Focus on the Family Pulling Out of the National Association of Evangelicals

Religious Right major-domo Focus on the Family is pulling out of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). It will not announce this officially, but the Colorado-based organization has announced internally that it will no longer make referrals to the NAE or support the umbrella group, which represents more than 60 denominations as well as numerous parachurch ministries such as Focus on Family, The Navigators (a missionary organization) and Samaritan’s Purse, a relief organization founded by Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham.

Why is Focus disassociating itself from the NAE? Could it be over the homosexual trysts and drug use by the NAE’s former president, Ted Haggard? No. It’s because the NAE has, gasp, expressed concern over environmental issues such as global warming. Focus founder and CEO Dr. James Dobson believes his priorities—homosexuality, abortion, fighting Islam—should be everybody’s priorities. How dare a group decide that maybe other things are important, too.

More likely, too, although they will never admit it, the break is because causes such as care for the environment seem too left-wing. This is, after all, the same Focus on the Family that worships at the altar of George W. Bush and demonizes anyone who doesn’t dance to Dobson’s tune. Among other reasons, Dobson says that John McCain is unfit to be president because he “has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.” (Oh dear. Can’t have a president who cusses and speaks inappropriately.)

Anyway, this move signals Focus on the Family’s growing irrelevance. When Dobson finally got around to endorsing a presidential candidate, that man quickly became dead meat on the hustings. Dobson is left to steam now that the man he hates is the presumptive Republican candidate. But since he already took his toys and went home with regard to the NAE, there’s not a lot left for him to do.