Online Gambling Issue Symptomatic of Dobson's Dysfunctional Ethic
The discussion of Internet casinos always draws a rigid, unquestioning response from Chad Hills, James Dobson, and their religious organization, Focus on the Family. That response is to assert that any form of online gambling is destructive to our social structure, and must be outlawed.
This answer to the perceived problem seems to be the solution to most of the issues tackled on the Focus website. It is not only online wagering that must be prevented by law, but also abortion, pornography, homosexuality, and expressions of other points of view. Thus, the problem with Focus is not simply that they oppose Internet gaming, but that they oppose free speech, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression.
The sad truth is that the Focus website has much to offer that is good. A message that praises love for one another and frequently urges parents to counsel their children in order to assure their life success and happiness can't be all bad... unless that message is enforced by the sound of marching police boots.
No one in the gambling community (or, for that matter, in the pro-choice, porn, gay, or literary and scientific communities) advocates forcing the Focus people to change their views, or live in a way they would prefer to reject. But others would prefer the opportunity to make up their own minds, just as Dobson has had the right to do.
If the Focus message is so strong, then it does not need the backing of law. Preaching their beliefs will circulate them, and if people find the arguments compelling, they will adhere to the suggested lifestyle. Beseeching others to listen and think is fine; forcing them to follow a narrow path leads to fascism, and rejection of the message as well.
Do Focus followers really feel that Jesus would support the idea of using laws to force people to be "good" ? Didn't the story of Jesus include him speaking his truth, then allowing those who heard to accept or deny it as they chose?
Further, wasn't this country built on tolerance of differing ideals? Didn't the early settlers come here to avoid persecution for beliefs found outside the majority?
No one would challenge Focus if they used all their ministries and powers of communication to argue their thoughts. If they can convince young people to be abstinent, or to choose life over abortion, or to avoid traps in life, that would be a wonderful thing... just keep government out of it.
Censorship achieves nothing. Banned material will always find a way to reach those who desire it. Thoughtful and logical discussion are much more effective weapons than law.
This is why there is a separation of church and state, of ethics and morality from law. The Founding Fathers were wise. And if Dobson truly believes what he espouses, help those he might consider "weak" by convincing them, not forcing them.
