Posted on 02/24/2002 3:48:41 AM PST by TomSmedley
James Dobson's crusade against TV ads for booze is misdirected
For years, Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family has been a ministry dedicated to the preservation of the Christian family. In the course of its mission, it has often advocated, in the name of the family, boycotting various television shows, networks and companies, especially Disney. Its latest boycott is of television network NBC and parent company General Electric.1 The reason? NBC is now airing hard liquor ads. Oh, the sinister evil.
After a 50-year voluntary ban on liquor advertisements, NBC has decided to lift the ban and enjoy the show. The ads would begin airing at 8 p.m., central time. Dr. Dobson is "extremely concerned" about this new action, and is convinced that the initial ban "protected kids to some degree at least, from manipulative liquor ads that would entice their young minds and, for that matter, entice older people."
To help think through the "tough" issues of the day, recently Dobson had alongside him his protégé, John Fuller, as well as big government Republican Rep. Frank Wolf from Virginia. Fuller, says Dobson, has "consistently fought for moral values and the family in the Congress," valiantly battling the evils of gambling and porn.
According to the cast of characters, these "manipulative ads" are "another snake in the grass" and the result of "raw, unbridled corporate greed." These greedy corporations, say Dobson and Co., are going to cause a great moral upheaval in our country. Catching a bad case of the slippery slope, Wolf predicted that if NBC continues airing these ads, it will not be long before they are seen "on all the shows" and all the networks, which will lead kids into premarital sex and drunk driving (Whoa! Did I miss something?). Within two years, says Wolf, you'll be seeing these ads at sporting events such as the Olympics with "former ball players" (not current ones?) advertising hard liquor. "I think it will bring about a lot more death, Jim."
Curse that deathly evil bottle. Curse every milliliter of it.
"Even though the ban is voluntary," says Fuller, "I've got a teen and a pre-teen son at home, and this makes me angry because this is obviously motivated by corporate greed, a desire to put the money in, without any regard to the consequences to the viewers and the people who are affected by those who drink that hard liquor."
There's a little problem in the logic here. Focus on the Family apparently believes that ads which say "Drink Responsibly"at least those are the only ones that I've seen on NBC so farare going to cause your children to have sex and die. Whoa, Dobson, whoa. What about parental responsibility and education of children? What about parents teaching their kids right and wrong?
Whatever happened to focusing on your family liquor cabinet? After all, mine is quite all right.
Dobson thinks that the real solution to all our liquor ad problems is to boycott General Electric and NBC. God-fearing families should "bombard NBC and GE with telephone calls absolutely bury them in complaints." Yeah, and tell 'em Jesus sent ya when you call.
To most outsiders, Christians are the folks who don't drink, don't cuss, and don't have much fun. Oh yeah, and did I mention Christians don't drink? It's hard enough being a Christian in America with the stands that the Bible demands we make. But by the grace of God, I can handle that. If God said it, well bummer if I take heat for it.
The problem I have is when we start making our little clubhouse rules of all our taboos and things that we don't do, even if Scripture nowhere denounces the things that we do. We're known as the goody guys who don't do this and don't do that, yet how many outsiders can tell us what Christians really stand for? And even if they could say that, how many outsiders can say they've ever seen us live what we stand for?
Instead of rallying the troops for battle, Dobson's listeners should be encouraged to instruct their children in thinking biblically about all of life, including alcohol and its proper use. Children should be taught both the Bible's warnings about alcohol abuse and the its praise of alcohol. Employing a Christian worldview in all of life is much more important than focusing on why bumming bottled booze is bad.
But we'd rather spend our time on the phone with a minimum wage employee of General Electricwho couldn't care less about the so-called evils of the bottlethan spend our time with our kids instructing them to think biblically.
In his critique of the Religious Right, Cal Thomas rightly notes, "Only God has all the truth. To the extent that we quote him accurately, we are loaned this truth. But when we begin adding things to his agenda, we diminish his truth and are onto something else entirely."2 Once again, Dobson thinks he has God's agenda figured out, and a million fingers will be dialing GE and NBC demanding a removal of these inherently evil ads.
But how can the ads be inherently evil if the actual product is not?
As Ken Gentry notes, "the biblical record frequently and clearly speaks of alcoholic beverages as good gifts from God for man's enjoyment."3 In Deuteronomy 14:22-26, the people of Israel were instructed to set aside a tithe for celebration and rejoicing. There, God tells them to "spend the money for whatever [their] heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink." This, says Moses, is to be done rejoicing with the whole household, and "in the presence of the LORD your God." Teaching children the value of doing all things in the presence of God is going to go much farther in the long run than any boycotts ever will.
"Here comes another, uhh, you know, problem for parents to deal with," says Dobson.
"Train up a child, uhh, you know, and he will not depart from it," says God.
Notes
1. Focus on the Family Radio Broadcast, Jan. 31, 2002.
2. Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson, Blinded by Might: Why the Religious Right Can't Save America. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 124.
3. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., God Gave Wine (Lincoln: Oakdown, 2001), 147. See Gentry's helpful discussion on the biblical term for "strong drink," 59-62. Also, check out the website.
Pay close attention folks. This is why we are losing our freedom in America. Legislation based on personal experience is becoming the norm.
"It happened to me, so I must stop it from happening to anyone else."
Anyway, I feel empathy for those who have experienced alchoholism or have alcoholism in the family. While I will be the first one to boost the health benefits of moderate drinking, I realize that some people (who are prone to alcoholism) are better off not drinking at all. Yet that should be a personal choice and not a government mandated one.
Hence we have Carolyn McCarthy stripping me of my rights because she wouldn't know what to do with herself otherwise.
People just don't get it anymore. I guess it is because we have become so far removed from our constitution and the vision of our founding fathers. But I find it utterly pathetic that there are people on a supposedly conservative website who feel it is totally justified for government to limit free speech because their dad was an alchoholic.
I mean seriously, can you believe the mentality here? No accounting for personal responsibility, no blaming of the actual person with the problems. Just an all out advocating of government, nanny-state control to save people from themselves.
No, he turned it into beer.
For the past 200 years Americans have been told that the Bible forbids drinking alcoholic beverages. Not so. By careful lexical, exegetical and theological examination, Kenneth L. Gentry concludes that Scripture allows wine to be consumed both for health and pleasurebut in moderation."Breaking News: Wine served at Last Supper!"
He is wrong on this. America allows people to worship as they please and this is a religious issue to me.
For the record, I love James Dobson for the good work he has done in so many family-related issues. Our kids grew up on "Adventures in Odyssey," for example, and acquired an appreciation for real excellence in the medium of radio. Dr. Dobson has been and is right on the vast majority of other issues, and worthy of appreciation. I suspect that, three centuries from now, his work will prove to have had more enduring value than Billy Graham's.
I believe you are correct..but I do have some difference with him. He has compromised a bit ..But all in all his has been a fruitful ministry
I know far more about Dobson and his business ventures than you have assumed. Your minimizing Dobson's property is weak. He follows Je$u$, takes the funds, and builds beyond what is necessary. I guess the "Show" makes him more and more money. In all fairness, the Catholics are worse. Why is it that religions like to flaunt wealth?
Another question: Why is Glen Eyre restricted to religious fundamentalists? It's a historic spot, and the zelots have taken it over!
Have you ever considered how Dobson has hurt his causes?
I am against religious professionalism. It reminds me of a professional sex person. Not much difference, except the prostitutes can prove their premise.
Dobson's Focus and the Family reminds me of the Russian's copy of the B-29 bomber, but Dobson copied the Mormons. At least he should give them the credit they deserve! Aren't there mirrors at Dobson's?
I don't like darker beers either.
Some things amaze me. Bad Windsheim has a great home-town brew, but go to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber, only 15 miles away (a big tourist town), and you'll find their Landwehr Brau will gag you. Bavaria has the good beers, but go west to the wine country and you'll have trouble getting a better beer.
I really didn't like the Pauly/Lowenbrau/Munchen stuff. The small town beers are superlative....most of the time.
When I'm in the mood for something dark, I go for Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout (from England). Now that is a beer that looks like motor oil. But it is absolutely delicious and is almost a meal in itself.
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