Is Focus on the Family Changing Their Name

Today I received an advertisement in the mail from Focus on the Family asking for a subscription to its new "Christian" magazine Citizen. With it came the promise that they would tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth...forgetting to mention the truth would be from their conservative, republican perspective. I know it is a conservative republican perspective because with a subscription I would get the DVD The Faith of George W. Bush. A DVD that guarantees to inspire me.

As I continue to learn, read and study, I am finding that truth is not subjective. That is that The Truth is not subjective. The Truth being, of course, Christ Jesus. But when it comes to reporting stories, no one really comes from an objective point of view and so never really gets the whole truth of the story. The closest I have witnessed to truth is on NPR who often doesn't necessarily give the truth but gives both sides of the story. The Citizen being admittedly conservative from a conservative evangelical powerhouse such as Focus on the Family seems to me a way to gain influence and make money but not necessarily the right way.

If we are truly desiring to change America why not support our writers who are Christians in their careers, urging them to work for magazines such an Time or Newsweek. This would encourage Christian people to engage the world with confidence rather than isolating ourselves for fear of moral desecration from the secular world. Something, just to note, that Jesus modeled everyday of his ministry.

Finally, I am frustrated with Focus on the Family's willingness to seemingly use Christian and Conservative or Christian and Republican as synonyms. I know many "liberal" evangelical and even some of them so happen to be democrats and they love Jesus and desire to follow him with all of their hearts. I know many Christians, Christians who are so called because of their actions as much as their words, who have strong criticism of George W. Bush. Truth be told, the example Christ gave us on the cross does nullify any justification for war.

I am certain many people at Focus on the Family are strong evangelical Christians striving to live out life from a biblical worldview. I simply do not trust the opinions of Christians who vote for one ideology when nearly all ideologies are flawed. The Conservative stands against abortion and appropriately so. But far too often they miss the issues of justice in the context of race and economics, alienating other vulnerable and voiceless members of the society like the poor. The Liberal tends to be better at this and is often a proponent against war, an action that always, and this is the truth, always sacrifices the lives of innocent, often voiceless people. But often liberals support the violence of abortion.

Both Conservatives and Liberals contradict themselves where they stand which is why if Focus on the Family really wants to speak the truth they will either walk the middle line or give both sides of the story. Unless of course that is a bad marketing idea.