James Dobson of Focus on the Family has been in the news lately. On March 1, Dobson and other leading evangelicals sent a letter to the National Association of Evangelicals which strongly opposed the work of NAE vice-president Richard Cizik and his campaign against global warming. The signatories acknowledge diversity of opinion among Christians about climate change, but charge Cizik with using the NAE to promote his own opinions.

Here’s the paragraph that gets to the heart of their displeasure:

…we have observed that Cizik and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time, notably the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality to our children. In their place has come a preoccupation with climate concerns that extend (sic) beyond the NAE’s mandate and its own statement of purpose.

The million-dollar question is: Are those really “the great moral issues of our time?” And where does poverty fit in, and war, and AIDS? And even climate change?

I have a lot of admiration for James Dobson, and I don’t think he is nearly as political as he’s sometimes painted.* His vision has been sharply focused on the family, just as his ministry’s name suggests, and his political activism has grown out of family issues. I credit Dobson for showing many in my generation that Christian faith MUST have an impact on our participation in public life.

But I can no longer accept such a narrow definition of the great moral issues of our time. Without minimizing abortion, sexual morality and marriage, we have GOT to widen our focus. I’ll admit that climate change is a lot less interesting to me than the other issues I listed above. But I’m glad Christians are focusing on the care of creation, as well as focusing on poverty, AIDS, genocide, war and yes, focusing on the family.

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* Yet Dobson has more political power than any evangelical leader. Dan Gilgoff, author of a new book called The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, says that this is precisely because Dobson doesn’t go to the political well too often. His broadcasts are mostly about family issues, so when he DOES call for action, his listeners respond. Here’s a link to a very balanced interview with Gilgoff on NPR’s Fresh Air.