Family Life

01.27.12 | Jeremy Miller

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson encouraged Christian voters studying the GOP Presidential candidates to pay attention to how the White House hopefuls talk about God and the Bible. During a Thursday conference call with grassroots organization Champion the Vote, Dobson urged Christian voters to pay close attention to debates like the one that was held Thursday night in Florida. "We're hearing from some of the candidates today [about] what they believe and what they care about. We should take that seriously," he said ahead of last night's debate. "If they don't ever get around to talking about the Lord and about biblical principles and about their determination to defend those things in the culture, then we better find another candidate." The 2012 presidential election will be critical for evangelicals and Christian leaders who have fears over the contraceptive and other provisions in the health care reform law and disagree with President Obama's positions on same-sex marriage and abortion. However, none of the remaining candidates have had much success in energizing the social conservative base and have been criticized for the skeletons in their closets. The polls show that Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney each have solid chances of winning the Florida primary, but they are as different as can be for two candidates from the same party. Romney, a Mormon, does not talk much about his beliefs. Gingrich, a recently converted Catholic, has talked about his faith and defending religious freedom. Meanwhile, Several influential evangelicals and Christian leaders have endorsed Rick Santorum as the most consistent social conservative. While Dr. Dobson urged Christian voters to support candidates who discuss God and biblical principles, he recognized that it's not so easy to determine which candidates are being genuine about their faith. Champion the Vote finds that about 60 million Americans consider themselves to be Christians, but only half actually vote. Dobson said when he hears of Christians choosing not to vote, it bothers him. He says Christians need to get involved in the process and engage the culture. "We desperately need a spiritual renewal that will bring us back to biblical truths," Dobson said, noting that the Bible contains advice on a number of subjects, including government and money. However, the Church must organize in order to usher in that kind of renewal, he said.