Focus on the Family

Feminism's two focal points are its love affair with abortion and lesbianism. Many of the spokeswomen have never been married, never tried to balance family and a career. Many are lesbians. That doesn't represent the majority of American women, so how could they address what women today need?"
- Diane Passno, Focus on the Family Executive Vice President

Background / Strategies and Tactics / Board and Allies / In their own words: Feminism, Sexuality Education, Homosexuality, Gender Roles, Politics, Public Policy and the Courts / Website

With a budget of over one hundred million dollars and affiliated organizations in many states and around the world, Focus on the Family has become one of the largest and most influential right-wing Christian organizations in the country. Focus on the Family uses print publications, internet, radio and television broadcasts and films to spread its brand of conservative Christianity and advocate for traditional gender roles and "family values."

Background

History
Founded in 1977, Focus on the Family now has "ministries" (its term for programs and subsidiaries) in over a dozen states and many foreign countries. Though no longer the organization's president, Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson remains the group's central personality and spokesman and serves as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Dr. Dobson leveraged his powerful position in Focus on the Family to secure his position as the unofficial national chairman of the Arlington Group, a coalition of the nation's most conservative religious leaders that acts as the unified voice of the religious right in Washington, DC. The group is so influential that, according to the Washington Post, a representative from the Bush White House participated in each of the Arlington Group's weekly teleconferences during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Mission Statement
As stated on its 2004 tax filing: "Focus on the Family (FOF) is a nondenominational religious organization whose primary objective is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by helping to preserve traditional values and the institution of the family. The primary means of accomplishing these goals are radio broadcasts, periodicals, books, films, videos, internet and events which share a message with constituents, schools, churches and the public at large in the United States as well as around the world." 4 As stated on its website: "To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in disseminating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, and, specifically, to accomplish that objective by helping to preserve traditional values and the institution of the family." 5

Budget
$107,423,724 6

Publications
From the Focus on the Family, 990 tax form from fiscal year 2004: "Focus on the Family distributes monthly and bi-monthly around 14 magazines and newsletters. For example, Family News from Dr. James Dobson- goes out to as many as 1.2 million U.S. homes and approximately 90,000 Canadian homes." 7

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Strategies and Tactics

Affiliate Groups
Focus on the Family spreads its influence widely through use of local chapters and spin-off groups. The group is affiliated with 36 state groups such as the Pennsylvania Family Institute, the North Carolina Policy Council and the Rocky Mountain Family Council. Its spin-off groups include: Focus on the Family Institute, Focus on the Family's college program, and 74 different international ministries. The group has also established conservative Christian ministries for attorneys, doctors, teachers, and other groups.

Political Action and Lobbying
On at least two occasions, Focus on the Family has created or become affiliated with political action groups and lobbying groups. As the groups grew they then split off from Focus on the Family either because they became too explicitly political and threatened to compromise Focus on the Family's non-profit status or because the groups simply became to large to remain contained under the Focus on the Family umbrella. 8 Some examples of political groups affiliated with Focus on the Family organizations are: the Family Research Council that was spun off into a separate organization in 1992 due to IRS concerns; the Alliance Defense Fund, a far-right litigation organization co-founded by Dr. Dobson; and Focus on the Family Action, a 501(c)(4) organization which is a common control entity that has the same officers and directors as Focus on the Family.9

Working in Coalition
Focus on the Family participates in the conservative umbrella organization known as the "Arlington Group," which is spearheading much of the anti-judicial fervor in the evangelical community. Click here to learn more about the Arlington Group-

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Board and Allies

Board of Directors10

James Dobson, founder and Board Chairman
A long-time Washington insider, he was appointed to presidential advisory committees under Ronald Reagan, including a panel on teen pregnancy prevention and former Attorney General Edwin Meese's Commission on Pornography. 11 As president of Focus on the Family, Dobson met with six of the Republican hopefuls for the 1996 presidential nomination. Since resigning as president, he has become more overtly political, and actively campaigned (in his capacity as a "private citizen") for many congressional candidates in the 2004 elections. Dobson is notorious for his thinly veiled public warnings to Republican leaders. After the 2004 election, Dobson warned Republican politicians to heed the wishes of evangelical Christians: "If Republicans . . . in the White House and Senate squander this opportunity, I believe they will pay a price for it in four years--and maybe in two." 12

Shirley Dobson
Member of the National Prayer Committee (which shares office space at no cost, and some staff, and donated $150,000 to FOF in FY 2004), where she served as Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

Albert Mohler
A former Board Member he is currently with the far-right Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His membership on the board was controversial because of public comments he has made that were offensive to Catholics, such as calling Catholicism a "false church." 13 Mohler has attacked Islam as well saying, "The biggest problem with Islamic theology is that it kills the soul." 14

Partial staff listing (in 2004, Focus on the Family employed 1,343 people)15

Dr. James C. Dobson, founder
Ph.D. in child development, licensed psychologist and counselor. 16 Although Dr. Dobson is no longer the President and C.E.O. of FOF, as of 2003, he remains the central personality to all the various organizations that exist under FOF's umbrella.

Jim Daly, President and CEO
Has been working for FOF since 1989, in various capacities. 17

Don Hodel, Former President
former president of the Christian Coalition, former Reagan Administration official who served as U.S. Under Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior. 18

Dr. William J. Maier, VP Psychology
Contributor to many conservative organizations including, Concerned Women for America and National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality.

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In their own words

Feminism
"Feminism's two focal points are its love affair with abortion and lesbianism. Many of the spokeswomen have never been married, never tried to balance family and a career. Many are lesbians. That doesn't represent the majority of American women, so how could they address what women today need?" - Diane Passno, FOF Executive Vice President 19

"The radical feminists told us that abortion would make every baby wanted and loved. What it actually did was cheapen life at every stage of development." - Dr. James Dobson 20

Sexuality Education
"It's clear NARAL wants your kids to be sexually active because it's good for business: abstinent kids don't buy contraceptives and abortions." - Linda Klepacki, Focus on the Family sexual health analyst, Family News in Focus, July 13, 2005

"Girls and women also have more to lose emotionally. They often feel wounded and used after casual sex, whereas guys may think of the experience as another trophy to brag about." - Dr. James Dobson 21

Homosexuality
"How would you and your homosexual companions feel if we, as Christians, began lobbying for special, protected legal status? How would you react if we asserted that we should be given a job and shielded from termination just because we are Christians?" - Dr. James Dobson, Why can't Focus be more inclusive of gay people? 22

"Racism was about keeping races apart and that is wrong. Marriage is about bringing the genders together and that is good." - Glenn T. Stanton, Talking Points: Same-Sex Marriage, 2005 23

"Evidences of gender confusion or doubt in boys ages 5 to 11 [include]: a tendency to cry easily, be less athletic-; a strong preference to spend time in the company of girls and participate in their games and other pastimes; a susceptibility to be bullied by other boys, who may tease them unmercifully and call them 'queer,' 'fag' and 'gay'; a tendency to walk, talk, dress and even "think" effeminately." - Is My Child Becoming Homosexual? 24

Gender Roles
"Because of their sense of responsibility for children, females are less likely to take risks and gamble with the future- He likes excitement, change, challenge, uncertainty and the potential for huge returns on a risky investment. She likes predictability, continuity, safety, roots, relationships and a smaller return on a more secure investment." - Dr. James Dobson, How do men and women differ emotionally? 25

"While marriage has intrinsic value of its own, a primary purpose of marriage is procreation- Marriage is also the way societies protect women from predatory males and socialize men." - Glenn T. Stanton, Director of Social Research and Cultural Affairs and Senior Analyst for Marriage and Sexuality, Focus on the Family's Position Statement on Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Unions, 1/16/04 26

"For a man, romantic experiences with his wife are warm and enjoyable and memorable--but not necessary. For a woman, they are her lifeblood. Her confidence, her sexual response and her zest for living are often directly related to those tender moments when she feels deeply loved and appreciated by her man." - Dr. James Dobson, Gender Gap?, 1993 27

Politics, Public Policy and the Courts
"The struggle over the Supreme Court is not just about law: it is about the future of our culture." - Robert Bork in his article Their Will be Done, reprinted on the Focus on the Family website

"CEDAW [the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women] is just about the most dangerous treaty that the U.S. government has ever considered ratifying..." - Ben Taylor in his story, "Dark, Dark Territory", written for Citizen Link 28

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1. Ben Taylor, "Dark, Dark Territory", Citizen Link
2. Dr. James Dobson, Gender Gap?, 1993
3. In Focus on the Family Magazine
4. FOF 990, FY 2004
5. From FOF website
6. FOF 990, FY 2004
7. FOF 990, FY 2004
8. P.W., "Newsweek's Fineman wrong about Dobson, who's no political newcomer"
9. FOF 990, FY 2004
10. FOF 990, FY 2004
11. People for the American Way report on Dobson: "Dobson's Choice", (available on PFAW website)
12. U.S. News & World Report, January 17, 2005
13. Quoted in the Baptist Standard, 5/3/00,
14. Michael Faust, "Speak About Islam Clearly & Without Fear, Mohler Says", Baptist Press, 10/19/01
15. 990, FY 2004
16. From the FOF website
17. From the FOF website
18. From PFAW
19. In Focus on the Family Magazine
20. Dr. James Dobson
21. Dr. James Dobson,
22. Dr. James Dobson, Why can't Focus be more inclusive of gay people?
23. Glenn T. Stanton, Talking Points: Same-Sex Marriage
24. From Focus on your Child report titled, Is My Child Becoming Homosexual?
25. Dr. James Dobson, How do men and women differ emotionally?
26. Focus on the Family's Position Statement on Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Unions, 1/16/04
27. Dr. James Dobson, Gender Gap?, 1993,
28. Ben Taylor, "Dark, Dark Territory", Citizen Link