Soulfource group’s march to Focus on the Family campus
Re: “Marching and praying for Dobson’s soul,” July 18 Cindy Rodríguez column.
Regarding Cindy Rodríguez’s column about the Soulforce prayer march to Focus on the Family, I must say that I appreciate Soulforce’s approach more than Dr. James Dobson’s. I can’t escape an uncomfortable feeling when I contemplate the increasingly intertwined relationship between Focus on the Family and our leaders in Washington.
On the other hand, just as his power and influence do not make Dobson “right,” neither does the fact that there are 1,000 people who disagree with him make them any more “right.”
Probably, if we were truly concerned about living according to the whole Bible and not just the parts that happen to appeal to us, we would see that truth lies somewhere between Dobson’s condemnation of homosexuals and homosexuals’ assertion that God made them as they are and therefore there’s no problem with their lifestyle.
If homosexuality is sinful, it is, biblically speaking, no surer a path to God’s disfavor than whatever sins Dobson or any of the rest of us harbor in our own lifestyle choices.
It would be wonderful if Dobson and some of the other hardheads-for-Christ in our world would adopt the concept of peacefully praying for people rather than attempting to change people’s behavior through intimidation and legislation.
After all, isn’t God a big enough Father to take care of His own kids?
Mike Bishop, Peoria, Ariz.
…
Once again, the foot soldiers of Soulforce have amassed in Colorado Springs against Dr. James Dobson and Focus on the Family. And once again, Cindy Rodríguez marches in lockstep.
By repeatedly calling those who hold the historic, biblical view on homosexuality “homophobic” and “anti-gay,” Rodríguez promotes Soulforce’s emotionally charged groupthink – where terms like “marriage” and “family” are redefined and opposing views are not tolerated.
Truth is, Soulforce rhetoric – while effective at whipping up angry activists – greatly distorts facts. Dr. Dobson does not refer to gay people as “deviants” who can be “cured.” Nor does he call them “sick” or “diseased.”
Rather, like many in the mental health field, he sees homosexuality as a developmental condition. Indeed, current scientific consensus is that homosexuality results from a combination of biological, environmental and social factors.
In short, people aren’t “born gay” – an inconvenient truth Rodríguez refuses to acknowledge. Moreover, she parrots the charge that those who see homosexual behavior as sinful – albeit no different than any other sin – are inflicting “spiritual violence” upon homosexuals.
It is not “oppression” for Focus to promote the message that people can steward same-sex attractions in accord with religious convictions. Rather, it’s an offer of hope and freedom. To say otherwise demeans those who have left homosexuality.
Soulforce inflicts great harm upon homosexuals by misrepresenting biblical and scientific positions and restraining honest dialogue. Sadly, Rodríguez encouraged readers to “validate” this vitriol.
Caleb Price, Social Research Analyst, Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs
The dangers of nuclear power for energy
Re: “Relying more on nuclear power for energy,” July 18 Open Forum.
Letter-writer Len Taigman advocates building more nuclear power plants and cites France and China as examples we should follow. He’s wrong. The U.S. and other countries should not build more nuclear power plants. Reasons include the following: after all these years, there is still no satisfactory way to dispose of the radioactive waste; nuclear power plants and weapons proliferation are inextricably linked, as demonstrated in North Korea and Iran; and nuclear power plants provide targets for terrorists.
Taigman discusses safety. If nuclear power plants are safe, then the nuclear industry should provide its own liability insurance. Instead, the industry depends on the federal government to protect it from liability in the case of a catastrophic accident.
Taigman says that “solar energy and wind turbines are good but cannot solve the problem by themselves.” That’s partly right, but the problem can be solved by energy conservation and renewable energy – including solar, wind, biofuels, and geothermal energy.
Walt Hart, Lakewood
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