Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

January 2017 – A Catholic couple recently advised the editor of AFA Journal of an “error” in a November headline. The word at issue was pioneer, when AFAJ cited Oklahoma Wesleyan University as a pioneer for its introduction of pro-life classes. “I concede that our readers had a point,” said editor Randall Murphree. “They graduated from Franciscan University, a Catholic campus in Steubenville, Ohio. UC has been offering pro-life courses for 20 years, and has had a minor in human life studies for 10 years.”

However, the same letter charged AFAJ with bias against Catholicism and “complete lack of respect for Catholics.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Murphree said. “They had only seen three issues of the Journal.” He said he hopes the misunderstanding was corrected when he emailed the couple a list of AFAJ feature stories in recent years including a tribute to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (photo above), a couple fostering more than 30 children, and pro-life leader Abby Johnson (all Catholics).

“We have always applauded the Catholic Church for its strong stand on the sanctity of life,” said AFA president Tim Wildmon.