WASHINGTON — Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family and Family Talk Radio, expressed his defiance of the Obamacare abortion pill mandate on Thursday, stating that the president would have to “come and get [him]” as he would not “yield to [Obama’s] wicked regulations.”
Dobson, 78, made his remarks during his speech in Washington, D.C. at Thursday’s annual National Day of Prayer event. He read a letter that he had circulated to his supporters as to why he chose to buck the system and fight the requirement in court.
“I believe in the rule of law, and it has been my practice since I was in college to respect and honor those in authority over us. It is my desire to do so now,” he stated, according to video footage from WND.com. “However, this assault on the sanctity of human life takes me where I cannot go. I will not pay the surcharge for abortion services.”
“To pay one cent for the killing of babies is egregious to me, and I will do all I can to correct a government that lies to me about its intentions and then tries to coerce my acquiescence with extortion,” Dobson declared. “It would be a violation of my most deeply held convictions to disobey what I consider to be the principles in Scripture. The Creator will not hold us guiltless if we turn a deaf ear to the cries of His innocent babies.”
“So come and get me if you must, Mr. President,” he stated firmly. “I will not yield to your wicked regulations.”
Dobson’s remarks were met with a standing ovation and cheers from those in the audience.
The longtime radio host had just been granted a temporary injunction against the mandate last month, obtaining a reprieve while his case moves forward in court. Attorneys for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) had argued that the requirement was a violation of Dobson’s religious liberties.
“In America, we don’t try to separate what people do from what they believe. Faith-based organizations should be free to operate according to the faith they teach and live out every day,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot in a statement following the order. “If the government can fine Christian ministries out of existence because they want to uphold their faith, there is no limit to what other freedoms it can take away. The court was right to block enforcement of this unconstitutional mandate against Family Talk.”
Dobson, who has 28 employees on staff, told those gathered on Thursday that the government fine surrounding Obamacare would have indeed shut down his ministry.
“The mandate requiring that we provide abortifacients, such as the morning after pill, would have begun on May 1st. After that, if we hadn’t prevailed, fines amounting to $800,000 per year would have kicked in,” he said. “We would have closed our doors.”
Focus on the Family is one of over 100 ministries and religious organizations that have challenged the mandate in federal court. The United States Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling next month surrounding Hobby Lobby’s fight against Obamacare. The decision will likely have far-reaching effects for religious-owned businesses nationwide.
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