THANKS Jim, you said what I’ve been trying to say to my friends, but of course you said it much better!
Dear Friends,
I write to you today with contrasting and conflicting emotions. We have just seen the inauguration of the nation’s first black President, and many of us, even those who didn’t vote for him, are celebrating that historic moment. Given the scourge of slavery and the suffering of African Americans through most of the past 400 years, our ancestors would never have believed that a black man would someday be elected to the most powerful and influential position on earth. That is, indeed, a political achievement that is unprecedented in the history of this great nation. I congratulate President Barack Obama on his victory and his inauguration. Shirley and I are praying for him, the First Lady, and their children.
At the same time, I am deeply saddened and profoundly troubled by many of the policies and positions that the new president has pledged to support. He has taken dead-aim at the institution of the family and the moral principles on which it is based.
This is the way Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, described those policies on his Web site the day after the inauguration1:
Americans watched on television as President Bush’s jumbo jet soared out of sight yesterday–and with him, a long record of protecting the unborn. Although the Obama administration is a little over 24 hours old, the new President has already set to work undoing years of pro-life and pro-family policy.
Minutes after Obama took the oath of office, the transfer of power was made complete on the White House Web site. The page, once home to a host of family values, now welcomes an extreme collection of anti-life, anti-woman, and anti-family agendas. Under the caption “civil rights,” Obama pledges to fight for nationwide civil unions [for homosexual partners], repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, homosexual adoption, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, expanded “hate crimes,” and over 1,100 costly same-sex benefits. He promises to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” [in the military] as well as block a federal amendment to preserve marriage. In exchange for the support of groups like Planned Parenthood, the abortion business is also due for a rich payoff from the 44th president, including his support of abortion-on-demand, more funding for “family planning” programs, embryonic stem cell experiments, and tax-funded abortion.
Then Tony addressed the pro-life rally that occurred in Washington, D.C., on the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
The media consider a dozen war protesters newsworthy, but why not 200,000 pro-life witnesses? As those of you who have visited Washington, D.C. on January 22 know, the tradition of the press ignoring America’s biggest pro-life event is almost as old as the March itself. Over the years, the scant coverage hasn’t deterred us. Instead, we have banded together to find new ways around it.
This city may have changed overnight, but our values are enduring. We will continue to advance faith, family, and freedom in the next four years.
We knew that President-elect Barack Obama would assault the sanctity of human life and the institution of marriage. Indeed, he promised at one point to make passage of the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” his first priority, which would nullify more than 200 laws designed to regulate and limit abortion2. As disturbing as this is, we are shocked by how quickly the anti-family policies are being put into place. Three days after taking office, the new President struck down the Mexico City policy, which prohibited U.S. taxpayers’ money from being used to support abortions around the world3. Millions more babies will die as a result of this executive order. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had sought to earmark huge increases in funding for Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion organizations4. She said these taxpayer funded allocations would serve as a “stimulus to the economy.” She is actually asserting that one way to grow the economy is to kill more babies in the womb and help prevent more of them from being conceived. Fortunately, that language was stripped from the “economic stimulus” package, but such efforts will continue.
We at Focus on the Family® and Focus on the Family Action™ will do our best to defend the values and principles that have characterized this ministry from the beginning. Though our “army” may be smaller, certainly in Congress and in the state houses of government, we will continue the struggle. One of my favorite historical personalities was British Prime Minister during World War II, Winston Churchill. He said during the darkest hour when his country was facing defeat and enslavement, “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy5.”
I promise you that we will stay true to that charge. We will lose neither heart nor nerve. With your prayers and support, we will fight for righteousness for as long as we have strength to resist. I also urge you not to become discouraged, either. Joshua said four times before invading and conquering the Promised Land, “Be strong and courageous.” God is still in control, and if He is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Amen!
Before closing, I want to thank those of you who sacrificed at the end of the year to help both organizations financially. This has been a challenging few months for thousands of nonprofit ministries, and your generosity has kept us afloat. As you know, we have pared down our staff by more than 200 people as stewardship required, and it looks like we will stay within our smaller budget. God has been wonderfully gracious to give us loving and caring friends who have stood with us through these past 32 years, in times of plenty and in periods of need. The task of both these organizations, now, is to continue to defend the voiceless little human beings who desperately need passionate advocates. We will also fight for the traditional family, recognizing that the Creator ordained it in the Garden of Eden. How can we now stand on the sidelines as it is thrown on the ash heap of history? We will stay on the front line, with God’s help.
We appreciate your partnership and your prayers more than I can express. Blessings to you and your family in the name of Jesus Christ. We’ll converse again in March.
Sincerely,
James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder and Chairman
