I was moved as a friend once described how it was to be pursued and sometimes beaten as a child by those calling him “Christ Killer.” The worst part, at least for him, was the constant role of outsider: always being the other. An irony is that Jesus was not crucified because he was rejected by the Jews of their day. In fact, his great and growing popularity contributed to the determination of some to have him eliminated.
Fortunately, conservative Christian fundamentalist leaders have largely purged from their midst anti-Jewish bigots and haters. Sadly, those same fundamentalists are still plagued by other hatreds and a persistent literalism that seems willfully to miss the teachings of our Lord.
Brother Dobson has put himself into the news with attacks on Senator Obama for suggesting that Christians of good will can have differing interpretations of scripture, and that it is a mistake to reject the rights of others for their varying interpretations or even rejection of Christian beliefs.
To illustrate his thesis, Obama quoted parts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy endorsing slavery and, in some circumstances, infanticide. Dobson, who seems never to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity to get the point, attacked Obama for expressing (are you ready?) an incorrect interpretation.
Sigh.
The growing popularity of the preacher from Galilee was a threat to religious authorities because of the danger of provoking the deadly power of the Roman occupiers, and because of his persistent attacks on scriptural literalism. His focus on the inspiration behind the scriptures, and his bold assertion that fulfilling that inspiration would fulfill spiritual law became a popular theme. And it directly threatened the authority of those in power.
Later, the Apostle Paul declared that principle to be at the core of Christian belief. He was right. Paul not only refused to condemn those of other faiths, he publicly congratulated the people of Athens for their pagan piety, and offered to show them that they were unknowing Christians all along. As today, such thoughts of love and tolerance were threatening to religious authorities.
While dying on the cross, Jesus begged forgiveness toward the intolerant who had crucified him. We should join in that prayer. As does Jesus, we should forgive our Brother-in-Christ James Dobson and his predecessors, those kindred spirits who crucified our Lord. They know not what they do.