Question of the Week: Focus on the Family and Anti-Bullying

Question of the Week...(9/19/10)

The Compassion Revolution receives several e-mails a week that pose various questions about various religious and social issues. We wanted to start posting those questions on the website and our Facebook page.

QUESTION--
“Recently, Focus on the Family denounced anti-bullying programs because they are promoting the Gay Agenda. Your thoughts?”

REPONSE--
“Two words: Sad and Disturbing. I researched the Focus on the Family site and watched various videos on YouTube on their stance. Their expectation is simple: Leave the issues plaguing victims of bullying out of the school to prevent ‘politicizing’ the issue. Interesting thought, but it's impossible in application.

Two points need to be made:

First, the fear of Focus on the Family is that if schools openly put a stop to someone bullying a kid because he/she is gay, that is the equivalent of saying it's okay to be gay. However, Focus on the Family is quite delusional if they believe an anti-bullying program can exist at all without openly addressing the issues for which one might be bullied. After all, how can these problems be addressed if school officials can’t mention the actual issues. Is a simple, “Stop it!” going to wake up a bully and leave him/her with a renewed attitude of: “Gee…I really shouldn’t be picking on my classmate!” Of course not. An effective anti-bullying program must address the heart of the problem, which means open dialogue surrounding the issues that are triggering the bully’s behavior. Addressing those various topics ultimately serves to address and eventually (hopefully) modify the behavior.

Second, unfortunately, the message that Focus on the Family’s stance sends to their constituents is that it’s okay to bully a kid if he’s gay. Assuredly, they would not admit this affect, but the message is crystal clear. As a result, if there’s a feminine 12-year old boy being beaten up daily, well, so what! Their message seems to be “Hey, that kind of bullying is okay…he deserves it, he’s gay.” Mind you, that is not what they would claim is their stance, but that is the message that their followers will pick up on.

Once again, a “Christian” group faces the reality that their thoughts and deeds are anything but Christ-like. It seems in this case, that Focus on the Family is the true bully on the playground.

Thanks, True"

Is there an question that you would like to pose to the Compassion Revolution? Just e-mail us at: info@thecompassionrevolution.net