Obama turns Dobson’s attack on its head

Yes We Can

Jim Dobson has this to say about Obama:

I think he’s deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology,” Dobson said, adding that Obama is “dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.” Responding to Dobson’s comments Tuesday evening, Obama sharply disputed the suggestion he was distorting the Bible.

Obama responds:

“Someone would be pretty hard pressed to make that argument,” he told reporters aboard his campaign plane. “It is a speech that affirms the role of faith not just in my life but in the life of the American people, that suggests that we make a mistake by trying to push faith out of the public square.”

“I do make the argument that it’s important for folks like myself, who think faith is important, that we try to translate some of our concerns into universal language so we can have open and vigorous debate rather than having religion divide us,” Obama said. “And I do suggest that the separation of church and state is important. But there’s no, no theological work being done in that speech in terms of the Bible.”

There are those who would accuse Reverend Dobson of doing exactly what he accuses Obama of, distorting traditional understanding to fit a confused theology. But Obama does not go that route. What is extraordinary is how divisive every word is that Dobson utters, and how visionary, inclusive and positive is every word of Obama’s. In many ways this election is going to be about competing visions of religion in the future of global civilization. Will it be a weapon of civilizations or a bond of civilizations?

© Marc Gopin

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