Focus on the Family

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Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF), founded in 1977, is a Christian non-profit organization based in the United States. The organization describes itself as "dedicated to nurturing and defending families worldwide". The group was founded by James Dobson and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical para-church organizations whose stated aim is not to start a new church or denomination, but to work interdenominationally to protect and promote their definitions of traditional family and family values. Some of the core promotional activities of the organization include a daily radio broadcast by Dobson and his colleagues, providing free counseling and resources for those facing family difficulties, and publishing a variety of magazines, videos and audio recordings.

In response to perceived threats to the family from changing world views in society, Dobson and his associates have become more politically active, and are regarded as a major voice in the Christian right, promoting socially conservative policies. Recently it began publishing a new political magazine called Citizen which addresses political concerns, especially on issues where current public policies are seen as threatening to conservative families.

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[edit] Political positions and activities

Despite Focus on the Family's past claims of being adamantly non-political, the group and James Dobson have been heavily involved in politics. The FOF's radio broadcasts, videos, CDs, and magazines all (in one way or another) discuss political issues and current events, usually from a conservative point of view. Focus on the Family's magazine Citizen is exclusively devoted to politics. The FOF also has an affiliated group, Focus on the Family Action (a.k.a. Focus Action), which engages in conservative political activism, though the two groups are legally separate.

The group supports the teaching of what they characterize as "traditional family values". It advocates school prayer and supports corporal punishment.[1] It strongly opposes abortion, homosexuality, pornography, and pre-marital sexual activity. Focus on the Family also embraces and reflects the wider political agenda of its conservative American Christian audience, for instance promoting a religiously-centered conception of American identity and the support of Israel.[2][3]

Focus on the Family broadcasts a national talk radio program of the same name hosted by Dobson or his aides. The program has a range of themes, such as Christian-oriented assistance for victims of rape or child abuse; parenting difficulties; child adoption; husband/wife roles; family history and traditions; struggles with gambling, pornography, alcohol, and drugs; and many other themes. When programs deal with civic issues, listeners often respond to these programs by contacting political leaders.

The organization claims that their daily radio broadcast has over 1.5 million listeners daily in the United States. They also have offices worldwide, and claim a worldwide audience of over 200 million for their daily radio broadcast.

Focus on the Family also produces ten monthly magazines with a combined circulation of about 2.3 million subscribers, and a wide variety of books and films. Magazines include Focus on the Family, Plugged In, Brio, Clubhouse, Clubhouse Jr., and Citizen.

Dobson has also another group, Focus Action, a 501(c)(4) social welfare group which has fewer political lobbying restrictions.

TheocracyWatch identifies Focus on the Family as a dominionist organization,[2] and contends they have become more successful than the Christian Coalition in their influence on the U.S. Congress. [2]

Focus on the Family has been a prominent supporter of intelligent design, publishing pro-intelligent design articles in its Citizen magazine and selling intelligent design videos on its website.[3][4] Focus on the Family co-published the intelligent design videotape Unlocking the Mystery of Life with the Discovery Institute, hub of the intelligent design movement.[5] Focus on the Family employee Mark Hartwig is also a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, a connection which has helped to publicize intelligent design extensively; James Dobson often features intelligent design proponents on his Focus on the Family radio program. Focus on the Family's Family.org is a significant online resource for intelligent design articles.[6][7]

[edit] Leadership

Leadership for the organization was provided by Dobson alone until 2003. In 2003, Donald P. Hodel became president and chief executive officer, tasked with the day-to-day operations. This left Dobson as chairman of the Board of Directors, with chiefly creative and speaking duties. A former leader was John Paulk.

In March 2005, Hodel retired and Jim Daly, formerly the Vice President in charge of Focus on the Family's International Division, assumed the role of president and chief executive officer.

[edit] History and facilities

Focus on the Family began in 1977 out of a small office in Arcadia, California. It soon outgrew that facility and began acquiring space in both Arcadia and in nearby Monrovia as its radio program grew in listenership. By 1990, the group needed even more space, and relocated to a new office complex in Pomona, California, that was supposed to last the organization for many years. Further growth caused by increased listenership of the radio program and readership of its books and magazines caused the organization to look for even more. In September 1993, having relocated to temporary quarters in various locations in Colorado Springs in the previous months, Focus on the Family dedicated its main building on an expansive 49 acre (200,000 m²) site.

Currently its three office buildings have a combined space of over 526,000 square feet (49,000 m²) housing over 1,300 employees. One of the buildings is largely used for receiving telephone calls from listeners and providing requested assistance; this activity engages the largest segment of its employees. The organization's facilities are open for tours by the public Monday through Saturday, excepting certain holidays. A bookstore and cafeteria are onsite, as is the child-oriented Whit's End Soda Shoppe which serves ice cream and "Wodfamchocsod" (chocolate soda) made famous by the Adventures in Odyssey children's radio theatre show produced by Focus on the Family.

[edit] Radio Theatre

Focus on The Family Radio Theatre is a subsidiary company of Focus on the Family, which adapts classic literature, mystery mini-series' and biographical productions, extending its reach to the mainstream as well as the Christian audience. At its peak, the weekly broadcasts aired on 240 stations nationwide, reaching audiences in excess of 350,000.

Radio Theatre began with historical biographies of Squanto ("The Legend of Squanto"), Jesus ("The Luke Reports") and Dietrich Bonhoeffer ("Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom"), and in 1996, a 90-minute radio drama based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was produced and aired as a broadcast special. In 1986, they broadcasted a radio edition of Tilly, a book by evangelical author Frank Peretti.

In 2005, Focus on the Family Radio Theatre released an audio dramatization of C. S. Lewis' epic novel series The Chronicles of Narnia, with David Suchet providing the voice of Aslan, and a host of English actors rounding out the cast. Lewis' stepson, Douglas Gresham, served as host for the daily broadcasts of the series.

Radio Theatre was awarded the Peabody Award for Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom.

Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre's broadcasts were discontinued at the end of 2005; previously released dramatizations are still available for purchase through the division's official website.

[edit] Controversy and criticism

On July 17, 2006, Soulforce, a gay rights group, "accused Focus on the Family founder James Dobson of manipulating research data to say gays and lesbians are not good parents."[4] Judith Stacey, a sociologist at New York University, said Focus on the Family "manipulated" her work "in an attempt to show gays and lesbians do not make good parents."[5] A Focus on the Family official denied the allegation.[6] Soulforce Executive Director Jeff Lutes said "That misinformation has real tragic results. It makes living for families like ours much more difficult. We are rejected sometimes by loved ones, we are shunned by churches and we are discriminated against in every state in this country."[7]

On August 11, 2006 James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, publicly forgave Mel Gibson after Gibson made anti-Semitic remarks to police officers during a DUI traffic stop.[8] In a statement Dobson announced he supported "Mel Gibson and his film, The Passion of the Christ," saying Gibson's anti-Semitic remarks had nothing to do with "one of the finest films of this era." He explained further that "we certainly do not condone that racially insensitive outburst," but added, "Mel has apologized profusely for the incident and there the matter should rest." On the movie, "Our endorsement of it stands as originally stated. We did not believe it was anti-Semitic in 2004, and our views have not changed," Dobson said.

[edit] International affiliates

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b "Dominionist Influence in The U.S. Congress", TheocracyWatch, Last updated: December 2005; URL accessed April 23, 2006.
  3. ^ Inferior Design Chris Mooney. The American Prospect Online, September 2005
  4. ^ Expert Witness Report Barbara Forrest. Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. (PDF file)
  5. ^ Unlocking the Mystery of Life Stephen C. Meyer and W. Peter Allen. Center for Science and Culture July 15, 2004
  6. ^ Feature Articles Focus On Social Issues - Origins. CitizenLink, Focus on the Family
  7. ^ Recommended Reading List Focus On Social Issues - Origins. CitizenLink, Focus on the Family

[edit] External links

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