, in 2004 Dobson played an important role in the defeat of then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Five of the six senators went on to win reelection and the sixth, Dayton, was succeeded in office by another Democrat.

In November 2004, Dobson was described by the online magazine Slate.com as "America's most influential evangelical leader." The article explained "Forget Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, who in their dotage have marginalized themselves with gaffes... Dobson is now America's most influential evangelical leader, with a following reportedly greater than that of either Falwell or Robertson at his peak... Dobson may have delivered Bush his victories in Ohio and Florida. Further, "He's already leveraging his new power. When a thank-you call came from the White House, Dobson issued the staffer a blunt warning that Bush 'needs to be more aggressive' about pressing the religious right's pro-life, anti-gay rights agenda, or it would 'pay a price in four years.'... Dobson has talked about bringing down the GOP if it fails him.

Dobson has sometimes complained that the Republican party may take the votes of social conservatives for granted: "Does the Republican Party want our votes, no string attached--to court us every two years, and then to say, 'Don't call me, I'll call you'--and not to care about the moral law of the universe? ... Is that what they want? Is that the way the system works? Is this the way it's going to be? If it is, I'm gone, and if I go, I will do everything I can to take as many people with me as possible."

However, in 2006, Dobson said that, while "there is disillusionment out there with Republicans" and "that worries me greatly," he nonetheless suggested voters turn out and vote Republican in 2006. "My first inclination was to sit this one out," but according to The New York Times, Dobson then added that "he had changed his mind when he looked at who would become the leaders of Congressional committees if the Democrats took over."

The Council for National Policy, of which Dobson is a member, emerged from a February 2007 meeting dissatisfied with the current crop of candidates for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

Books

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Dobson has authored or coauthored over 31 books including:

  • Bringing Up Boys: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Men, Focus on the Family 2003, ISBN 0-8423-5266-X
  • Dare to Discipline. Bantam, 1982. ISBN 0-553-20346-0
  • Emotions: Can You Trust Them?
  • The Focus on the Family Complete Book of Baby and Child Care (with Paul C. Reisser)
  • Judicial Tyranny: The New Kings of America? - contributing author (Amerisearch, 2005) ISBN 0-9753455-6-7
  • Life on the Edge
  • Love Must Be Tough: New Hope for Families in Crisis
  • Marriage Under Fire: Why We Must Win This Battle, Multnomah Publishers, Inc. (Sisters, Oregon), July 2004
  • The New Dare to Discipline
  • Night Light: A Devotional for Couples (with his wife Shirley Dobson)
  • Night Light for Parents (with Shirley Dobson)
  • Parenting Isn't for Cowards
  • Preparing for Adolescence ISBN 0-8307-3826-6
  • Stories of Heart and Home
  • Straight Talk to Men
  • Straight Talk: What Men Should Know, What Women Need to Understand
  • The Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide
  • The Strong-Willed Child. Living Books, 1992. ISBN 0-8423-5924-9
  • What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women
  • When God Doesn't Make Sense

Dobson also served on the committee that wrote the Meese Report on pornography.

References

  1. "About Dr. Dobson". Focus on the Family. 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-05. Link no longer works
  2. ^ "Focus on the Family". People For the American Way. 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-10.
  3. http://www.pinn.net/~sunshine/book-sum/dobson.html
  4. "What can parents do to improve public schools?." 2006. Focus on the Family. 8 Oct. 1997 <http://family.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/family.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=796>.
  5. ^ James Dobson, Dare to Discipline. Bantam, 1982. ISBN 0-553-20346-0, page 7.
  6. http://www.uexpress.com/focusonthefamily/?uc_full_date=20041121
  7. James Dobson, The Strong-Willed Child. Living Books, 1992. ISBN 0-8423-5924-9, page 235.
  8. http://www.troubledwith.com/stellent/groups/public/%5C@fotf_troubledwith/documents/articles/twi_012701.cfm?channel=Parenting%20Children&topic=Discipline&sssct=Questions%20and%20Answers
  9. http://www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0035339.cfm
  10. http://www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0035339.cfm
  11. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/20/politics/20sponge.html?ex=1263877200&en=a1bb4268064fb8bd&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
  12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4190699.stm
  13. http://www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0035339.cfm
  14. Bringing Up Boys, Focus on the Family 2003, p. 115-116
  15. ^ Crowley, Michael (Nov. 12, 2004). "James Dobson: The religious right's new kingmaker". Slate.com. Retrieved 2006-10-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. David D. Kirkpatrick, “The 2004 Campaign: Evangelical Christians--Warily, a Religious Leader Lifts His Voice in Politics, The New York Times, May 13, 2004, A22.
  17. "Christian Right Labors to Find '08 Candidate," The New York Times, February 25, 2007

External links

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