Conservative Christian leader James Dobson says Mark Foley's stalking of children was little more than "a joke"

When one of the top leaders of the religious right describes a child sex predator as participating in little more than "a joke," you know these disgusting excuses for Christians no longer stand for family or values, or God.

DOBSON: As it turns out, Mr. Foley has had illicit sex with no one that we know of, and the whole thing turned out to be what some people are now saying was a — sort of a joke by the boy and some of the other pages … By mid-afternoon yesterday, a rumor emerged that in fact Mark Foley had been pranked by the House pages. It is the first plausible thing I've heard in seven days...

Disgusting, and a flat-out lie. One page - one - said he wasn't necessarily interested in having sex with Foley, but was seeing how far Foley would go in the chat. But they have now found numerous pages who Foley apparently pursued.

First off, I've read the transcript, I don't believe the kid now saying this was a joke. He sure didn't sound like he was joking when he described how he masturbates. Second, regardless of the kid's motivations, Foley initiated a discussion of masturbatory techniques with a 16 year old. Dobson finds this funny and/or excusable? And finally, there are now nearly half a dozen, or more, former pages who have stepped forward and alleged that Foley asked them to measure their penises and more.

Are there any people of conscience left among evangelical Christians? This man is one of your self-proclaimed leaders, and he thinks 52 year old men asking 16 year old boys to measure their penises is "a joke"? Absolutely sickening.

John in DC, AmericaBlog