Jump to content

American Family Association: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Added Disputed category tag
Rv CMM's persistent effort to make this a propaganda piece
Line 1: Line 1:
{{NPOV}}
{{NPOV}}

{{Disputed-category}}


The '''American Family Association''' (AFA) is a [[501(c)(3)]] [[non-profit organization]] that promotes [[Conservatism|conservative]] [[Christianity|Christian]] values. It was founded in 1977 by Rev. [[Donald Wildmon]] as the '''National Federation for Decency''' and is headquartered in [[Tupelo, Mississippi]]. Wildmon serves as AFA chairman; his son, [[Tim Wildmon]], is AFA president.<ref name=afagen>{{cite web|title=About us: General Information|publisher=American Family Association|url=http://www.afa.net/about.asp|accessdate=2007-06-24}}</ref> The organization defines itself as "a Christian organization promoting the biblical ethic of decency in American society with primary emphasis on TV and other media."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aclu-wa.org/detail.cfm?id=149|title=The Religious Right in Washington|date=[[1995-06-01]]|accessdate=2007-06-24|publisher=[[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.afa.net/newdesign/about.asp|title=afaMEDIA, About AFA|publisher=American Family Association|accessdate=2007-06-24}}</ref>
The '''American Family Association''' (AFA) is a [[501(c)(3)]] [[non-profit organization]] that promotes [[Conservatism|conservative]] [[Christianity|Christian]] values. It was founded in 1977 by Rev. [[Donald Wildmon]] as the '''National Federation for Decency''' and is headquartered in [[Tupelo, Mississippi]]. Wildmon serves as AFA chairman; his son, [[Tim Wildmon]], is AFA president.<ref name=afagen>{{cite web|title=About us: General Information|publisher=American Family Association|url=http://www.afa.net/about.asp|accessdate=2007-06-24}}</ref> The organization defines itself as "a Christian organization promoting the biblical ethic of decency in American society with primary emphasis on TV and other media."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aclu-wa.org/detail.cfm?id=149|title=The Religious Right in Washington|date=[[1995-06-01]]|accessdate=2007-06-24|publisher=[[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.afa.net/newdesign/about.asp|title=afaMEDIA, About AFA|publisher=American Family Association|accessdate=2007-06-24}}</ref>


==Goals==
==Goals==
The AFA advocates what it considers to be conservative [[Family values|family values]] and focuses on addressing the influence of media, including [[Pornography|pornography]], on those values.<ref name=afagen/>
The AFA advocates what it considers to be conservative [[Family values|family values]] and focuses on addressing the influence of media, including [[Pornography|pornography]], on those values<ref name=afagen/> The issues the AFA are concerned with include;


* Church in America
The issues the AFA states they are concerned with include: church in America, culture and society, education, entertainment Industry, marriage and family, gambling, homosexual agenda, money and finance, pornography, and pro-life issues.
* Culture & Society
* Education
* Entertainment Industry
* Marriage & Family
* Gambling
* Homosexual Agenda
* Money & Finance
* Pornography
* Pro-Life


These issues are core to AFA's goals, which are pursued through various activism efforts, including American Family Radio, AFA Journal, [[lobbying]] and legal efforts by the AFA Center for Law and Policy, boycotts, and articles published on the organization’s various websites, such as OneNewsNow.com, OneMillionMoms.com, and OneMillionDads.com.
These issues are core to AFA's goals, which are pursued through various activism efforts, including American Family Radio, AFA Journal, [[lobbying]] and legal efforts by the AFA Center for Law and Policy, boycotts, and articles published on the organization’s various websites, such as OneNewsNow.com, OneMillionMoms.com, and OneMillionDads.com.
Line 85: Line 94:
[[Category:1977 establishments]]
[[Category:1977 establishments]]
[[Category:Anti-pornography activists]]
[[Category:Anti-pornography activists]]
[[Category:Censorship]]
[[Category:Christian politics]]
[[Category:Christian politics]]
[[Category:Christianity in the United States]]
[[Category:Christianity in the United States]]
[[Category:Conservative organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Conservative organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Discrimination]]
[[Category:Ex-gay organizations]]
[[Category:Ex-gay organizations]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]]


Revision as of 04:16, 10 July 2007


The American Family Association (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values. It was founded in 1977 by Rev. Donald Wildmon as the National Federation for Decency and is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi. Wildmon serves as AFA chairman; his son, Tim Wildmon, is AFA president.[1] The organization defines itself as "a Christian organization promoting the biblical ethic of decency in American society with primary emphasis on TV and other media."[2][3]

Goals

The AFA advocates what it considers to be conservative family values and focuses on addressing the influence of media, including pornography, on those values[1] The issues the AFA are concerned with include;

  • Church in America
  • Culture & Society
  • Education
  • Entertainment Industry
  • Marriage & Family
  • Gambling
  • Homosexual Agenda
  • Money & Finance
  • Pornography
  • Pro-Life

These issues are core to AFA's goals, which are pursued through various activism efforts, including American Family Radio, AFA Journal, lobbying and legal efforts by the AFA Center for Law and Policy, boycotts, and articles published on the organization’s various websites, such as OneNewsNow.com, OneMillionMoms.com, and OneMillionDads.com.

Activism and viewpoints

The AFA has a long history of activism by organizing its members in boycotts and letter-writing campaigns aimed at promoting socially conservative values in the United States.[4] As of June 2006, it is promoting boycotts of Abercrombie & Fitch ("Use of softcore pornography in company catalogs"), Movie Gallery ("distributor of pornographic videos"), Kmart ("Sale of adult-rated music CDs") and Nike ("promoting a back door move to legalise homosexual marriage").[5]

The AFA believes the bible identifies homosexuality as unnatural and sinful; this is a principle that guides the AFA's opposition to what they claim is a "homosexual agenda" [6] and leads it to boycott various organizations. Indeed, the AFA has a long history of activism by organizing its members in boycotts and letter-writing campaigns aimed at promoting socially conservative values in the United States.

As of June 2006, the AFA was promoting boycotts of: Abercrombie & Fitch for "use of softcore pornography in company catalogs;" Movie Gallery for being a "distributor of pornographic videos;" Kmart for the "sale of adult-rated music CDs;" and Nike for "promoting a back door move to legalise homosexual marriage."[7]

In the past, the AFA has promoted boycotts of all television shows, movies, and businesses that have promoted what the group considers indecency or homosexuality. The AFA has also launched specific boycotts against Procter & Gamble, Crest, Ford Motor Company[8], Volkswagen, Wal-Mart, Tide, Clorox, Pampers, Microsoft, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Kraft Foods, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Old Navy, NutriSystem, MTV, Abercrombie & Fitch, IKEA,[9] Sears,[10] S. C. Johnson & Son, and American Airlines.[11][12]

In 2004, the AFA raised concerns about the movie Shark Tale, because the group believed the movie was designed to brainwash children into accepting gay rights.[13] In 2005, it boycotted the company American Girl, seller of dolls and accessories, because of a charity that the company supported [14], and Target for its lack of the word "Christmas" in its advertising.[15]

AFA's boycotts have had mixed success. In 1990, Blockbuster Video decided not to stock films that carried the recently introduced NC-17 rating after pressure from the AFA. But a nine-year boycott of Disney[11] resulted in none of the group's demands being met while Disney enjoyed a surge in profits.

The AFA failed in 2000 to persuade Congress to eradicate the National Endowment for the Arts for funding a controversial book, One of the Guys, by Robert Clark Young. In March of 2004, the AFA filed suit in an attempt to prevent the city of Seattle, Washington from recognizing same-sex marriages. (see Same-sex marriage in the United States).

Following the Virginia Tech Massacre on April 16, 2007, the AFA released a video in which "God" tells a student that students were killed in schools because God isn't allowed in schools anymore. The video claims that the shootings at Virginia Tech, Columbine, and many other locations, are the result of, among other things, decreased discipline in schools, no prayer in schools, sex out of wedlock, rampant violence in TV, movies, and music, and abortions.[16]

The American Family Association's many publications and statements claim that homosexuality is a choice and that it can be changed.[17] In 2000, Vice president Tim Wildmon spoke out against gay-straight alliance clubs in schools, stating "We view these kinds of clubs as an advancement of the homosexual cause."[18]

On November 28, 2006, following the election of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, the AFA released an article entitled "A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath". In this article, the AFA, backed by conservative radio hosts such as Michael Savage and Dennis Prager, made the claim that it is un-American to swear an oath on any book other than the Bible, and that such an oath is not valid. This contradicted House procedure, where members of Congress simply stand at their seats, raise their right hand and recite "I do" in unison after the oath is read by the Speaker. The AFA urged members to contact Congressmen to pass a law stipulating that all oaths for federal office must invoke the Bible. Ellison took a ceremonial oath using Thomas Jefferson's personal copy of the Koran at a photo-op after the session.[19] The AFA sent out an "action alert" to urge members to write their Congressional representatives in Congress to draft a "law making the Bible the book used in the swearing-in ceremony of representatives and senators."[20]

On the October 11, 2005, AFA broadcast, Tim Wildmon agreed with a caller that cable networks like Animal Planet and HGTV featured "evidence of homosexuality and lesbian people" and added that "You have to watch out for children's programs today as well because they'll slip it in there as well."[21]

The AFA's activism has long been opposed by civil liberties organizations, especially the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and conservative Constitutionalists, both of whom charge that its policies directly violate the First Amendment. They also argue that many legal restrictions on individual liberty favored by the AFA require a loose interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution.[citation needed]

Criticism and controversy

In 1998, the popular Internet filtering software CyberPatrol began blocking the AFA's website, classifying it under the category "intolerance," defined as "pictures or text advocating prejudice or discrimination against any race, color, national origin, religion, disability or handicap, gender or sexual orientation. Any picture or text that elevates one group over another. Also includes intolerance jokes or slurs."[22][23]

AFA California leader Scott Lively is a co-author of The Pink Swastika, which claims that many leaders in the German Nazi regime, including Hitler himself, were homosexual and claims eight of the top ten serial killers in the US were homosexuals.[24][25]

Southern Poverty Law Center has stated one of AFA's goals is to "help drive the religious right's anti-gay crusade."[26] Organizations, such as Human Rights Campaign,[27] GLAAD,[28] Southern Voice,[29] People for the American Way,[30] The Advocate,[31][32] CNET,[22] and 365 gay[10] have labeled the AFA as an "anti-gay" group.

On October 19 1998, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, led by Leslie Katz, wrote a letter to the AFA in response to an ad placed in the San Francisco Chronicle by the AFA regarding homosexuality and Christianity. The letter stated:[33]

Supervisor Leslie Katz denounces your rhetoric against gays, lesbians and transgendered people. What happened to Matthew Shepard is in part due to the message being espoused by your groups that gays and lesbians are not worthy of the most basic equal rights and treatment. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is a direct correlation between these acts of discrimination, such as when gays and lesbians are called sinful and when major religious organizations say they can change if they tried, and the horrible crimes committed against gays and lesbian.

During the same time, the City and County of San Francisco passed resolution No. 873-98, which “calls for the Religious Right to take accountability for the impact of their long-standing rhetoric denouncing gays and lesbians, which leads to a climate of mistrust and discrimination that can open the door to horrible crimes such as those committed against Mr. Gaither.[34]” AFA challenged these actions as violating the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in American Family Association v. City and County of San Francisco; however, AFA was unsuccessful and their claims were dismissed.[33]

Divisions and operations

  • AFA.net, the primary website of the American Family Association. Contains links to other AFA divisions, projects, news archives, etc. The main page also contains links to news stories from OneNewsNow.
  • AFA Foundation, a website providing “charitable giving and estate design tools” oriented towards Christian charities.
  • AFA Journal, a monthly publication with a circulation of 180,000[35] containing news, features, columns, and interviews. In addition to the publication, AFA Journal articles are made available online.
  • American Family Radio, a network of more than 150 AFA-owned radio stations broadcasting Christian-oriented programming.
  • Center for Law and Policy, the legal and political division of AFA. The Center for Law and Policy lobbies legislative bodies, drafts legislation, and files religious-discrimination lawsuits on behalf of individuals.
  • OneMillionDads.com, a website regarding activism for fathers.
  • OneMillionMoms.com, a website regarding activism for mothers.
  • OneNewsNow.com, the AFA news division website, which provides news articles, AP stories, and opinion columns. Formerly AgapePress and the news division of American Family Radio.[36]
  • NoGayMarriage.com, a website promoting the Marriage Protection Act.
  • ValuesVoters.com, a voter registration and information website.

References

  1. ^ a b "About us: General Information". American Family Association. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  2. ^ "The Religious Right in Washington". ACLU. 1995-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "afaMEDIA, About AFA". American Family Association. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  4. ^ "AFA Issues". American Family Association. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  5. ^ Family Advocate Condemns Nike's Support for Oregon Civil Unions, AFA website
  6. ^ "Homosexual Agenda, Principles Which Guide AFA's Opposition to the Homosexual Agenda". American Family Association. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  7. ^ Thomas, Ed (2005-06-19). "Family Advocate Condemns Nike's Support for Oregon Civil Unions". Agape Press (American Family Assoication. Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Boycott continues to drive Ford sales down". Retrieved 2007-07-07.
  9. ^ "IKEA - Commerical Tries to Rewrite American Values". OneMillionDads.com (American Family Association). {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b "Anti-Gay AFA Now Targets Sears". 365gay. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ a b Johnson, Alex (2005-06-06). "Christian group suspends Ford boycott". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Elliott, Stuart (1994-05-29). "Ikea Ads Feature Gay Customers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Vitagliano, Ed (2004-11-17). "Something's Swishy About Shark Tale". Agape Press (American Family Association). Retrieved 2007-06-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "American Girl teams with pro-abortion, pro-lesbian group". American Family Assoication (via Internet Archive).
  15. ^ "Ford, where backing down to nutcases is Job One". The Carpetbagger Report. 2005-12-06. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "The Day They Kicked God out of the Schools". American Family Radio (American Family Association). Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ Home, Richard G. (1994). "Homosexuality in America, Exposing the Myths" (PDF). American Family Assocation. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  18. ^ "Gay-Straight Alliances: Ground Zero for School Tolerance". www.educationworld.com. 2000-12-19. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ Argetsinger, Amy (2007-01-03). "But It's Thomas Jefferson's Koran!". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Sacirbey, Omar (2006-12-26). "Ellison not first to forgo Bible for oath". The Christian Century. Retrieved 2007-06-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Today's Issues, Media Matters for America website
  22. ^ a b Festa, Paul (1998-06-03). "Antigay group blocked by filter". CNET. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ "Censorship in a Box, Why Blocking Software is Wrong for Public Librari". American Civil Liberties Union. 2002-09-16. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ "People & Events". Mennonite Brethren Herald. 1999-11-05. Retrieved 2007-06-14. In their controversial book, The Pink Swastika, Scott Lively and Kevin Abrams assert that many leading members of the Nazi party in Germany were homosexuals. They also claim that eight of the top ten serial killers in the US were homosexuals, including Donald Garvey, John Wayne Gacy, Patrick Wayne Kearney, Bruce Davis and Jeffrey Dahmer. The Apr. 22 Globe and Mail reported that the Columbine high school killers 'professed to be bisexuals'. – RTV Bulletin, Western Report {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ "Religious Right Groups Involved in Antigay Incidents". People For the American Way. Retrieved 2007-06-14. the controversial book, The Pink Swastika,
  26. ^ Hall, Randy (2005-06-30). "Christian 'Hate Groups' Accused of 'Anti-Gay Crusade'". Cybercast News Service. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "American Family Association' Attacks Ford's Family-Friendly Policies After Failed Disney Boycott". Human Rights Campaign. 2005-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Romine, Damon (2006-01-03). "Anti-Gay Groups Target NBC's The Book of Daniel". GLAAD. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Bagby, Dyana (2005-06-03). "Efforts of 'anti-gay industry' chronicled in new report". Southern Voice. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Anti-Gay Group Attacks Commemoration of End of Bans on Interracial Marriage". People for the American Way. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Han, Angie (2005-08-16). "Procter won't gamble on gays?". The Advocate (published on LookSmart Find Articles). Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ Henneman, Todd (2006-01-31). "The Right tries to steer Ford: the antigay American Family Association nearly changed the course of Ford Motor Co.'s commitment to equality. The feud with the country's number 2 automaker is not finished". The Advocate (published on LookSmart Find Articles). Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ a b "AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION, INC.; DONALD WILDMON; KERUSSO MINISTRIES; FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL V. CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; LESLIE KATZ, in her capacity as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors" (PDF). United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Retrieved 2007-06-24.
  34. ^ On February 19 1999, in Coosa County, Alabama, Billy Jack Gaither was beaten to death with an axe handle and his body was burned beacuse he was homosexual.
  35. ^ "Right Wing Organization: American Family Association". People for the American Way. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  36. ^ "News Operations Merge to Create OneNewsNow.com". American Family Assoication. 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Family_Association&oldid=143655696"