In Their Own Words: Christian Dominionism vs. Homosexuals

Christian Dominionism vs. Homosexuals

Christian Dominionism is the powerful political arm of Christianity. The end of abortion, gay marriage, and birth control and the regulation of personal behavior are among the goals Dominionism. Dominionism is not just another fundamental Christian lobby. Dominionists have enjoyed unparalleled and unprecedented access to the White House during Bush 43’s tenure.

The figureheads of the Dominionist movement are James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

James C. Dobson:

[James C.] 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 earned the title. He proselytized hard for Bush this last year, organizing huge stadium rallies and using his radio program to warn his 7 million American listeners that not to vote would be a sin. Dobson may have delivered Bush his victories in Ohio and Florida.

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.”

[In 2004], Dobson started a new offshoot of Focus on the Family called Focus on the Family Action, which he used to campaign openly for Bush. And during the campaign he joined Ralph Reed and…Charles Colson in regular conference calls with Karl Rove and other senior White House officials.

Crowley, M. (2004, November 12). James Dobson: The religious right’s new kingmaker. Slate. Retrieved December 12, 2006, from http://www.slate.com/id/2109621/

Focus on the Family:

Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF), founded in 1977, is a Christian non-profit organization based in the United States. The organization describes itself as “dedicated to nurturing and defending families worldwide”. The group was founded by James Dobson and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical para-church organizations whose stated aim is not to start a new church or denomination, but to work interdenominationally to protect and promote their definitions of traditional family and family values. Some of the core promotional activities of the organization include a daily radio broadcast by Dobson and his colleagues, providing free counseling and resources for those facing family difficulties, and publishing a variety of magazines, videos and audio recordings.

Focus on the Family. (2006, December 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_on_the_family

Tony Perkins:

From 1996 to 2004, Perkins was a member of the East Baton Rouge delegation to the Louisiana House of Representatives, where he served as a Republican. Republican Perkins ran for the United States Senate in the 2002 Louisiana jungle primary and received 10 percent of the vote. Perkins became the President of the conservative Christian Family Research Council, a political offshoot of James Dobson’s Focus on the Family in September 2003.

Tony Perkins (politician). (2006, December 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Perkins_(evangelical_Christian_figure)

Family Research Council:

The Family Research Council (FRC) is the powerhouse of Christian influence in Washington. Founded in 1983 by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, the FRC is led by former Louisiana state representative Tony Perkins. The FRC reportedly has the ear of many members of Congress, the White House, and Christians nationwide. FRC is actively involved in educating religious leaders about moral issues being affected by decisions in Washington, and also in representing those leaders directly to the decision makers themselves. You will find them well represented on news channels and radio stations nationwide, and at meetings where key strategies are planned.

AgapePress (2006, April 13). 20 reasons there is hope for America. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/4/132006c.asp

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