Dobson Screws Up

Capitol Area Christian News, Spring, 1999

Focus on the Family’s Citizen magazine (March) brought disgrace upon James Dobson and the entire ministry (P.O. Box 35500, Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3550) with its slanderous treatment of Paul Hill. The vitriolic piece was written by Jeff Hooten who took the testimony of the embittered Mike and Vicky Conroy of Pensacola over the many more reliable witnesses to Paul Hill’s character. Your editor was interviewed by Mr. Hooten and remembers spending a good portion of the 20-minute conversation recounting abundant testimony concerning his excellent reputation, his wonderful wife (who is a true glory for him, cf. 1 Cor. 11:7). I have known Paul since 1993. I had the opportunity to stay with his family for a few days during the trial of Michael Griffin. I was an associate of Paul and Karen’s best man, Rev. Mike Chastain, who pastors a church here in Maryland. My testimony to Mr. Hooten was that I have found Paul Hill to be man of impeccable character: a man in pursuit of Truth, a man who performed his duty to his wife and children, man who loves and obeys Jesus and his neighbor, a man who has laid down his life for others. Moreover, I told Mr. Hooten something about Paul’s wife which is as true a manifestation of husband’s character as can be found. I said that after a few days in the company of the Hills, watching the family, the marriage, the hospitality shown a half-dozen guests when they arrived, I spoke words to Karen that I felt impelled to speak.  I said to her in a passing moment: “You are holy.”

In contrast to the Christian Citizen magazine, the secular Florida Times-Union carried an honest, non-malicious report during the same month (7 March). Staff writer Sean Gardiner quotes Paul as follows:

The more I think about it the more convinced I am that if I had not acted then I could not look myself in the mirror now. It’s unpleasant to have to take a life. There’s no doubt about that. But on the other hand it’s also a great privilege to be able to save so many people from being killed. The sense of saving those people overcomes the bad feelings for having to kill the one who planned to kill them.

Mr. Gardiner also bothers to offer some explanation of the Paul’s lack of resistance to his death sentence rather than propagating the mythology of him as a kook who can’t wait to be a martyr for the personal glory of it all. He quotes Paul’s own comments regarding his choice to his dismiss his attorney and represent himself on the mandatory appeal of the sentence:

I couldn’t in good conscience have him plead that I get life because I don’t deserve a life sentence for what I did. I deserve to be set free . . . I deserve a commendation for what I’ve done.

Paul is, of course, simply stating the truth here. He ought to be rewarded. Would that this truth were preached by the preachers of the land, even by national Christian spokesmen like Mr. Dobson.

In summary, Hooten did not care to present a true picture of Paul Hill’s character. He wrote like a man with an ax to grind. Unable to carry on a rational discussion on the issue at hand, he ground his ax on a defenseless death row inmate. In due time, his foolish calumniation of a righteous brother will redound to his shame.