Issues@Hand
AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs
October 1997 – Focus on the Family (FOF) President Dr. James C. Dobson announced that his ministry will join other Christian organizations who are boycotting The Walt Disney Co.
FOF is one of the most respected and influential Christian pro-family organizations. The Colorado-based ministry offers numerous publications and produces a national radio broadcast heard on nearly 2,000 radio outlets, with an estimated U.S. listening audience of 3.5 million a week.
“It has become clear that the Disney organization has utter disdain for those who hold traditional moral principles and conservative family values,” said Dr. Dobson in a press release. “Year after year, its leaders have insulted this large segment of the population by producing films, television and music that contradict cherished beliefs. For this reason, Focus on the Family now vigorously supports a boycott against anything that bears the Disney name and recommends that families, especially those of the Christian faith, no longer trust or patronize their products and programming.”
FOF joins American Family Association, Assemblies of God, The Catholic League, Catholics United for the Faith, Inc., King for America, Citizens for a Better America, Concerned Women for America, Free Will Baptists, Congregational Holiness Church, and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in calling for a boycott.
In addition, the Presbyterian Church in America, The Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Association of Independent Methodists, the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches and Church of the Nazarene have all formally expressed concern to Disney about its direction.
“We won’t bankrupt Disney, given their enormous resources, and we may not even damage them financially,” Dobson said. “But we can certainly let our constituency know that Disney is no longer friendly to the family and call attention to the immoral material they are now producing. That is what we intend to do.”
FOF is encouraging supporters to contact Disney and let the company know how they feel. In addition, it was suggested that boycotters also indicate in writing how much money they will not be spending on Disney products over the next year.
An SBC spokesman said the members of that denomination will be asked to go one step further: to specifically withhold at least $100 during the coming year.
“If a million Southern Baptists sign such a pledge, that would mean a minimum of $100 million that would be lost,” said Richard Land, president of SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
Disney chairman responds
Meanwhile, Disney’s Michael Eisner told Business Week that he was unconcerned about the SBC boycott effort. “I’m sorry if [the Ellen coming out episode] offends the Baptists,” Eisner said. “I may not be as religious as some, but… I grew up believing that tolerance was the basis of all religions. I think that’s what’s missing here – tolerance.”
The new Disney/ABC show for this fall, Nothing Sacred, has angered Catholics with its foul-mouthed, liberal priest who admits he hates God. Yet this doesn’t concern Eisner either. Calling the Catholics protesting the new series “non-big-time,” Eisner said their reaction was “aggravating,” since he claimed the show has been approved by five priests who have screened it. 
