Some mourned upon hearing of the death of James Dobson at 89 last month. Others rejoiced. All I felt was pity for the man and sadness for all the lives he ruined with his iniquitous, toxic theology.
His demise reminded me of how he was the primary reason why I lost my first academic teaching post at Hope College. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Like most conservative Christians of the 1980s, I was fed a daily diet of Focus on the Family propaganda.
I listened to his syndicated radio show and his cassette tapes on my Walkman. I read his magazines, newsletters and books. He taught me the “family values” of imposing my toxic masculinity in the household, hating the sin of homosexuality while loving the sinner, hitting my children, and believing that spousal physical abuse is not a reason for divorce.
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