Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF)
Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a conservative Christian organization based in Colorado that aims to promote and defend family life in accordance with biblical teachings. Founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, the organization initially gained prominence through its radio broadcasts, which remain a core part of its outreach. Over the years, FOTF has expanded its resources to include films, print publications, and audio programs, reaching millions of individuals globally. The organization emphasizes traditional family values, advocating for the permanence of marriage, the sanctity of life, and the importance of raising children with Christian principles.
FOTF is known for its opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, which has led to significant controversy and criticism from various groups. It has actively supported initiatives aimed at discouraging abortion and promoting "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ+ individuals. Additionally, FOTF has engaged in political advocacy, including funding efforts against same-sex marriage and supporting anti-abortion candidates. While it provides resources for families seeking guidance based on Christian doctrine, its stances on social issues have sparked considerable debate and opposition.
Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF)
Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a Colorado-based conservative Christian organization with a stated goal of promoting and defending family life according to its portrayal in the Bible. Founded in 1977, the organization began with radio broadcasts that continue to be a mainstay of its approach to Christian education on social and family issues. While its offerings have expanded to films, print, social media, and podcasts, and its message reaches millions daily, Focus on the Family has also been condemned for its opposition to abortion and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals.
Background
Originally based in Arcadia, California, Focus on the Family was founded by James Dobson. Dobson, a licensed psychologist, began the organization with one other staff person in June 1977, just a few months after he began airing a weekly family advice show on the radio. By 1980, the broadcasts expanded to include a daily fifteen-minute show that was carried on one hundred radio stations across the United States. At the same time, Focus on the Family produced a self-titled seven-part film series that shared Dobson's views on family topics such as parenting and disciplining children, dealing with adolescent children, and marriage.
By 1981, the organization's staff had grown to nearly three dozen. Within two years, its offerings had expanded to include a print magazine that reached a million subscriptions within three years and its radio broadcasts were being carried worldwide via satellite technology. The organization furthered its international impact in 1984 when it opened its first Canadian offices. Its printing operation expanded in 1986 when Focus on the Family began printing resources for crisis pregnancy centers intended to discourage women from obtaining abortions. In that same year, it also opened a book publishing division. The year 1987 saw the organization's staff reach more than four hundred. It also saw the launch of a weekly children's audio program called Adventures in Odyssey, aimed at children ages six through twelve.
A Spanish-language version of the organization's radio broadcast began in 1988 and was initially carried by stations in the United States, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. In 1991, the Focus on the Family broadcasts were also heard in Russia. That same year, the organization moved its operations to Colorado Springs, Colorado, while also expanding its offerings for children. In 1993, the organization expanded its physical presence, opening a new office in Australia and moving to a forty-five-acre site in Colorado Springs that could house its 1,200 employees. More expansion followed over the next few years, with Asian offices opening in Indonesia and Korea in 1995, Taiwan in 1996, and Malaysia in 1997. That year also saw the launch of the organization's first website.
Additional offices followed over the next few years, with expansion into New Zealand in 1999, Egypt and Singapore in 2001, and Ireland in 2002. Two years later, Focus on the Family messages were reaching more than two hundred million people through more than five thousand radio stations worldwide.
Dobson left Focus on the Family and started a new radio program, Family Talk, in 2012. Jim Daly joined the ministry in 1989 and served as its president beginning in 2005. He remained the organization's leader into the mid-2020s. Focus on the Family continued to express its message through radio broadcasts, podcasts, and online content. The organization ran several social media accounts, including a Facebook and Instagram. The organization also remained involved in political advocacy, focusing on issues related to religious freedom, abortion, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Focus on the Family remained influential in promoting anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in multiple states.
Overview
According to Focus on the Family's website, the organization's purpose is to help families by providing resources to support marriages and help parents raise children with biblical values. Focus on the Family's stated values include the notion that families work best when the husband and wife are committed to each other and the relationship, and where they work together to raise the children. These values are based on what the website terms "six guiding philosophies." These include the preeminence of evangelism and the need to spread the Christian message of eternal life through Jesus; the permanence of marriage and opposition to divorce; the value of children and the responsibility to raise them to be Christ followers; the sanctity of human life and opposition to abortion; the importance of social responsibility and the requirement for people to support marriage, church, and government; and the value of male and female relationships and the resulting opposition to alternative sexual orientations. The organization also opposes gambling and physician-assisted suicide.
Focus on the Family has supported its beliefs with educational materials and the purchase of ultrasound machines intended to discourage women from considering abortion. It has also made financial contributions to organizations and political candidates, including funds to support anti-gay and anti-abortion efforts and to oppose marriage equality. In addition, the organization regularly holds anti-gay events such as "Love Won Out," an initiative aimed at encouraging those families who want to convince their LGBTQIA+ loved ones to change their orientation.
The staunch anti-abortion, anti-divorce, and anti-gay rights stance of Focus on the Family has resulted in widespread criticism. Opponents condemn the organization's support for debunked "conversion therapy" for LGBTQIA+ individuals and for "crisis pregnancy centers" that masquerade as legitimate medical facilities. Critics also take exception to the organization's opposition to non-discrimination legislation, anti-bullying policies, and other efforts that would protect LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Bibliography
Abcarian, Robin. "Transgender Students 'Just Looking for Their Place in the World.'" Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2014, www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-ar-abcarian-transgender-bathrooms-20140112-story.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Casey, Bob. "Focus on the Family Stands Up for Bullying." HuffPost, 25 May 2011, www.huffpost.com/entry/focus-on-the-family-stand‗b‗709651. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Focus on the Family, www.focusonthefamily.com. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Freedman, Samuel G. "Focus on the Family Works to Change Its Message." TheNew York Times, 8 Mar. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/03/09/us/focus-on-the-family-transforms-its-message.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Iwata, E.C. "Focus on the Family's LGBTQ Descendants: Executive's Gay Daughter Speaks Out." HuffPost, 6 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/re-focus-on-the-familys-l‗b‗9146880. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Wingfield, Mark. “This Is How Unhinged Focus on the Family Has Become.” Baptist News Global, 27 Mar. 2024, baptistnews.com/article/this-is-how-unhinged-focus-on-the-family-has-become/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
Zanghi, Phyllis. "Focus on the Family." Orthodox Church in America, oca.org/parish-ministry/familylife/focus-on-the-family. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.