![]() I was impressed to learn of Daly and a progressive publisher in Colorado Springs joining forces to put on a benefit concert for those whose homes were destroyed in the Waldo Canyon wildfire. He publicly credited President Obama for being a good father and husband, and he has stood with Christian leaders of varied stripes in calling for humane immigration reform. In addition to de-emphasizing Christian right politics, Daly is reaching out to people who thought they had permanent places on the organization's enemies list. Like many evangelicals, the group has woken up to the downside of the culture war politics and is getting back to basics - which means, in Focus' case, serving families in the name of Jesus. Those plus that ultimate pariah designator: "hate group."īut the more I have learned about " Focus 2.0," as some call it, and the more I've heard about the changed tone and different emphases coming out of Colorado Springs in the new Daly era, the more I've complicated my opinion of the group. "Anti-woman," " anti-choice" and "anti-gay" are the terms often marshaled in liberal discourse today when the organization is mentioned. Under the decades-long leadership of James Dobson, the group became a catalyst for the Christian right political movement and took center stage in the culture wars. It also explains why I brought not just questions but an olive branch as well when I journeyed to Focus on the Family as part of the research for my new book. That Daly would let his guard down like this tells you a lot about the change breaking out in evangelical America. The man making this astonishing admission? Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, the faith-and-family organization based in Colorado Springs that has been riling secular progressives, including yours truly, for many years. sometimes we hated the sinner, too, and that's not the Gospel." We urge everyone to pray for peace and we also pray for the individual or group responsible for this mischievous and unwarranted defacing of our ministry’s property."We've said we hate the sin and love the sinner," the evangelical speaker said to an auditorium of university students and professors. The families of the five individuals killed in Saturday night’s senseless attack are in our prayers. This is a time for prayer, grieving and healing, not vandalism and the spreading of hate. The authors of the article highlighted that it was “no accident that this happened in Colorado Springs, a city steeped in homophobia, transphobia, and white supremacy,” and that Focus on the Family has eagerly displayed their desire to “rid the world of all queer people” on their website, and “should be held accountable for the ramifications of their hateful theology.”Īccording to the Denver Post, “Focus on the Family defines itself as ‘a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive.’ The organization supports the anti-abortion movement in the abortion debate, and features anti-LGBT+ broadcasts, including “Leaving Homosexuality and Finding Forgiveness” and “Transformed by Grace: Leaving Homosexuality to Follow Christ.”įocus on the Family president Jim Daly released a statement on Friday saying, “We recognize the community is hurting in the aftermath of the reckless and violent actions of a very disturbed individual. ![]() While no suspects have been apprehended, a document appeared on Twitter with an anonymous article by “those who completed this direct action,” sharing that, while they were not acting on behalf of the families of the Club Q victims, they “chose to proceed with this action because of the incredible violence that Focus on the Family continues to perpetuate against the 2SLGBTQIA community.” Their end will correspond to their deeds.” Will you give a donation to Adventist Today?īelow the sign, 2 Corinthians 11:14,15 was handwritten in black marker: “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
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