Artifact Choice

The artifact I have chosen to cover is Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family is an Evangelical Christian group based in Colorado that brandishes and promotes their own particular form of family values. Not only does this group incorporate fundamentalist doctrine as the standard by which all Christians should follow, they also view that standard to be the only proper standard nationally and internationally. Their logo features what appears to be a mother and father affectionately holding their child by the hands. The main issues this group holds strong vocal and negative views on are pornography, gambling, drug use, homosexuality, abortion and sex outside of marriage. Two ideological standpoints the group is in favor of are school prayer and corporal punishment. Because it is a tax exempt entity, it is not allowed to hold favor towards any political candidate. However, Focus on the Family does discuss politics on it's radio station, and its sister group Focus on the Family Action has less restrictions on the politics it is allowed to discuss.

In the current culture Focus on the Family is well know for promoting what many consider to be traditional American family values. They promote an ideal that many can be conceptualized as what the wholesome American family would equate to in the 1950s. Anything outside this vantage point is deemed offensive, dangerous, and bad for humanity as a whole. They have commonly taken real and honest academic research, and then distorted it to support their agenda. One particularly controversial methodology the group utilizes in the struggle to meet their ideal standard for society is gay conversion therapy. This type of “therapy” takes what it perceives as aberrant behavior and attempts to subvert it to what Focus on the Family believes to be normal, healthy behavior. In addition to this, focus on the family strongly opposes same-sex marriage and labels same-sex parents as unfit parents while viewing gay marriage as an attempt to deteriorate, undermine, and pervert acceptable social standards.

I have chosen this as my artifact because I find Focus on the Families methods to be damaging to individuals as well as hostile to groups they view as different. They promote bigotry through their apparent lack of understanding of those that do not share their standards on what constitutes a normal and healthy family. Not only do groups like this work towards complicating the lives of adults who are forced to make difficult decisions regarding matters (matters such as sexuality, abortion, and raising their own children) difficult, but it weighs heavy on young individuals who do not fit in to the stereotype of the “normal” or “average” American child. In fact, groups like this condone the notion that those who do not fit their standard mold of normal should be ostracized or forcibly compelled to change until they reflect what they deem acceptable. No group has the right to decide on matters outside of their following or to impose their standards, beliefs, practices, and ideology on the young.