Roger Marsh: Well, welcome to Family Talk, a listener-supported division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh, and today, Dr. Dobson will share his February newsletter entitled Where Do We Go from Here? And toward the end of the broadcast he'll be joined by James Gottry, our Vice President of Public Policy, with additional analysis. You're about to hear Dr. Dobson underscore his frustration that the United States Supreme Court sidestepped the issue of election integrity, and also that both Georgia Senate seats were won by Democrats in the January runoff election. As a result, Americans could be saddled with the left's agenda.
Dr. Dobson's advice? Like the faithful farmer who weathers the heat and the rain, conservative Christians must stay in the field. That is good counsel, indeed. By the way, if you're not receiving Dr. Dobson's insightful monthly newsletter by mail, please call us at (877) 732-6825. That's (877) 732-6825. The call will only take a minute or two and we would love to get this resource into your hands each month, after all, families need encouragement and Dr. Dobson's newsletter will help you and your family grow closer to God and to each other. Here now is Dr. James Dobson and James Gottry, sharing the February newsletter entitled "Where Do We Go from Here?" Here on Family Talk.
Dr. Dobson: Dear Friends, these are momentous and dangerous days for our country and its people. When I wrote to you in late December, this was my opening statement:
"America faces the possibility of catastrophic change. By the time you receive this letter you will know what I can only speculate about today. Everything depends on two legal developments. First, whether or not the United States Supreme Court addresses the legitimacy of the presidential election on November 3rd, and the second depends on the outcome of two run-off elections in Georgia scheduled for January the fifth. On these two turning points hang the future of our great nation, and eventually the world."
Well, we now know the outcome of these two critical contingencies. First, on December, the 11th 2020, the Supreme Court refused to consider a carefully-prepared case brought by the State of Texas and 18 others. It was titled Texas v. Pennsylvania, et al, and sadly, the highest court in the land didn't review a word of the overwhelming volume of evidence. Seven of the nine justices decided that the states lacked standing. Though I'm not a lawyer I join my voice with millions of citizens who are profoundly disappointed and alarmed by the court's failure to do its duty.
The integrity of elections is the foundation of the democratic process, yet the one institution that could have sought the truth, lamely punted the ball away. A new Quinnipiac University poll says 38% of voters believe there was widespread fraud during the November election between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Nevertheless, the issue remains unresolved and will be a blight on the history of this great nation.
The second critical matter on which the future depends was a runoff election in Georgia to fill to vacant senatorial seats. It was held on January 5th and resulted in two razor-thin outcomes. Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated Republican David Purdue and Democrat Raphael Warnock defeated Republican Kelly Loeffler. With these two victories for the Democrats, each party now holds 50 seats in the Senate. Henceforth, tie votes on legislative issues will regularly occur, and in those instances, Vice President Kamala Harris will cast deciding votes, granting victory routinely to the Democrats.
The left has now achieved ultimate power in the White House, in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. Consequently, as I warned in December, there will be no checks and balances within our system of government. The most radical ideas promoted by President Joe Biden and his majority party will be enacted. We can infer from what they have told us that the years ahead will bring more regulation, less freedom. More taxation, less religious liberty. More socialism, less democracy. More funds for abortion, less support for the sanctity of human life. Less funding for the military, more illegal immigration. More restrictions on speech, less patriotism. More wasteful spending, less support for families.
More regulations on business, more appeasement of China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Less support for the Electoral College; trillions more dollars for climate nonsense. More LGBTQ propaganda, less moral compunction. More governmental corruption, less oversight of elections. More cancel culture, fewer police officers. More gun control, less government of the people by the people and for the people. We can also anticipate quick passage of the horrendous Equality Act. You might want to keep track of these items as they occur, this is just the beginning.
America and Western civilization will never be the same because it is not possible to back up on a freeway. Once radical changes are implemented, they will become ensconced in law and culture. I'm most concerned about what all this means for the next generation. Children are extremely vulnerable to leftist curricula in the public schools. Specifically, I'm worried about parental rights and the legality of homeschooling. It is the only protection for kids. Now, I've been in expressing this jeremiad since 1990 when Gary Bauer and I wrote a book entitled Children at Risk. What we said then has proved to be prophetic of our day. It described what I call a civil war of values that was developing when the book was published.
This is what I wrote, going back now to 1990:
"In any major conflict between two established armies, a collision will eventually occur that proves to be decisive. Thereafter, historians will remember those terrible struggles as turning points that made the difference. For Napoleon that decisive battle occurred at Waterloo. It was Gettysburg and Vicksburg for the Union Army and for Abraham Lincoln. It was Stalingrad and Normandy for Hitler's Germany. It was Midway, Okinawa and Iwo Jima for the Japanese. These were the battles that contributed significantly to the ultimate outcomes of each war." Continuing to write 30 years ago as follows, "It appeared that America is now engaged in such a struggle."
I predicted the culture war that was just lost. The most radical activists have a specific objective in mind. They hope to accomplish it by isolating children from their parents, it will then be relatively easy to reorient and indoctrinate future generations of Americans. This strategy explains why the most bitter campaigns are being waged over school curricula and other issues that involve our kids. The hearts and minds of children are the keys to the future.
This was my prediction at that point 30 years ago:
"Children will be the prize to the winners of the great civil war values. Those who control what young people are taught and what they experience, what they see, hear, think, and believe, will determine the future course of a nation. Given that influence, the predominant value system of an entire culture can be redesigned in one generation, or certainly in two, by those with unlimited access to children."
Well, that's what Gary Bauer and I wrote back in 1990. I'm writing now to parents and grandparents in 2021. Never in history has it been more important for you to defend your kids and your rights to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Fight for it with your very lives. If you're too intimidated or distracted to give priority to your children the popular culture will take them to hell. So where do we go from here? What is the path forward for those of us who feel we have suffered a terrible loss of everything we hold dear? How do we deal with it?
Conservatives have historically had a tendency to give up when they lose important battles. For those who feel inclined to surrender, I have a true story to share with you. It was told by Dr. John Corts, who was an executive with the Billy Graham Ministry for many years. John said when he was 16 years old he and his younger cousins were invited to their grandparents' farm for a couple of weeks. When they arrived they could hardly wait to go out to the fields where the harvest was in progress.
It sounded like so much fun to ride the hay wagon pulled by the horses and to romp and play together. On this occasion however the grandfather would not let them go. He didn't explain why, but the kids wouldn't take no for an answer. They begged and plead in one voice. Finally, the patriarch of the family relented, but with one provision, he told John he could take the children to the fields if he would agree to keep them there all day. No matter how they reacted he was instructed not to let them come back to the house early. John promised to do as he was instructed.
At dawn the next morning, the children dressed and ran excitedly to the wagon, then they climbed on board. They giggled and threw hay at each other as they rode to the fields. Then they hopped down and ran through the tall grass. But two hours later they had begun to tire. They had itchy hay down their backs and the sun was blazing hot. The kids were becoming miserable. By lunch they were grumbling and wanted to be taken back to the farmhouse. John, who was the eldest, remembered his grandfather's admonition, and he refused.
Later in the afternoon the younger children were crying and visibly upset, then clouds gathered above them and the kids were scared. Still John held his ground. It was a long, hard day. Finally, all the field hands packed up to go home and John gathered the children to the wagon. By the time they reached the farmhouse they were exhausted, whiny, and sweaty, but then they were given baths and provided with clean clothes, followed by a delicious dinner. The kids began talking excitedly about what they had done. They were proud of having spent all day with the workmen.
That's when grandfather pulled John aside and told him why he had been so insistent that they stay there all day. He said, "John, this farm has been in the family for many years. It's still successful primarily because when we were tired and hungry, when we wanted to quit and go home we stayed in the field, we didn't give up. And that became a secret of the farm's success. That's why, John, I wanted the children to have one experience where they hung in there even when the going got tough. Today was one of those times, thanks for keeping the kids in the field all day."
The point of this story is relevant to our situation in 2021. We conservative Christians are now experiencing one of the most difficult challenges of our lives. Everything we fought to defend and preserve seems to have been lost. The every impulse for those who are older has been the quit, to head back to the farmhouse. The battle for righteousness has been challenging since the 1960s, which was followed by the Roe v. Wade decision. There have been many more demoralizing times. We conservative Christians have been ridiculed and out-voted at almost every turn. We have won a few battles but there have been many devastating losses, especially since 2020.
Some are asking, "What should we do, Lord?" I believe He's telling us to stay in the field; there's work to be done in His vineyard. We must not abandon our conservative politicians who are up against formidable opposition from the left. Our Bible-believing pastors are facing unrelenting pressure, and it isn't going to get easier. Godly teachers and professors need to know that we have their backs. Many Christians in the military may feel lonely and overwhelmed, police officers and firefighters need to know that we're praying for them. Those of us on the home front must not cut and run. Your children are watching you daily; don't disappoint them at this time of crisis. We must stay in the field.
The scripture speaks to our situation maybe 3000 years ago. Isaiah said in chapter 40 verses 28-31, and it gives us comfort as it says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." That was what Isaiah said. Now, let's pray together:
Heavenly Father, we speak collectively to you at this time of sorrow. We have done what we could to preserve righteousness in the culture, but we have encountered one setback after another. Be with those who are discouraged and demoralized. We know you're in control. We ask that you bring comfort to your people at this time, strengthen our faith and show each of us what you would have us do. We pray fervently for our nation. We pray for a great spiritual awakening that will sweep across the land in the days ahead. May it engulf the younger generation whose faith has been weakened by false teachers and leaders. We ask for your miraculous hand of protection on unborn children, whose lives are in mortal danger. We also pray for families that are crumbling even as I speak. These are difficult days ahead, Lord. We turn to you for solace and wisdom. Amen.
One final thought. I sent a draft of this letter to my colleague, James Gottry, for his comment. James is Vice President of Public Policy at JDFI and a man of God. He gave me a statement which I included in the letter, but instead of me reading it I have invited him to come in the studio and we're going to ask him to do it. James, it's a pleasure to have you there. I'm 1200 miles away from you in California, but you're sitting there, right?
James Gottry: Yes, sir.
Dr. Dobson: Well, first of all, I want to thank you for what you wrote because it was the perfect ending to a heavy, heavy letter and I just appreciate your saying this and allowing me to publish it in my letter.
James Gottry: Thank you, Dr. Dobson, just for this opportunity and for your words.
Dr. Dobson: All right, go ahead with your reading of your own passionate letter.
James Gottry: Yes, sir. This is what I wrote to you:
"This was a heartfelt and passionate letter. I can't imagine the time and effort it took to draft in the last few days, particularly as the discouraging news continued to swirl around us. As I read your draft, this line jumped off the page at me: 'What is the path forward for those of us who feel we have suffered a terrible loss of everything we hold dear? How do we deal with it?' On the one hand this statement resonated, after all, and as you noted what the Democrat platform offers is a move towards socialism, dreadful legislation like the Equality Act. Increased attacks on parental rights in the name of tolerance and diversity, and a denial of truth, both the truth of scripture and even basic biological realities. I quite literally put my face in my hands after reading these words.
But on the other hand, we've lost nothing that we need because His word tells us in 2 Peter 1:2-4, "The grace and peace are ours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus, and that His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life." It also says that through His great and precious promises we can participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world - which we're certainly witnessing - caused by evil desires.
Praise God, this gives me hope. Indeed, though the world may be sinking all around us, we serve a risen Christ and we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, we can lose nothing that is found in Him and in Him we have everything. If that first paragraph caused me to put my face in my hands this one puts my hands in the sky. And even as the world around us grows darker I rejoice that His light, which the world may see in us, grows brighter by contrast. And because of that I have hope that this earthly loss may yet result in a great eternal gain. For that reason, I feel invigorated because in dark days like these we have no chariots or horses to trust in, the only place where we can place our trust is in the name of the Lord, our God. He is always the only one who can deliver.
We can't preserve righteousness in the culture. As 2 Timothy reminds us, evil men will proceed from bad to worse, but we can bring Jesus to the culture and we can pray for that spiritual awakening. As my dad, who's been living with stage IV cancer for more than two years, often says, "There's news and there's truth." And the news isn't great for our country right now, in fact, it's been pretty awful for the last year on many fronts. But the truth is so good because Jesus is the truth and He is the way, and He will never be defeated. Thank you for allowing me to share this, I pray it's in some way encouraging. Bless you, Dr. Dobson. May God bless America and may every knee bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord."
Dr. Dobson: Well, thank you, James. Do you really have a sense of hope in the midst of this, what some people would feel is a hopeless situation?
James Gottry: Absolutely, because the truth of scripture is unchanging and it was true yesterday, it is true today, and it will be true tomorrow.
Dr. Dobson: Do you share my concern for the next generation?
James Gottry: I do. I have four children and we pray for them and just pray that they would be immersed in the truth of scripture and that they would realize that Jesus is the One on whom they can trust and depend.
Dr. Dobson: Well, thank you for joining me there in the studio. I appreciate all you do in the arena of public policy, and I'll see you when I get home.
James Gottry: That sounds wonderful.
Dr. Dobson: And to our listeners, thank you for joining us today and for listening as I read this letter. I'm working now on the March letter so I'll be contacting you soon. God be with you all.
Roger Marsh: You've been listening to Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson and also James Gottry, our Vice President of Public Policy, sharing the February newsletter entitled "Where Do We Go from Here?" As I was listening to these two men discuss the situation I was reminded of the well-known opening of A Tale of Two Cities, the historical novel by Charles Dickens, who wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epic of belief, it was the epic of incredulity. It was the season of lights, it was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."
However, as our guest James Gottry reminded us, it's also the spring of hope. In 2 Peter 1:2-4, Peter writes that grace and peace are ours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus, and that His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. Remember, if you're not receiving Dr. Dobson's monthly newsletter by mail, please call us at (877) 732-6825. That's (877) 732-6825. The call will only take a couple of minutes and we would love to get this resource into your hand every month, after all, families of course need encouragement and Dr. Dobson's newsletter is packed full of encouragement and insight that will help you and your family grow closer to God and to each other.
Now, if you prefer to receive his newsletter by email visit our website, drjamesdobson.org/email-sign-up. Well, that's all we have for you today, be sure to join us again next time for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. I'm Roger Marsh, thanks for joining us.
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