We listened to James Dobson...

We listened to James Dobson,

Subscribed to World magazine,

And found in history a precedent for activism. 


We saw ourselves as heirs to a religious heritage 

that shaped our form of government;

That's why we called ourselves conservatives.


And we thought both taught us to see 

slavery and segregation—no less than abortion—

as blots on our national conscience.


Or I thought that's what we thought;

And we also thought Bill Gothard

Took the Bible seriously. 


He mined the Bible for “insights” and “principles” 

looking for formulas and cautionary tales to decode 

and then use to “succeed.”


He used the “how-to” formula 

before it was clickable;

but it was all good marketing—very American.


And it was a cult of personality, 

and there were casualties:

those he misled and others he abused.

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