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Who did Dr. Dobson call a Nazi?

proverbialthought

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Who Did Dr. Dobson Call Nazis?
by: Corey Buckner

I generally don’t do the type of journalism I am about to do now, but the biased attacks the media are launching on Dr. James Dobson, a hero of mine are so bigoted, and intentionally misleading that I couldn’t resist the urge to respond. Chances are that by now you probably have heard or read from one of the major media outlets in your area that the highly esteemed Dr. James Dobson has referred to scientists who do stem cell research as Nazis. Whether you have or haven’t, here is an excerpt from the article that started the firestorm:

“James Dobson's recent attempt to link the two physicians by comparing Nazi torture tests to embryonic stem-cell research places the Focus on the Family founder exactly where he deserves to be:

On the lunatic fringe. “ -- Jim Spencer, Denver Post

What we have here in this latest attack against a pillar of the Christian community is a typical journalistic, propaganda tactic of trying to turn a comparison of principles into a comparison of deeds. The irony is that usually a comparison of principals is generally used to warn of the potential of matching the deeds if we don’t recognize the similarities in the principles and cease the activity. This is exactly what Dr. Dobson was doing when he made the following comments on his Focus on the Family radio program:

DOBSON: You know, the thing that means so much to me here on this issue [embryonic stem cell research] is that people talk about the potential for good that can come from destroying these little embryos and how we might be able to solve the problem of juvenile diabetes. There's no indication yet that they're gonna do that, but people say that, or spinal cord injuries or such things. But I have to ask this question: In World War II, the Nazis experimented on human beings in horrible ways in the concentration camps, and I imagine, if you wanted to take the time to read about it, there would have been some discoveries there that benefited mankind. You know, if you take a utilitarian approach, that if something results in good, then it is good. But that's obviously not true. We condemn what the Nazis did because there are some things that we always could do but we haven't done, because science always has to be guided by ethics and by morality. And you remove ethics and morality, and you get what happened in Nazi Germany. That's why to Senator [Senate Majority Leader Bill] Frist [R-TN] and the others who are saying, "Look what may be accomplished." Yeah, but there's another issue, there's a higher order of ethics here.

I fully support Dr. Dobson’s accurate comparison, and hid exposing the liberal mindset that says, “The ends always justify the means.” I agree with Dr. Dobson’s stance that we cannot judge the morality of stem cell research on the basis of what comes out of it. Nazi research gave us a lot of good scientific information on Hypothermia, but they did so by freezing Jewish people alive. Does this good research justify their methods of obtaining it? Most definitely it doesn’t.

We cannot begin creating and killing human cells in order to preserve the lives of those of us who are fortunate enough to still be alive. The concept of killing newly created babies goes against the normal order of species preservation, “Women and Children First”. No one would suggest taking the heart out of a new born baby to preserve the life of an eighty year old smoker. Likewise, if there was an organ donor given the choice between the two, he or she would most definitely give the organ to the infant because there is more to be added to the species by preserving the lives of our youth.

The human experience becomes a sick and twisted affair when we as a society begin experimenting on our own children in order to preserve the lives of adults. This is what is at stake here in this issue, scientist want to create babies that, if destroyed, might be able to preserve the lives of adults with Diabetes, Cancer, and other diseases. How can this be a justifiable act?

Dr. Dobson is merely making the point that science has already proven that Stem Cells are babies in the earliest stages of formation, this is why they can be used to possibly help humans. We already live in a society where victims of partial and live birth abortion are being sold on the open market for scientific research. Are we willing to now let scientists kill humans in an attempt to save other, older humans? I think not!

Christians, where are we on this issue? It is time for us to speak up, and speak out on this issue. First, in defense of our brother Dr. James Dobson, and secondly in defense of the youngest, most innocent citizens of the human race… not yet born children. This article was not written and distributed simply to give us an interesting topic to discuss around the water cooler, it was written as a call to action in defense of one of the church’s most effective and vocal leaders. I will give you a great place to start:

The man who started the witch hunt against Dr. Dobson is, email him and tell him how disappointed the church is with his obvious distortions of what Dr. Dobson said:

jspencer@denverpost.com - Email Jim Spencer, Denver Post journalist who wrote the original article.

Contact the Anti-Defamation League (ADL.org) and tell their National Director, Abraham Foxman to cease his bogus attacks on Dr. James Dobson.

God bless you, and talk to you next time.

hs.gif

on www.coreybuckner.com
 
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Dear proverbialthought,

I'm writing to you in my capacity as a Debate Politics moderator.

Welcome to DP. We're glad to have you here. We hope you enjoy the opportunity to interact with a variety of people with varied opinions. We expect you will have many good things to share.

Did you write this yourself?
Who did Dr. Dobson call a Nazi?

If not, could you please supply a link to the original article?

Also, Debate Politics specifically asks that you do not post entire articles of coyrighted material. However, please feel free to paraphrase the contents of an article. I know that sometimes a piece will be so very well written that it seems impossible to do the piece justice by merely quoting snippets and/or paraphrasing it. However, the potential downside of copyright violation outweighs the benefits of gained from saving forum readers the hassle of clicking a link to see the original source.

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Sincerely,

Simon W. Moon
 
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Although I support stem cell research, I have to agree they took Dr. Dobson's statement completely out of context here. The guy made an honest comparison between two forms of "unethical" science; he didn't call anyone a Nazi for crying out loud.

There are so many lessons we can learn from WW2. I think it's ridiculous that we can't refer to those lessons without being accused of impuning the victims of the holocaust or calling people Nazi's/Hitler. They'd rather slander his argument than address it, which is pretty weak IMO.

Isn't it ironic that we may have finally found the cure for cancer, but it has such profound moral implications as this?
 
proverbialthought said:
Contact the Anti-Defamation League (ADL.org) and tell their National Director, Abraham Foxman to cease his bogus attacks on Dr. James Dobson.
I find this most peculiar. From the little I've seen Foxman is not prone to calling wolf.
 
So are these cells going to be used to make children or get thrown away..
 
You know, I equate this attack on Dr. Dobson with the attack on Sen. Durbin. I don't think Dr. Dobson was calling researchers Nazis, just as I don't think Sen. Durbin was calling our military Nazis.

The only problem I have with Sen. Durbin is that he didn't have any manhood.
I would have borrowed a phrase from our esteemed Vice-President and said "GO F**K YOURSELF'. But that's just me..LOL
 
proverbialthought said:
profanity is one of the lowest forms of debate.

I'll take profanity over misleading quotations and lies anyday....
 
Well lets just hope the profanity isnt inbedded within any lies or misleading quotes, lol.

However, I do agree profanity as negative as it sounds doesnt kill anything other than our ears to hear it. On the contrary, lies and misleading quotes kill something more fragile and much more important and that is the truth.
 
It seems that this, from the OP:
"The irony is that usually a comparison of principals is generally used to warn of the potential of matching the deeds if we don’t recognize the similarities in the principles and cease the activity. This is exactly what Dr. Dobson was doing when he made the following comments on his Focus on the Family radio program;"
serves to weaken the distinction made here in the OP where you make the point that it is wrong "to turn a comparison of principles into a comparison of deeds."

Second, Dr. Dobson could have made his point just as well w/o validating Godwin's Law. Dobson could have simply made his case about the ends not justifying the means. The comparison of American doctors with Nazis was extraneous and superfluous. Since it was not necessary to demonstrate his point about ends not justifying means, it clearly demonstrates that it was intended for the sole purpose of associating the doctors with Nazis.

Btw, what's Abraham Foxman got to do with this affair?
 
Simon W. Moon said:
Btw, what's Abraham Foxman got to do with this affair?

Here we go:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dobson Should Apologize for Comparing Stem-Cell Research to Nazi Medical Experiments During the Holocaust [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"There is no legitimate comparison between stem-cell research, which seeks to find a cure for disease and to counter human suffering, and the perversion of science and morality represented by the actions of Nazi doctors who deliberately tortured their victims in medical 'experiments,'" said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "While reasonable, decent people may legitimately differ in their views of embryonic cell research, it is a gross distortion – and an offensive misuse of the Holocaust – to compare stem-cell research to the hideous barbarities of Nazi pseudo-science."[/FONT]

James Dobson Asked to Apologize for Comparison of Stem-Cell Research to Nazi Medical Experiments During the Holocaust


We believe you owe those survivors, their families and anyone who may be offended by your statements an apology. We urge you to immediately repudiate your remarks, which debase the serious public discussion on stem-cell research and trivialize the Holocaust.

'Nazi' Remark Prompts Wave of Threats

...chairman of the conservative advocacy group Focus on the Family, criticized embryonic stem-cell research, saying its lack of ethics and morality was reminiscent of Nazi experiments on death-camp inmates.

"We are concerned because it trivializes history," said Abraham Foxman...

Foxman said that Dobson's comparison of stem-cell research to Nazi science is a "mimickery" of extreme anti-abortion language. "When it's used in one issue, chances are it will find it's way to another," he said.
 
Simon W. Moon said:
It seems that this, from the OP:
"The irony is that usually a comparison of principals is generally used to warn of the potential of matching the deeds if we don’t recognize the similarities in the principles and cease the activity. This is exactly what Dr. Dobson was doing when he made the following comments on his Focus on the Family radio program;"
serves to weaken the distinction made here in the OP where you make the point that it is wrong "to turn a comparison of principles into a comparison of deeds."

Second, Dr. Dobson could have made his point just as well w/o validating Godwin's Law. Dobson could have simply made his case about the ends not justifying the means. The comparison of American doctors with Nazis was extraneous and superfluous. Since it was not necessary to demonstrate his point about ends not justifying means, it clearly demonstrates that it was intended for the sole purpose of associating the doctors with Nazis.

Btw, what's Abraham Foxman got to do with this affair?


Don't forget, these comments were not prepared, they were made off the cuff. I am sure he would not have prepared it that way, but when you are doing a radio program you say what comes to mind. You are right, he probably could have made the point without using the term Nazi, but, it was accurate, and part of a conversation.
 
If, as you say, "a comparison of principals is generally used to warn of the potential of matching the deeds," then why was it so very wrong for someone to associate a comparison of principles with a comparison of deeds?
 
proverbialthought said:
Don't forget, these comments were not prepared, they were made off the cuff. I am sure he would not have prepared it that way, but when you are doing a radio program you say what comes to mind. You are right, he probably could have made the point without using the term Nazi, but, it was accurate, and part of a conversation.
Apparently, though, it's not his first time to make such a comparison. Additionally, it seems that the segment was planned to be about stem cell research. Presumably, he prepped for the show and took some time to consider what points he'd like to make and what he'd like to share.
 
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