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James Dobson's War on America

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Because Dr. James Dobson is such a prominent Christian leader, it is hard to provide a critique of his ministry without getting into hot water in some circles. But Gil Alexander-Moeggerle has done his critique, and I found that this book has answered some uneasy feelings I had for a long time -- especially after Dobson became so deeply entrenched into right wing politics.

I will not re-hash the book here. Previous reviews have shown the outline of the book, the topics covered, etc., as well as being able to look inside parts of the book here on Amazon.

However, I will share some problems I began having as I followed his ministry more. When I first started reading Dobson's books, I appreciated his views on the development of children and some of his practical psychological wisdom. However, my misgivings began to crystalize into two categories.

1. Political involvement. Now please understand -- I have no problem with Christians being involved in politics. But I do have serious issues with the following:

a. Legislating so-called "Christian principles." As a religion, Christianity is to be accepted by individuals, not by imposing its principles into law by decree. The Christian faith cannot be spread by imposing it onto others.

b. Although I am pro-family, pro-business and pro-life, I don't believe that the "conservative" camp exclusively owns these issues.

c. Furthermore, you don't have to be politically conservative to be a Christian.

d. I am a straight married woman, but I don't think I have a right to interfere in the lives of the gay community. I don't see them as messengers of evil, and I have no vendetta against them, either political or religious.

d. I get the impression that Dobson doesn't have a clue as to how the poor live and the challenges they face.

2. His attitude towards women. Many women see Dobson as their friend, but he clearly upholds a hierarchical view of the male as the "head." While this doesn't necessarily need to be a problem (though it often ends up that way) he also puts women into a "Catch 22" situation:

a. He wants women to make their homes and families the center of their lives.

b. But then, he has critiqued the fact that women don't seem to talk about topics from as broad a base as men do -- and has even had programs that impress on women that they need to have something in their lives besides home and family. But he forgets that MANY women have made the home and family the center of their lives by listening to HIM.

I worked at a religious radio station for a while where Dobson's program was aired, and one time I had the poor judgment to express some of my problems with Dobson's ideas -- and I was treated like I had attacked God Himself!

I think that Dobson is trying to amass too much power (if it hasn't already happened) and is trying to speak for the Christian community as a whole. Well, Dobson does not represent all Christians.

The best way to "Christianize" a country is for Christians to non-coercively share Jesus Christ with their family, friends, colleagues, etc., and let them accept Christ on their own. If enough Christians will simply live their lives as Christ would have them live it and practice GENUINE Christian love (I Corinthians 13) then I believe that more people will become Christians than through any kinds of laws made by any kind of government.

Gil Alexander Moegerle's critical treatise on the personality, work, and ethics of Christian Right pop psychologist James Dobson reveals aspects of this popular evangelical leader that should long ago have been exposed to public scrutiny. Perhaps the most telling revelation of all is Moegerle's disclosure that Dobson subscribes to a doctrine--still popular in some evangelical circles--known as "entire sanctification" or the "second work of grace." This concept holods that a person saved by grace can mature to the point where he/she loses all will to sin, and thus can not fall prey to the temptations that less sanctified believers struggle with. If Moegerle's report is correct, then it is understandable how Dobson can be described as Moegerle describes him--an arrogant know-it-all who demands absolute loyalty and agreement by subordinates and attacks dissenters viciously. After reading Moegerle's book, I wrote to Dobson, asking if it was true that he held to the "entire sanctification" doctrine. I closed my letter by stating that if he sent no reply, I would assume that he did indeed embrace this concept of personal perfection. It has been two years and I have received no response.

I'm in my early 50's and remember when Dr. Dobson became prominent. I enjoyed a lot of his books but later on became a bit troubled. This was further compounded when I actually dared to mention this and was firmly put in my place for daring to criticize him.

But my problems remained. I felt that he put women in a "Catch-22" position -- on one hand, having married women stay home and care for their families, and on the other hand, complain about women who had nothing in their lives except their families, and how they needed to branch out more -- seemingly forgetting that a lot of these women were staying home and wrapping themselves up in their families as a result of listening to him! I was also troubled by what seemed to me as a hardening position on abortion (which, for the most part, I don't support, either) and the tacit idea that God is a Republican.

I have read this book through twice, and I don't find it nasty or mean-spirited. However, I do think that it's right down to the point. I do my best to apply my Christianity to my daily life, but I know that there are other people out there who believe differently than I do, and even if I don't agree with them, I still support their right to practice what they believe as long as it doesn't include such obvious things as murder, stealing, etc.

I enjoyed the book, and I don't think more or less of Dr. Dobson than I did when I started it. Some people portray him as a complete angel, others as a devil -- and neither of those extremes are true. I think that Gil Alexander-Moegerle has projected him exactly as he is -- a human being with all the strengths and weaknesses involved.

Good book -- worth reading!

I found this book to be a wise, carefully thought-out analysis of the Religious Right's uncompromising agenda. More specifically, it's an insider's assessment of James Dobson's central role in that movement. Alexander-Moegerle pulls no punches in describing this religious hero's character flaws. However, it's hard to believe he still recommends the folksy Dobson as a radio family counselor. It's like saying you can trust Dr. Jekyll -- but watch out for Mr. Hyde.

While Christ's aim was (and still is) to change people from the inside-out, the Religious Right's aim is to change people from the outside-in, through legislation. Jesus' statement, "My kingdom is not of this world," is ignored, disrespected. Millions of dollars in Christian PAC money goes down a rat hole, as conservative vs. liberal PACs cancel each other out.

Alexander-Moegerle also admires (perhaps facetiously) the marketing and business acumen of Dobson, who became a millionaire via Focus on the Family. The Christian sub-culture is a marketing bonanza for booksellers and religious broadcasters. Gee, how did previous generations of families raise their kids without Dobson's daily program and books for sale? ("Send us a gift of $18 and we'll send you this wonderful book" is a questionable sales tactic, in my opinion). How did most of us turn out okay with parents who didn't mentally consume an endless diet of parental/Christian information? It's overkill, and it makes money for Dobson and his ilk.

Dobson's heroic stature in the evangelical community reminds me of the Armstrong cult (Worldwide Church of God), which I was in for five years. Members critical of the Armstrongs were suspect, blacklisted, and expelled. Tales of impropriety were treated with skepticism and charges of "bitterness." Alexander-Moegerle tells of a similar cold shoulder from Christian broadcasting after his ouster from Focus.

(I should add a personal experience with James Dobson. When I was single, years ago, I wrote to him and asked for his advice on a personal issue. He personally wrote back with an encouraging and compassionate response.)

By writing this book, Alexander-Moegerle has planted seeds of reform for religious businesses, which can now abuse employees (as in his well-documented case) because of Federal laws which protect religious enterprises from legitimate employee complaints and litigation.

I can't believe some of the nutty reviews posted for this book. Some of the vitriol directed towards this book & its author reminds me of the remark Disraeli made about the Jewish fear of Christianity: Jews were terrified of Christians due to ages & ages of "Christian love," i.e. pogroms, demonization, persistent persecution, etc. That same "loving" spirit has saturated many of these reviews posted on Amazon.com.

Whether you like it or not, this nation was formed on secular principles, not on the Christian religion. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and Paine were deists. John Adams had Unitarian views. The Founding Fathers based their experiment on rationalism, not on any transcendental foundation. They drew their inspiration from a wide variety of sources, including atheists (like Voltaire & David Hume). You certainly have a right to believe whatever you want, but don't rewrite history.

Gil Alexander-Moegerle was an insider in the weird world of Christian fundamentalism. In fact, he was the right-hand man to the Religious Right's most powerful (and clandestine) leader, Dr. James Dobson. Although it may be easy to dismiss it as "sour grapes" and a hatchet job, War On America actually has a balanced tone. Alexander-Moegerle never resorts to trash talk; frankly, I kind of wished that he would have hit Dobson a little harder. Alexander-Moegerle's relationship with Dobson is of minor interest, however, compared to the tell-all on the inner workings of Dobson's operation.

Taking refuge in the tax-exempt status of religious organizations, Dobson's Focus On The Family has played unfair hardball with other religious publishers, such as Word, Inc. According to the author, Dobson also has a penchant for meddling in his employees' personal lives. This is entirely believable, considering Dobson's self-appointed status as America's moral guardian.

Like many a successful multimedia preacher (Graham, Falwell, Robertson, Colson), Dobson makes it a point to lavish support on the Republican party, both secretly through lobbying, and openly. This itself should be enough to revoke the "tax-exempt" status of these men. Dobson's dubious lack of salary is also given an interesting twist, as is his boorish treatment of those he disagrees with. In this light, Dobson seems more of a wrathful Jehovah than a gentle Jesus.

One of the author's most interesting observations is his view on the political development of the Religious Right. It was initially a sleeping giant, awoke to become destructive, and now this giant has to decide as to which path it will take: dialogue or destruction.

The only quibble I have is that Alexander-Moegerle seems to imply that he never would have altered his ultra right-wing views except for the fact that he was fired by Dobson. If that is indeed the case, I'm glad he got canned. Unlike the vast majority of the Religious Right, Gil understands the need for compromise in a pluralistic society. For that, I salute him.

James Dobson's War on America is a timely message for U.S. citizens--Christians and non-Christians alike--who want to create a diverse national community characterized by mutual respect and understanding. Those interested in the separation of Church and State and who resist the determination on the part of the religious right to turn America into a theocracy will find valuable insight into the most influential man leading the charge up Capitol Hill for the Christians. Gil Alexander-Moegerle offers the unique perspective of a ten-year insider, and brings to light the hidden political agenda of Focus on the Family and its Washington lobby, the Family Research Council, to impose their extremist religious dogma on the rest of society. Those committed to authentic Christian living will be deeply disturbed by the Dobson the public doesn't see. The disparity between the crafted public persona of this self-proclaimed moral leader and the real goings-on behind the scene of a megalomaniac drunk with temporal power should stun the evangelical/fundamentalist camp of Christendom. He is, after all, their super-hero. James Dobson's War on America demands a response. Gil Alexander-Moegerle writes a fast-paced account that reads like journalism: well documented, carefully recounted and fundamentally credible. He courageously bucks the tide of religious and social political correctness, giving Americans in general and Protestant Christians in particular a clear picture of where we do not want to go if we value our civil liberty. As Americans look for political and religious leadership, Gil Alexander-Moegerle makes the compelling case that James Dobson is not the one to emulate. A must read for anyone who cares about the future of our country.

As a victim of the Religious Right -- I was brought up in a Nazarene church in the Midwest, and my mother kept a well-thumbed copy of Dobson's original title, 'Dare to Discipline', right next to the hardwood paddle in our pantry -- I've seen much of the Dobson-ideology that this author debunks so thoroughly up close for most of my life. Dobson's organization, Focus on the Family, is glossy, slickly packaged, and appealing though lowbrow. It also provides warm and fuzzy justification for the behaviour of sadists and bigots who probably didn't need the endorsement in the first place, but are thrilled to find a powerful protector. I don't care what Dobson does inside his church, but his not-so-subtle move into politics alarms me; I agree with Gil Alexander-Moegerle in thinking he's dangerous, and I welcomed this book as an articulate, well-organized attack on what's a frightening abuse of power by a didactic, fanatical egomaniac.

I have a unique perspective on this book because I briefly worked for the author doing radio production at Dobson's organization. I have little doubt that much (perhaps all) of what the author says is true. However, he has carefully selected and slanted his information to put Dobson in the worst possible light. The author's own account of Dobson's involvement in the former's failing marriage and Dobson's subsequent firing of him from Focus (which evidently spelled the end of his career in religious broadcasting) undoubtedly provided ample motive for the writing of the book--contrary to what the author has said. Those who worship Dobson or other religious celebrities should develop more discernment, because few men or women in such positions of power can handle it. As the author's comments reveal (if you can sift the facts from the rhetoric), Dobson has not done significantly better or worse in his ethics than the average (religious) celebrity. He wears neither a halo ! nor horns. The power that he exerts comes from thousands (millions?) of satisfied customers who may not be aware of nor concerned about the complexities of business ethics.

Although most of it's material appears overly saccharine if preachy, Focus on the family has a more radical and instrusive policy than any state in this nation could ever hope to dream up. Portraying himself as a demigod, Dobson then has the audacity to scold his audience for bearing false witness.

If your family does not have the exact same values system as Dr Dobson's, why of course there is a flaw (in your family no less) That such unrealistic drivel could sell in today's world is indeed scary.

Prior to reading this book, I had the opportunity to read the author's personal testimony and appology for distorting and attacking the most important aspect of American society---justice for all. Although past and present indicate otherwise, Dobson actually believes that conservative Christians have been the most oppressed and maligned group in American History. It is to Alexander Moegerle's credit that he saw the light, stopped himself, and is now reaching out to others.

Granted, there is a growing number of books dedicated to exposing the right as the single biggest threat to America, but this book is one of the standouts. Years from now, when somebody wants to study the religious reich, they will almost certainly look to this book for a wealth of information on America's favirote media empire/con artist.

The main point of reading this book is if you enjoy a good catfight. It isn't likely that it will do much in the way of changing minds: if you like Jim Dobson, you won't read it because of the title; and if you bought the book, you must already know who Jim Dobson is and not like him very much. So in that sense, the author is "preaching to the choir"... anyone who likes Dobson won't read it on sheer principle.

If you're looking for hard proof that's going to someday send Jim Dobson to the pokey, you won't find it here. What you will find is spleen-venting and dirty-laundry-airing that has definite entertainment value.

The author is clever and spins a good yarn. He tells you right up-front that he's writing this book because he doesn't like Jim Dobson very much; but you can tell that he doesn't really want to be bitchy about it, because he constantly reminds the reader that he's publishing all this stuff because he thinks Jim Dobson is a menace to society who needs to be stopped. A bit overdramatic, but you can tell he really believes it. From the reader's perspective, it's like watching an argument between strangers from behind a one-way window. You know you're not in on the whole story, but it's still kinda fun to watch. If you like reading tabloids, you'll like this book