Hey, You Didn’t Bother To Crash My Party
May 10th, 2009 § 5 Comments
The Washington Post has an article in their Religion section stating that Focus On The Family head, Dr. James Dobson was “disappointed” that there was no White House Representative at the National Day Of Prayer event organized by Dobson and his wife Shirley. Well, maybe this will help Dr. Dobson figure out why they weren’t there:
However, a White House source with direct knowledge of the situation, said event organizers placed restrictions on potential speakers saying that they had to be “pro-life” and the only person officially invited from the administration was Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a Republican. Source: Washington Post
That’s probably a pretty good reason why they didn’t come. They apparently weren’t invited.
This brings up my biggest gripe. This event has been largely co-opted by people with a specific political agenda. Maybe it’s time to bring the event back to it’s origins. While the National Day of Prayer has been around since George Washington, it was solidified into the specific observance on a specific day by President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, in 1952. It’s probably time to kick the Republican kingmaker Dobson out and bring a less partisan leader to the fore if they really want this event to be bipartisan.
As it stands, complaining that someone you didn’t invite didn’t come to your party sounds a lot like political grandstanding. Maybe they ought to change their name to Focus On The Republican Family.
James Gilmore over at the Matthew 25 Network also has a good piece on this controversy.
And here you go with the venom flying on the other side…
http://www.inclusiveprayerday.org/talkingpoints.html
An attack on Colson, despite other failings, has had a successful run with a prison ministry (the downtrodden) and Franklin Graham (the poor, sick). I’ll be glad to embrace both of those that I believe Jesus will quite possibly say, “well done” to.
Its all there to see. Perhaps I see the National Day of Prayer as somewhat useless in the first place, just my opinion. I believe Dobson is a Christian, as in a redeemed sinner who has been saved by the blood of Christ. I appreciate his organization sacrificially paying for Crisis Pregancy Center all over the nation to get ultrasound machines. I appreciate some of his guidance on childrearing and their worldview studies. Has he followed a flawed path in becoming so political? Quite possibly so. That world can get ugly fast and quickly pull values down into that abyss. Dobson is certainly able to be pulled into that, just like any of us.
But I find it somewhat absurd that it seemingly is the Right that seems to pick one issue to be a litmus test on involvement when the same litmus test is in place in the Democratic party in reverse. How many judges have been denied placement just because NOW opposed them, how many Democrats dare to declare a pro-life stance? The left is quickly coming to a point where that litmus test will be present if you want to be an OB/GYN. What you describe is not a Republican problem, it is a human problem.
You saw the venom and hate fly when Obama picked Warren to pray at the inauguration. How in the world should a pro-life, pro-traditional family guy come to the position of praying there? Go back and look. Obama did keep him, but it was close and most democrats would have ditched him. Why?
Big questions. I think they have more to do with sin than a particular political party which I believe are both filled with people seeking their own will.
I firmly believe both sides can get sucked into the litmus testing. I also believe that if you place your trust and hope only in political parties you’re going to be disappointed.
I don’t doubt Dobson is a Christian. I also believe that he feels what he is doing is right. I also believe it was very wrong for FoF to become so closely aligned with politics. People who may have listened to their message regarding parenting, family life, etc. but don’t vote the way FoF does, will tune out their message based on their revulsion for the political message.
Many in an unbelieving world see the message of Christ tied to a political ideology because the proponents of that ideology do their best to portray it that way. Those unbelievers don’t share the ideology so they discount the other messages too. That is troubling.
I know a kind, generous, Jesus loving Christian who recently got tired of the subtle comments made at his church concerning people who didn’t share the dominant political ideology. He and his family have now left that church even though they were contributing to the mission of that church. That is sad. If we politicize the Gospel we risk running even more off.
It’s no secret that I consider myself a Democrat politically. Yet, I will share a church pew and the communion table with those who don’t vote as I do. However, at what point do I give up trying to contribute to the mission of my church when I grow weary of the political comments? Did Jesus die only for Republicans? Is the Lamb’s Book of Life the Republican Party’s mailing list? Is Republican Jesus going to come a smiting all us bad ole Democrats?
I find it hard to disagree with a word of your post. But believe it or not, I have been the opposite victim, although not in a church, but a Presbyterian college and in family situations, where it was very clear that the only people who really loved the poor and really cared about social issues were Democrats. I grew up in a half democrat family, which was very politically active at the state and local level, which clearly felt the same.
I can see where the comments would become weary, but I do feel that the core of the church is less interested in politics and more interested in spreading the good news through words and deeds. There are exceptions, obviously, but at least from my perspective (which may be skewed) I have heard very little from the pulpit that aligned us with a particular party. I think that is very different from many left leaning churches that have done quite the opposite, which end up being platforms for the Democratic candidate on the evening news.
The majority probably is. However, it’s the very vocal minority that gathers all the attention on both sides. It was very encouraging for me to caucus for Obama with a deacon from our church. Made me see I wasn’t the only Democrat there. I think our church does a pretty good job for the most part. Left leaning churches aren’t the only ones being platforms for political parties though.
I recently read a book where the author discussed the “We’re under attack…” mentality that both sides put out. They both raise the specter of being under attack claiming that their “cherished liberties are being taken away” by the other side. It’s kind of interesting when he shows that both sides are right and both sides are wrong. Christianity is growing, there are more churches, and more people going to church and yet our culture is becoming more secular.
I fear we’ve allowed the vitriol of politics to overshadow the Gospel’s message. I firmly believe we will all stand before Christ and say to ourselves “Dang it, I wish I had never said (or done) that.” about a great many things.
Again, can’t argue with a word… Sounds like we both have some common thinking, but I do think it brings us to some divergent conclusions. If you notice, on my Facebook page, I have chosen no political ideology. That was very intentional. If you queried me on my beliefs, I think a fair amount would line up with Republican party ideals. However, in actual practice, I identify with little they did over the last 8 years. But the honest truth is that there is almost no decision I have seen Obama make so far that I philosophically agree with or that I feel was in the best interest of our country as a whole. So at some point there is some obvious divergence.
Your last paragraph summarizes my life as well.