That certainly answers Rodney King’s famous question.

No, states must be prevented from declaring a first-trimester lump of flesh from being equal to a woman – the notion is physically, metaphysically and physiologically impossible. Safe, legal and rare, everywhere.

Gay marriage is one thing – as long as gay people get all other state benefits and legal status possibilities, church marriage is less important. I still think it is incredible to assume you can decide that the teachings on gay people can be taken out of the bible with calipers but that the teachings about boys with long hair or couples who divorce can be ignored. To me, it’s all or nothing.

“Where is a Christian to turn for good news these days?”

This implies that all christians share your positions. I’m glad to say they do not.

“it is a logical extension of our moral sense of right and wrong to want to see something like it observed as our state or nation’s legal standard.”

Yeah, the problem is when people don’t want the real world governed by the teachings of a book written in an archaic, often morally abhorrent culture and assumes the existence of an unprovable level of conscience existing on top of ours, exercising control, arbitration, judgment etc. It’s one thing to talk about virtues and guidelines for the individual. It’s another thing to talk about scientifically complex fetal developments.

“Is it wrong for Christians to recognize the wrong that’s inherent in the changes made in the name of progressive politics and work to counteract them?”

Some of these progressive politics are meant to counteract the wrongs made in the name of christianity over the centuries. Like the fact that gay people are socially and legally marginalized.

“Christians do not blame George W. Bush for the million+ abortions that will be performed this year.”

Why should they blame anyone at all? It’s a complex social issue that needs to come to an intelligent standstill, not some legal issue. Seeking to turn abortions on or off will just harm people in a most unchristian fashion.

“Christians do not blame James Dobson for the various court rulings that have forced the gay marriage issue upon unwilling citizens in Iowa and other states.”

I think it is possible that many christians do not blame themselves for everything they have issued on unwilling gay people in the past and today. Gay teens are three times as likely to kill themselves – why not care for them as well as the unborn “children” (who may or may not be children) and demand that society and lawmakers try to ease their suffering?

“James Dobson is undoubtedly discouraged as he comes to the end of his career and sees that Christian values have diminished in this country.”

Abortion rates have gone down from the 80s. Divorce (which isn’t intrinsically bad but often a problem) is down, as is drug use and most crimes. Gay people have – thanks to themselves, the increasing understanding and support from some christians and the work of politicians and “activist” judges – become more embraced in society and are forgoing immoral aspects of the gay culture, adding to the economy and society. Once they are given adoption rights and insemination possibilities they can raise children and help birth-rates etc. Abortion is thought of as something that must be prevented from having to occur but also something that must be legal in the first trimester.

Well, maybe these positive developments are more common in the blue states, and therefore invisible to Dobson.

Besides, social conservatives did not truly ‘lose.’ They slowed things down, made sure change came slowly, have limited abortion, etc.