The American preacher who tried to derail Barack Obama's presidential campaign by claiming that the candidate's presidency would usher in a flurry of pro-homosexual, anti-family, legislation is stepping back from leadership of his ministry. James Dobson, 72, has resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family, the organisation's 950 employees have been told, but he will continue to host FOF’s flagship radio program, write a monthly newsletter and speak out on moral issues. Amongst other scare-mongering claims Dobson claimed that boy Scouts would no longer exist in an Obama-led USA due to being forced to employ "homosexual scoutmasters and allow them to sleep in tents with young boys," and that "homosexuals will be given special bonuses for enlisting in military service." Focus on the Family has influential connections with a number of New Zealand evangelical groups and segments of its radio programming are broadcast nationwide on Radio Rhema. Observers say FOF has struggled to raise funds in recent years and intends re-tooling its image to appeal to younger followers.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 28th February 2009 - 10:34pm