Focus On The Family Donates Nearly $100,000 To Maine Gay Marriage Ban Movement

The Colorado Springs Gazette:

Last year, Focus on the Family donated nearly $450,000 to support a California proposition outlawing gay marriage.
This year, the Colorado Springs-based organization is setting its sights on Maine, but the outlay is a lot smaller -- both because Maine is a lot smaller, and because of the economy.

As of Sept. 30, Focus had donated $98,500 to Stand for Marriage Maine, a coalition supporting an initiative on the Nov. 3 ballot to overturn the state Legislature's legalization of gay marriage. Efforts began in May to collect signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

Read the whole story: The Colorado Springs Gazette

Comments

[JHCowboy]

Hopefully that will help bankrupt Focus on the Family. Hopefully that whole Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council will collapse very soon. Hoping and praying they will.

[YeastInf]

I read an amazing critique on Dobson from an Evangelical Fundy preacher...Pretty candid stuff. He doesn't pull punches. I assumed all those types never questioned the 400 pound gorillas in their movement. It's worth a read...
http://www.reviewatlas.com/opinions/x880802466/Dobson-was-a-great-advocate-but-he-had-his-faults-as-well

[Peter Danbridge]

"Focus on the Family"

"The American Family Association"

"The Massachusetts Family Institute"

They are all organizations that couldn't be greater enemies to FAMILIES that have gay members, whether that gay person be a parent, a spouse/partner, a child, or an aunt or an uncle.

These organizations are only REALLY about protecting families that look and act JUST LIKE THEY DO.

I'm getting real tired of these "values" people having NONE.

[RODERICK098]

Same here. Gay people comprise 20 per cent of the population. Therefore every family has some member of their family who is gay. So in fact they are against all families. HOw they get away with tax exemtion when they are actually a political movement supporting Rethugs is beyond me.

[Peter Danbridge]

My parents most certainly resent these self-proclaimed "pro family" groups. Two of their sons are gay.

[Cambridge9]

Let them spend (waste) their money any way they wish. The more they spend on nonsense the less they have to spend on other nonsense.

On the other hand, I understand that our side needs to have some money to spend to fight this insanity, but many of us spend zero but still make our points.

And the point is ------------------

NO on 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[212max]

"Nonprofits like Focus and the Roman Catholic diocese are legally able to donate up to 15 percent of their annual budget to lobbying efforts."

This is insane to me. Why do we even bother teaching separation of church and state?

[newtom]

This POLITICAL contribution jeopardizes their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which includes limitations on support of political causes and candidates. Where's Lambda Legal to challenge FotF's tax-exempt status?

This would be a great opportunity to challenge their tax-exempt status.

[darker]

Focus on the Family = FOCUS ON BIGOTRY.
And that is UN-AMERICAN and DISGUSTING!

[KarateKid]

These losers are laying off employees but they can come up with money for promoting _homophobia. And then they wonder why people no longer support these cretins.

[1differentdrummer]

Have they no hungry to feed, sick to heal, poor to clothe? For inasmuch as you have done this to the least of these........ What is a Christian church's mission? They aren't a church? Why are they tax exempt?

[darker]

All too many of those claiming to be "X-tian" churches are
rightwing BIGOTRY FUNDRAISING ORGANIZATIONS.
UN-AMERICAN and DISGUSTING!

[tired of the ignorance]

Focus on the Family..... yeah right.....it's FAMILIES that are trying to gain equal rights in this country!!!

Conservatives preach Hate while clinging to thier bibles.....
Liberals preach Equality while clinging to the Bill of Rights!!!

My new favorite cause.... http://rescuemarriage.org/
go to this sight... sign up.... tell your friends... and lets get it on the ballot!!!!

The 2010 California Protection of Marriage Act
They asked for it..... they should get it!!!

[RedGinger]

FOCUS on your OWN damn family!

[zandarthemagnificent]

Notice how repellent the average person finds Dobson- they don't even let him host the Focus on the Family "news" features anymore. Even here, on the buckle of the bible belt. That says something.

[Amalek]

I am not repelled by old gay men like Dobson. Don't be such a homophobe.

[luke150]

Please, someone smarter explain, I really don't understand how a religious organization is allowed to interfere with the political process. Where is the separation between church and state? Why the churches are not sanctioned for interfering with the civil legislature?

[Romulus]

I don't think that Focus on the Family is a church. I think it's a non-profit advocacy group.

[bluevespagirl]

There are two division of Focus... one holds a religious / tax exempt status with the state and Federal government; as such, this arm cannot donate to political causes. To get around this, they formed a separate taxable corporation that gives to discriminatory causes such as Question 1. I remember researching this back in November so my memory might be a bit foggy, but I clearly remember there are two divisions ... one taxable, one tax-exempt, but it's always reported as "Focus on the Family". And my words to them "focus on your own damned family".

[JakeHanson]

If "Focus on the Family" really wanted to do just that, they would donate that $100,000 to families in need of food, clothing, and shelter, instead of working to deny a minority basic human rights.

Complete hypocrites.

[tired of the ignorance]

You are so right!!! but that just goes to show you how the "religious" are so hypocritical!!

[happystewadess]

Couldn't Focus on the Family find better use for that much money?