Focus on the Family is run by Dr. James Dobson, a member of the Council for National Policy,[1] and one of the most influential Christian activists in the United States.[2] The organization is located on an 81-acre campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado, employs 1,300 people, and sends out four million pieces of mail each month.[3] Dr. Dobson is heard daily on more than 3,000 radio facilities in North America and on approximately 6,300 facilities in 116 countries worldwide.[4] His estimated listening audience is more than 200 million worldwide and, in the U.S., he appears on 80 television stations each day. Meanwhile, news alerts go to 104,000 activists each day through Focus’ Citizen Link email service.[5]
Dr. Dobson has an aggressive legislative agenda that he seeks to enact using his Focus on the Family following to exert pressure on American legislators. His list of demands include cutting off government funding to Planned Parenthood and other “pro-abortion organizations” and eliminating “so-called safe-sex and condom distribution programs.”[6] He is a fierce opponent of stem cell research, which he has called “state-funded cannibalism,”[7] and the gay rights movement, which he says is seeking the “utter destruction of the family”[8] and has for using Nazi tactics.[9]
Dr. Dobson has made several forays into Canadian politics, spreading his social conservative message through paid broadcasts opposing same sex marriage on 130 radio stations across Canada,[10] and his organization has contributed at least $1.6 million worth of “in-kind” contributions to its Canadian affiliate, Focus on the Family Canada,[11] which also strongly opposed the recognition of same sex marriages.[12] Two Vice Presidents of Focus on the Family sit on the Board of Focus on the Family Canada.[13]
Dr. Dobson uses the Focus on the Family Institute to cultivate future young leaders about his organization’s views,[14] utilizing materials such as anti-abortion activist Scott Klusendorf’s writings.[15] Jason Kenney, Conservative MP for Calgary Southeast, [16] and Conservative Party Revenue Critic, also follows Mr. Klusendorf’s views and has praised him for his contribution to the pro-life movement in Canada: “[Scott’s] contribution to the pro-life movement in Canada has received rave reviews. Having been involved in pro-life argumentation for most of my life, I nevertheless learned a great deal from Scott's techniques and arguments, which I plan to employ in the future,” Mr. Kenney has posted on the Life Training Institute’s website.[17]
[1] Russ Bellant, “Promise Keepers: Christian Soldiers for Theocracy,” PublicEye.org, available at http://www.publiceye.org/eyes/promkeep.html (last visited January 13, 2006).
[2] Elizabeth Thompson, “Religious right sends cash north: To fight same-sex marriage in Canada. U.S. groups taking credit for Bush re-election fund local allies' efforts to 'save the family',” Montreal Gazette, February 7, 2005, p. A1.
[3] “Dobson’s Choice: Religious Right Leader Becomes Political Power Broker,” People for the American Way, February 24, 2005, http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17934 (last visited January 13, 2006).
[4] “Dobson’s Choice: Religious Right Leader Becomes Political Power Broker,” People for the American Way, February 24, 2005, http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17934 (last visited January 13, 2006).
[5] “Dobson’s Choice: Religious Right Leader Becomes Political Power Broker,” People for the American Way, February 24, 2005, http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17934 (last visited January 13, 2006).
[6] “Dobson’s Choice: Religious Right Leader Becomes Political Power Broker,” People for the American Way, February 24, 2005, http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17936 (last visited January 13, 2006).
[7] “Dobson’s Choice: Religious Right Leader Becomes Political Power Broker,” People for the American Way, available at http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17932 (last visited January 13, 2006).
[8] James Dobson, Marriage Under Fire: why we must win this battle, (Multnomah, 2004), p. 19.
[9] Gary Schneeberger, “Dobson Tells Christian Voters ‘Enough is Enough’,” Citizen Link, July 9, 2004, available at http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0033582.cfm (last visited January 13, 2006).
[10] Elizabeth Thompson, “Religious right sends cash north: To fight same-sex marriage in Canada. U.S. groups taking credit for Bush re-election fund local allies' efforts to 'save the family',” Montreal Gazette, February 7, 2005, p. A1.
[11] Focus on the Family Canada’s website address is http://www.fotf.ca/ (last visited January 13, 2006).
[12] Elizabeth Thompson, “Religious right sends cash north: To fight same-sex marriage in Canada. U.S. groups taking credit for Bush re-election fund local allies' efforts to 'save the family',” Montreal Gazette, February 7, 2005, p. A1.
[13] Elizabeth Thompson, “Religious right sends cash north: To fight same-sex marriage in Canada. U.S. groups taking credit for Bush re-election fund local allies' efforts to 'save the family',” Montreal Gazette, February 7, 2005, p. A1.
[14] “About FFI,” Focus on the Family Institute, available at http://www.focusinstitute.org/AboutUs.asp (last visited January 13, 2006).
[15] “Pro-Life Speakers,” Life Training Institute, available at http://prolifetraining.com/pro-life_speakers.htm (last visited January 13, 2006).
[16] “Candidate: Jason Kenney,” GlobeandMail.com, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/elections/fed2005/candidates/generated/48007_CON.html (last visited January 13, 2006).
[17] “Endorsements,” Life Training Institute, available at http://www.prolifetraining.com/Endorsements.htm (last visited January 13, 2006).