James Dobson, Influential Leader of the Religious Right, Dies at 89

[LearnedHand]

Source: NYT (gift article)

James Dobson, the evangelical Christian broadcaster who waged war on homosexuality and championed “family values” in a long crusade that made him one of the nation’s most influential leaders of the religious right, died on Thursday at his home in Colorado Springs. He was 89.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/james-dobson-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.f08.fP_D.ULPeCQgGfRjR&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

---

Finally that dangerous fuck meets his own mortality!

[hatrack]

1. And the world is a better place!!

Awaiting him in Hell - an infinity of dachshunds - and they're pissed off.

[keroro gunsou]

2. good.

EOL.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I think he was the "Focus on the Family" founder

I know my mom used to monitor these guys (and RW talk radio to hear "the other side" ). And to quote Forrest Gump - "And that's all I have to say about that" (and that guy).

[LearnedHand]

7. I think he was too

The founder, I mean.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. Yeppers

He sure was. He and Rushdooney - an awful duo of ChristoFascist evil.

[Blue Owl]

23. I always enjoyed that retaliation "Focus on your own damn family"

[BumRushDaShow]

25. ...

[electric_blue68]

29. LOL! Never heard that one! Great retort. 👍

[AllaN01Bear]

37. ding. btw . quit shoving your mortality down my throat , not u personallhy blue owl.

[niyad]

55. We here refer to that tax-free group as either "fungus on the family", or,

"focus on fascism", for over 30 years.

[SpankMe]

45. Focus on the Family

...unless your family contains gay people, Or trans people. Or pregnant women. Or...

I have friends in Colorado Springs (where Focus was HQ'd) who derisively referred to it as "Poke-us-in-the-Fanny".

[lakercub]

71. Focus facility

My mother-in-law and some friends worked there and I went in to the main building once. It was nauseating. Dobson made a temple to himself. There was a very long hallway that was absolutely filled with pictures of Dobson shaking hands with, or posing with, other famous people (i've never forgotten the one with Dobson and Oliver North). At the end of the hall was an extremely expensive, beautiful mahogonay staircase. The staircase was donated, allegedly, but an organization that really wanted to help would have asked for that donation to be in the form of food and clothing for the poor, not unnecessary opulence.

Allegedly Christians aren't supposed to make idols of themselves and are supposed to show humility (laughable, with the Christian right...I know), but this was so egregious that it just put the lie to the whole place's reason for existence. They wanted to stop homosexualtiy, pre-marital sex, et al, but what they REALLY wanted was as much money as possible.

[Grins]

56. Focus on the fetus? What it really was.

And, yes; he was the despicable founder.

[mountain grammy]

4. Focus on the family as another hater

Drops dead. Good riddance!

[Blue Owl]

24. Hocus Focus

[mountain grammy]

32. Perfect!

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Woo hoooooo!

That s.o.b. has been part of the ChristoFascist movement for decades.

I hope he enjoys his time in hell.

[Hey Joe]

59. Roast him slowly Satan!!🔥

[LakeVermilion]

6. Hope that scares the s... out of TSF!

You're next Krasnov.

[Paladin]

9. Good riddance.

I hope Dobson put in a "good word" for trump getting into heaven, before he croaked---that would guarantee trump's failure to pass through the pearly gates...

[UpInArms]

10. All I can do is

💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

[orangecrush]

11. The air is a little fresher

[yardwork]

12. I can't think of anything nice to say.

So I'll say nothing at all.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I'm with you. There is nothing positive I can think of to say.

[yardwork]

17. Come sit next to me and we'll continue saying nothing nice.

[Arkansas Granny]

69. You do realize that it could take some time to exhaust all of the

nothing nice things I have to say about the Felon-in- Chief. Let's do it someplace with margaritas.

[yardwork]

72. Great idea! And a beach!

[rurallib]

28. You should say something good

And I will say GOOD!

[YodaMom2]

58. We're taught never to speak ill of the dead, only good. So....

He’s dead.

Good.

[the nelm]

13. To quote the movie "Razor's Edge" - "He will not be missed." n/t

[rampartd]

14. swaggart, dobson who will make 3?

an unholy trinity whoever

[AverageOldGuy]

16. Here's an honest obituary for Dobson

https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/08/james-dobson-burn-in-hell

Finally. This awful homophobe made the world a significantly worse place by his living in it. His brand of hate was tremendously influential in the modern Republican Party. Future Americans should look at Dobson with contempt and disgust, much like the racist scum of our collective past and of the Trump administration today.

(There's a lot more at the link . . . and it gets much better.!

[hunter]

77. That's an excellent obituary.

Thanks.

[tonekat]

18. I am so happy to learn this!

It's about time that sick SOB left the planet!!

[cstanleytech]

19. Unfortunately his father failed to pull out in time. NT

[Brainfodder]

20. Only just now learned of you and looks like best moment, RIP!

[LearnedHand]

31. Where the P stands for "perdition"?

[Stuckinthebush]

21. The world is a better place today

Some people's lives are a cancer on society. No tears and definitely no holding back on grave dancing.

[CrispyQ]

22. I thought the air smelled a bit fresher this morning. -nt

[Demovictory9]

26. John MacArthur keeled over too..in july

From wiki:


In March 2022, The Roys Report published an investigation critical of Grace Community Church (GCC) and its pastor, John MacArthur.[63] Some female victims of domestic violence, according to the findings, were reportedly asked to return to their husbands or face excommunication. Hohn Cho, a GCC elder, said that he advised MacArthur to reconsider that stance.[64]

[ZDU]

27. The Devil Awaits

[underpants]

30. Look folks, when someone dies you're supposed to say something good.

James Dobson is dead. Good.

Stole that from someone at DU when Falwell died.

[The Grand Illuminist]

33. There will be someone to take his place.

And may be worse.

[Crowman2009]

36. Or hopefully he may be a total corrupt incompetent fuckup.

All those donations are going to be spent on extra houses, jewelry, sports cars, drugs, female escorts, gay escorts, orgies, etc. Take Jerry Falwell Jr. for example.

[twodogsbarking]

39. "No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

You are, however, spot on.

[valleyrogue]

40. There are already many to take his place.

Doug Wilson and his ilk are vastly worse than Dobson ever thought of being.

[Crowman2009]

61. Luckily due to MAGA a lot of them are grifters.

So get ready for some entertaining infighting!

[wolfie001]

34. Good riddance to this christo-fascist pigman

[Freddie]

35. Child abuse advocate

Wrote several books about how it’s “Christian” and perfectly fine to hit your kids. Another obituary read with great pleasure.

[Crowman2009]

38. Some good news for a change.

[Clouds Passing]

41. No heaven for you James

[Ray Bruns]

42. You should always say something good about the dead.

James Dobson is dead. Good!

[sinkingfeeling]

43. Excellent.

[pfitz59]

44. took too long

Trump will probably laud him

[Oopsie Daisy]

46. The fires of hell are burning brighter today.

[Pototan]

47. My mother taught me

that if you couldn't say anything good about the deceased, don't say anything at all.

James Dobson is dead. GOOD

[GiqueCee]

48. HAH! I thought...

... the Sun was shining brighter, and the air smelled fresher! Good riddance. He was an evil man.

[PlanetBev]

49. Nice to wake up to this

Some gladsome news amid the daily atrocities.

[Dulcinea]

50. Not the obituary I was looking for...

...but I'll take it. They die in threes, you know.

[calimary]

82. I know how you feel.

I’m guessing we’re both waiting for the same one.

[FalloutShelter]

51. Go to Hell, JD.

Go directly yo Hell
Do not pass GO
Do not collect $200

[Moostache]

52. Prepare the way for Trump now Dobson...

The blessed day awaits, "Trump found dead on toilet" - this Dobson news is just an appetizer for the main course.

[niyad]

53. I noticed that the air here was a bit cleaner this morning.

[choie]

54. Have fun in the flames of hell

with Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell et al.

[niyad]

57. About the white-washing job I would expect from the nyt. The Wonkette

obit is much, much better.

[rhiannon55]

60. Woohoo!!!

Colorado Springs just got a teeny tiny bit more woke. If I still lived there I would be dancing in the street!

[Mblaze]

62. I once emailed Focus on the Family

And asked them why they push prayer in school when Jesus specifically directed his followers to pray in private rather than in public "like the hypocrites"? They responded that they consider the Sermon on the Mount to be a "minor teaching" and blocked me.

[ChicagoTeamster]

63. Who's left of religious right leaders?

So who is left? Falwell and Robertson are dead although their sons took over but they're also in their sixties. Fred Phelps died after being disfellowshipped because his adult children left after their kids (the toddlers that used to hold the god hates fags signs at Phelps protests) quit when they became young adults and were done with the bullshit.

To be an elder in a christian church all of your adult children must be baptized church members. When Phelps grandkids quit, his children were no longer elders and couldn't control finances, (among other things but the primary reason for evangelical churches) so they quit and then Phelps lost his position as leader of the Westboro Baptist Church and some other leaders took over the business of protesting to provoke a response and then suing. Fred became a minister and started the church after he was disbarred as an attorney for a series of defamatory and misogynistic attacks against female witnesses against cases he was pursuing.

They're such idiots. Moms for Liberty founder and her husband (Fla Republican Part chairman) were accused of rape after having a three way with a woman who wasn't told the husband would join in. Guess they were having a three way after the book burning. Turning Point USA founder has been sued for sexual assault by multiple young men and settled out of court. Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier was arrested for assaulting a woman with a firearm. Family Research Council founder George Rekers was caught at Miami airport with a 20 year old gay escort. MegaChurch pastor Ted Haggard was brought down by a 2006 scandal involving drugs (meth) and sex with a gay escort . He was president of the American evangelical association.

The christian coalition was started out of Pat Robertson's failed 1988 presidential campaign. So many millenials and GenZ are non religious that I wonder how long before the current leaders either die off or go down in scandal and this bullshit will end. Hopefully it won't take another 20 years.

[eggplant]

64. ah hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

ha.

I hope it hurt.

[twodogsbarking]

65. Freddi was fabulous. They name a planet after him.

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust (yeah)
Hey, I'm gonna get you, too
Another one bites the dust

[Owl]

66. Excellent

[JoseBalow]

67. Adios, Fucko

[Buddyzbuddy]

68. The only real justice, these days.

[jgmiller]

70. Now he will find out what God really thinks of his version of Christianity

[WestMichRad]

73. Boo hoo.

Not! Buh-bye, ya creep.

[Hekate]

74. Wasn't he the one who, on 9/12/2001 with the buildings still smoking, blamed the attacks on lesbians?

Something like: lesbians, homosexuals, witches — it was charming.

May he receive everything he so richly deserves.

[valleyrogue]

78. That was Jerry Falwell, Sr. n/t

[Hekate]

79. Ah yes. So hard to tell the emeffers apart

[Wild blueberry]

75. One of the best send-offs

"Some tasty food for worms was delivered on Thursday. One of the most truly horrible humans ever inflicted on this country has ceased to be, and all say, “Amen” and “about goddamn time.”
the great Charles P. Pierce

[Hekate]

76. May his journey be enlightening

[travelingthrulife]

80. Good. One less monster in the world.

[eringer]

81. Bye Bye

Thank you Lord for taking this scum off the planet before the convicted felon awarded him the Medal of Freedom.