I have recently been participating in a political forum, that, in all honesty, is probably beneath my skills as a commentator. That is not said out of lack of modesty--it's just that the forum in question is so poorly moderated, and the majority of its contributors so ill-informed, that engaging the subjects that come up is rarely substantive, and debunking some of the posts made by other contributors is rather like shooting fish in a barrel.
The same could be said, perhaps, for a post that attempts to analyze the issues that come up in Dr. James Dobson's recent criticism of Obama's "twisted theology." I have to admit to enjoying a game of solitaire now and again, as well, so perhaps I just like shooting fish in a barrel now and again. However, I would like to think that my recent attention to Dobson's remarks springs partially from a legitimate interest in the issues involved.
As much as I might diss the forum in question (and believe me, it deserves to be dissed--the moreso for its being affiliated with a well-known name in political circles), the exchange was valuable because I managed to maintain a civil exchange with someone who clearly was not going to change his view of the matter, any more than I was. That goes to the crux of what I hear Obama saying in the speech Dobson criticized.
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