Dobson compared Federal Marriage Amendment to civil rights bills and slave liberation

Summary: On the Focus on the Family radio show, FOF CEO James Dobson and president Jim Daly lambasted opponents of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, comparing the amendment to civil rights legislation and the abolitionists' campaign to end slavery, and predicting that if it failed, "civilization will go down."

On the June 7 edition of the Focus on the Family radio show, Focus on the Family founder and CEO James Dobson and president Jim Daly lambasted opponents of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Dobson compared the same-sex marriage ban to civil rights legislation and the abolitionists' campaign to end slavery. Daly called the ban "more important than the war, more important than sickness," and predicted that if it failed, "civilization will go down."

Daly played an audio clip of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) discussing his opposition to the Marriage Protection Amendment:

BIDEN: You know, think about this -- the world's going to Hades in a handbasket; we are desperately concerned about the circumstance relating to avian flu, we don't have enough vaccines, we don't have enough police officers, and we're going to debate the next three weeks, I'm told, gay marriage, a flag amendment, and God only knows what else. I can't believe the American people can't see through this. We already have a law -- the Defense of Marriage Act -- we've all voted -- not that I voted, but other said, "Look, marriage is between a man and a woman, and states must respect that." Nobody's violated that law, there's been no challenge to that law. Why do we need a constitutional amendment?

Dobson and Daly responded:

DOBSON: There it is again, Jim. It's the same thought: "There's no threat, there's no challenge." And it's not true!

DALY: Politicians and the press are obviously trying to minimize what the American people think on this topic. They don't want us to think that the most important institution, more important than the war, more important than sickness -- it is marriage folks. If this goes, civilization goes down.

Later in the program, Dobson discussed a Focus on the Family ad campaign targeting senators in swing states who oppose the same-sex marriage ban, comparing it to the campaigns to pass civil-rights laws and ban slavery in the United Kingdom:

DOBSON: We're going to continue to run these ads as long as there is money to do them. And we're not going to back off. If we lose, we're going to stay right in there. I mean, how long did it take to get the civil rights legislation passed? It took years and years and years. How long did it take for [evangelical slavery opponent William] Wilberforce in the U.K. to get slavery outlawed? We're not going to give up. And we're not going to give up with the unborn child. We will be there. And I'll tell you, with my last few breaths on this Earth, the first thing I want to do is tell my precious wife Shirley how much I love her, and my children, and I will have grandchildren by then -- and my daughter-in-law Laura; I'll tell them how much I love them. Then, I hope to say, "Save the institution of the family -- it's that important."

—M.B.