As noted on this site on Monday, ABC television (which refused last winter to air television commercials from the United Church of Christ) aired television commercials this week for Focus on the Family.
ABC spokesperson Susan Sewell told Religion News Service there was no inconsistently.
"The network doesn't take advertising from religious groups. It's a long-standing policy."
So what is Focus on the Family? Their web site reads:
"Our Mission: To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in disseminating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, and, specifically, to accomplish that objective by helping to preserve traditional values and the institution of the family."
They sure seem to think they're running a religious group.
Focus on the Family has different corporate entities – some more political than others. Their founded and leader, James Dobson, uses his position with Focus on the Family to campaign for Republican Party candidates. He has urged his supporters to defeat democratic senators this November. Focus on the Family is the definition of the religious right.
The public owns the airways that ABC broadcasts on.
So by what authority does the network make the decision to choose which religious messages it will broadcast? Why does ABC get decide to air messages from the right-wing Focus on the Family and ban the inclusive messages contained in the UCC’s God Is Still Speaking commercials?
It looks like ABC is doing more than deciding to air one commercial over another. It looks like ABC has decided to endorse the message of ultra-conservative values pushed by Focus on the Family. The network doesn’t have that right. We own the airways and if ABC is going to air religious messages from one group they must run them from all groups.
Click here to send a message to the Federal Communications Commission telling them to investigate ABC for their actions in banning the UCC commercials.
For more on this issue visit:
Accessible Airways Blog: ABC - Enforcing Theological Correctness
Frederick Clarkson: When Is A Religious Organization, Not A Religious Organization
