Dobson’s Death

One Year Later

James Dobson died one year ago today, and I remember that morning well. I woke up to the sound of my phone alerting me to a text. It was from a friend I had met after interviewing him on my podcast about the damage Dobson’s teachings have done to generations of now-adult children. My friend is a trans man, and he had set a Google Alert for keywords that would let him know immediately when Dobson died.

Before anyone gets upset about that, I need you to take a seat. Several seats, actually.

Dobson played a role in shaping a world that inflicted terror and torment on those he considered less valuable, all under the illusion of Christianity. While he didn't singlehandedly create the current political and cultural chaos, his influence is evident throughout. Dobson helped establish the systems that led to Trump, transformed the family into a political battlefield, and taught generations of Christian parents that control could be disguised as love, as long as they believed it was God's will. Receiving news of his passing from my friend before most others was a strange gift—both for him and me. After years of researching Dobson's influence and documenting the harm caused by his teachings, hearing he was gone almost felt unreal, especially after listening to many stories from those healing from childhoods impacted by his ideas.

Initially, there was no news report; only a Google result showing Dobson’s date of death next to his name, with no official announcement or news outlet reporting it yet, I decided to share it. That day marked the passing of a man who influenced my parents and many others to hate their children and call it love. For years, Dobson was regarded as an authority on children, marriage, gender, sexuality, and family. His influence spread through radio, books, churches, parenting classes, and homes. His ideas became so woven into evangelical culture that many of us didn’t even realize we were living under them. He taught parents to see fear as obedience, control as protection, and pain as evidence of love.

Suddenly, he was gone.

Over the past year, his legacy has continued to unravel as increasingly more people scrutinize his actual teachings and, more critically, the impact those teachings had on those subjected to them. The strong-willed generation has grown up. Now, we have microphones. I sincerely hope that somewhere in whatever eternity Dobson believed in, he is made to feel the pain his teachings inflicted on others. And when he eventually pleads for mercy, I wish his creator looks at him and tauntingly says:

“It hurts me more than it hurts you.”

What is Dobson? here is some of what I have written about him:

I am currently working on a project answering the question “why a generation of adult children have gone no contact with their evangelical parents.” To receive updates, please subscribe! Thank you!