Why do people dislike James Dobson? Controversies explored as American evangelical leader dies at 89

Controversial evangelical leader and child psychologist James Dobson passed away on Thursday, August 21, 2025. He was 89. The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute confirmed the news.

Dobson advised four U.S. presidents, most recently serving on Trump's Evangelical Executive Advisory Board. He also founded the Christian ministry, Focus on the Family, which is one of the largest in the world with a presence in over 100 countries. His radio show, Family Talk, focused on advising Christians on how to be good parents. It is worth noting that he advocated for strict parental authority and corporal punishment, leading many to be critical of him.

He was also influential in campaigning against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Dobson advocated against laws banning conversion therapy to "cure" gay people. Notably, organizations like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychological Association have stated these therapies do not work and rather cause substantial harm. According to the BBC, he resigned from the American Psychological Association in 1973 after it removed homos*xuality from its list of mental disorders.

Dobson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; their children, Danae and Ryan; daughter-in-law Laura; and two grandchildren.

Over his life, James Dobson has published 70 books, including Dare to Discipline and The Strong-Willed Child, which called for strict parenting and corporal punishments

James Dobson was born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, to James and Myrtle Dobson. Both his father and grandfather were ministers in the Church of the Nazarene, according to The Roys Report. He holds an undergraduate degree from what is now Point Loma Nazarene University.

He began his career as a traditional psychologist working at the University of Southern California, but soon grew disillusioned with the anti-war sentiments and the s*xual revolution, according to Time. Likening it to a cultural decline, he published his book Dare to Discipline, which aimed to help guide parents raising children in a culture suffering from "the erosion of traditional morality." It stressed the importance of strict discipline, including corporal punishment.

James Dobson would elaborate on the latter in his 1978 book, The Strong-Willed Child. In it, he claimed parents must win the "contest of wills between generations" by spanking their children, as young as 15 months old. Elsewhere in the publication, he expressed his anger at the Supreme Court legalizing abortion. He also criticized the Equal Rights Amendment, stating that giving women equal legal rights would endanger "the future of our families."

Over his life, James Dobson published more than 70 books.

In 1977, he founded the radio ministry, Focus on the Family. During its peak, it had over 1,000 employees. His radio program was broadcast by 1,500 radio stations across North America. According to The Roys Report, through his programs, Dobson sought to bring the Christian gospel to younger audiences. To this end, he launched the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey.

Per the outlet, the ministry spawned several other conservative evangelical groups, including the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council. It also gave him a platform to weigh in on legislation and advise the White House.

In the 1980s, James Dobson became active in the political circles, pushing for conservative Christian ideals in mainstream politics. He served under presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Notably, he supported Trump in all three of his election campaigns. Per the Mississippi Free Press, he even considered running for president in 2000. Ralph Reed, a Christian conservative political organizer and lobbyist, told the outlet:

"He had a big audience. He was not afraid to speak out. He became a very important voice and there was even talk that he might run for president. “If Jim had decided to run, he would have been a major force."

Notably, Reed's organization, the Faith and Freedom Coalition, honored James Dobson with a lifetime achievement award in 2017.

In 1981, Dobson founded the Family Research Council, a think tank that supports conservative causes and calls for a coordinated state-level lobbying organization for the same.

Dobson was also an anti-p*rnography crusader. He interviewed Ted Bundy just a day before his execution in Florida (January 1989). At the time, Bundy told him his exposure to p*rnography helped fuel his s*xual urges to the point that he needed satisfaction through mutilation, killing, and r*ping women.

Dobson left Focus on the Family in 2010 and founded the institute that bears his name. Gary Bauer of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute described him as a "pioneer" and a "man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family, and culture."

In a statement made to the BBC, Wayne Besen, the director of Truth Wins Out, an LBGTQ+ advocacy organization, criticized Dobson, stating:

"(He) used faith as a cudgel to bludgeon vulnerable communities, spread disinformation and inject toxic bigotry into the bloodstream of American culture."

The same year, the Southern Poverty Law Center deemed his Family Research Council a hate group for its "anti-gay propaganda throughout its history." The organization has refuted the claims.

In 2014, he called Barack Obama "the abortion president" at the National Day of Prayer event, prompting outrage and causing California congresswoman Janice Hahn to storm out.

James Dobson celebrated the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade (which gave women in the US a constitutional right to abortion across the country). He stated:

"At last, the tide has changed, and the legality of abortion has been given to the people to decide - where it belonged in the first place."

James Dobson had dismissed criticism levied against him. In a 2019 newsletter, he wrote that "left-wing activists" tend to hate "committed Christians" as they threaten their "godless worldview."

In her July 2024 op-ed for Time, Sarah McCammon explained that many children who grew up under parents influenced by Dobson have been reflecting on their experience. She revealed that therapists Jake and Brooke started the podcast I Hate James Dobson, which critiques his books. Meanwhile, a podcast and Substack publication called STRONGWILLED by Krispin and D.L. Mayfield discussed "personal and political impacts of religious authoritarian parenting" advocated by Dobson and others of his time.

However, his books continue to be on the market. Evangelists like Franklin Graham have praised James Dobson, calling him a "staunch defender of the family" who "stood for morality and Biblical values."