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James Dobson on Social Justice
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian, stood against tahe
Nazi regime and its oppression of the Jews, for which he paid with
his life. ... Through the ages, godly leaders have confronted wicked
regimes and their policies. Since pastors and laymen are now eing
told to remain in the safety of their churches, I wonder what Cal
(Thomas) and Ed (Dobson) would say about the Christian martyrs, from
John the Baptist to lSir Thomas More, who opposed those in positions
of power. I would like to hear them attempt to make a consistent
argument against Martin Luther King and his effort to end racial
segregation in the 1960s. Would they consider his a wrongheaded
attempt to 'usher in righteousness on Air Force One' (one of Cal's
favorite laugh lines)? King's followers marched idrectly from the
church and into the street, where powerful fire hoses knocked them
off their feet. One of those marches was led by a pastor. In fact,
during this time period, King was frequently on the phone with
Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the Justice Department, and
growing federal pressure helped break the back of the racist
resistance to integration. In that sense, righteousness was indeed
'ushered in on Air Force One.' If it is wrong for today's Christians
and their churches to stand against laws that are unjust and evil,
then it must have been wrong for the people in Birmingham to oppose
an unjust system while singing 'We Shall Overcome.'
What about the great debate over slavery
some 140 years ago? ... Who would dare criticize those courageous
pastors today, who were undoubtedly maligned at the time, for
speaking out against the Confederacy? ...
Conservative Christians can and must let
their voices be heard in the public square. The political system
does not belong exclusively to those with whom we disagreee, and we
should not yield them a single victory without defending what we
believe. This is the way democracy works. It is a representative
form of government that should involve every citizen."
James Dobson is president of Focus
on the Family. His article is one in Christianity Today (9/6/99, p.
56-58) that responded to the book Blinded by Might: Can the
Religious Right Save America? by Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson (no
relation).
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