Focus on the Family Founder James Dobson dies at 89

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James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, speaks at a 2006 rally in Philadelphia. The conservative Christian leader died Thursday, according to a statement from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. (Jeff Fusco | Getty Images)Conservative Christian leader James Dobson — who founded Focus on the Family and was once called “the nation’s most influential evangelical leader ” — died Thursday, according to a statement from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. He then founded Focus on the Family in 1977, and helped establish the Christian think tank Family Research Council in the early ’80s. Focus on the Family advocates against abortion rights, opposes evolution being taught in schools, and works against LGBTQ+ rights.