Focus on the Family

Focus on the Family is an American evangelical non-profit organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and founded in 1977 by James Dobson. Its mission statement is "To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide." The group, and its subsidiaries, are key organizations in the American Christian Right movement that has risen to prominence since the early 1980s, and promotes conservative and religious family values. As with many U.S. groups for many ideologies, while the press may refer to positions taken by the name of the main tax-exempt body, political, as distinct from cultural, positions are taken by subsidiaries.

Popular culture

Focus on the Family broadcasts a national talk show hosted by Dobson, produces "family-safe" audio drama through their Radio Theatre ministry, and runs an 'ex-gay' ministry called Love Won Out.

They publish a number of media advisory services including Plugged In magazine and an accompanying website which provides a Biblical perspective on contemporary pop culture - movies, music, television and games. Focus on the Family also has affiliates across the world, in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ireland, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Taiwan.

Among their issues is what they perceive as a social "war on Christmas." A representative, Carrie Gordon Earll, objected to advertising that dealt with other holidays, saying "As a Christian, I don't put Christmas on the same plane as winter solstice...It kind of felt like a poke in the eye."

Political role

Focus on the Family proper is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) corporation under the U.S. tax code, which does not permit the endorsement of individual candidates but does allow promotion of specific issues and perspectivesm, but has spun off Focus on the Family Action, operating under 501(c)(4), "a cultural action organization that is completely separate from Focus on the Family, legally. It has been created by separating out of Focus on the Family those activities which constitute lobbying under the IRS code so that they can be expanded in scope."

Focus on the Family's political arm, during the 2008 Presidential elections, initially supported Mike Huckabee, and then later supported the Republican John McCain ticket due to the vice-presidential candidacy of the evangelical Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. "Kevin Clarkson, an Anchorage attorney who does work for the Alliance Defense Fund," loosely associated with Focus on the Family, said they called him in 2006, "asking him questions about the strength of her social conservative credentials. 'There had been some entries made under her name in Wikipedia that were of concern to them (Focus on the Family),' Clarkson said. 'The main one cited in Wikipedia was her veto of a bill that would've limited marriage benefits to married couples.' Clarkson said he had to explain the whole decision to Focus on the Family to put minds at ease....Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus Action, agreed. He said Dobson's evolution from being anti-McCain to adamantly supportive of the Republican ticket can be attributed to three things — McCain's 'strong responses' at Pastor Rick Warren's summit in Orange County, 'the pro-life, pro-family platform adopted by the party,' and the selection of Palin."

Focus on the Family Action

Dobson said this group allows him to fight for the Marriage Protection Amendment (i.e., against same-sex marriage) and against "judicial tyranny".