He's the man hand-picked by Dr. James Dobson to lead Focus on the Family into the future. And over the summer, the ministry's president and CEO, Jim Daly, got a small taste of what it's like to be a media personality of Dobsonesque proportions, generating headlines worldwide for his inspirational personal story and his views on how Christians ought to engage the public-policy process.
"Daly's worldview was sculpted during a childhood in Southern California that he describes as 'something out of The Twilight Zone,' " The Denver Post reported in June. "He says he was abandoned by his alcoholic father at age 5, orphaned at his mother's death from cancer when he was 9 and dumped by his grieving stepfather, who emptied the family home and took off with almost everything while the children were at their mother's funeral.
"Daly was then stuck in a foster home peopled by sinister versions of the wacky hayseeds of the Hee Haw variety show. By the time he was a senior in high school, he was living on his own in a trailer.
"What Daly learned is that he could be pretty happy if he didn't rely on what other people did or didn't do — in some ways a strange lesson for a young man to internalize along with a deep belief in Christian community."
Some of the things Daly has told the media have surprised people on both sides of the ideological aisle. Citizen sat down with him, just before his scheduled appearance at the Values Voter Summit in mid-September, to dig a little deeper into his thoughts about believers engaging the public square — and Focus on the Family's fu-ture in defending families worldwide.
You've made quite a splash in recent months in the media — cover story in The Denver Post, major profile in The Washington Post, an appearance on Hannity, being added to the group of panelists for the Washington Post/Newsweek blog "On Faith." Why this sudden interest in Jim Daly?
Well, it's not that I'm that incredibly interesting, I can tell you that! I think people have a natural curiosity to know more about the guy who's running the organization James Dobson founded and which was so effective un-der his leadership. Dr. Dobson has earned such love and respect from the families he and Focus have helped through the years, that there's built-in interest in how the ministry is going to run in the future now that he has stepped away from the board of directors. And the media recognize that people's curiosity about who I am and the plans I have for Focus might attract some interest among readers and viewers.
That's certainly proven true, I think. You've received a lot of feedback from the things you said in those inter-views. One comment that generated a lot of response was you saying you thought pro-lifers should pursue "common ground" with those who support abortion. You got some criticism for that.
Yes, I did. And that's OK. Because it's part of the dialogue I think needs to happen if we're going to have a real impact on the culture — and not just in matters of policy. What I said was, "If those who are more liberal on social issues than we are really mean it when they say they want abortion to be 'rare,' let's sit down and talk about how they plan to do that. We don't agree on the 'legal' part — I'm unapologetically and immovably pro-life. I believe all life is sacred. But I am interested in how they would like to make it 'rare.' Let's talk about that."
And, you know, some pundits got what I was saying there. A columnist for U.S. News & World Report wrote that I was "testing the sincerity of Democrats like (President Barack) Obama and Hillary Clinton." And that really was my point. The fact that President Obama and Secretary Clinton use the word "rare" when talking about abortion indicates they must feel there's something wrong with it. So let's start a dialogue there and see where it takes us.
Some would say where it will take us is more talk, from the Left, about contraception, particularly condoms — that that's all they mean when they use the word "rare."
That may be true. But that's where, when you're having civil discourse on the subject, you say, "Let's set con-traception aside for a minute. That's the plan we've been following with our young people for decades, and yet studies show women between ages 20-24 consistently represent the largest group of women who are having abortions."
And then we talk about the things that have been proven to make abortion rarer: adoption and the availability of ultrasound machines in pregnancy clinics so women can see the child growing inside them before making a decision on whether to keep their baby. I'm not guaranteeing the result of every conversation we have will be the one we want; not everyone will be persuaded to our way of thinking. But I think it's essential that we begin to do more discussing of the issues with people, especially young people, than telling about the issues. We have the truth, God's Truth, on our side. We have no reason to avoid dialogue.
You had a little dialogue, in June, with President Obama. You attended the kickoff event for the White House Fatherhood Initiative, and you were quoted in The Washington Post as saying some very complimentary things about President Obama, particularly as it related to his comments about how men need to step up and be real fathers to their children. Not everyone was pleased with those comments either, were they?
No; that interview generated a little criticism, too. But here's my response to that: Barack Obama is not the en-emy. Do I believe he is blinded to spiritual truth on matters like abortion and homosexual marriage? Yes. Are most of his policies things I and Focus on the Family can support? No. Is it fair to say that his philosophy of government's role in our lives is fundamentally different from mine? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean we should be silent when he does something we can agree upon.
If we, as Christians, are going to criticize the president or any political or cultural leader when we think they're wrong, how can we not point out when we think they're right? Have we become so consumed with the idea of winning a political battle that we've lost sight of basic virtues of our faith, like treating others with dig-nity and respect? I certainly hope not. God expects — He demands — more of us.
Some members of the media have described your approach to public policy as "kinder" and "gentler." Is that a fair characterization?
I don't think so, at least not in the way I think some of them mean it. First, I think it presupposes that Dr. Dobson's approach has been the opposite — and that's not the case at all. I've worked alongside him for 20 years. I've not only seen his heart up close — I've benefited from it as someone fortunate enough to be mentored by him. He has great passion about the sanctity of human life, and the safeguarding of marriage and the rights of Christians to have a voice in the policies that affect their families. But he also has great compassion and love for people.
As for me, if "kinder" and "gentler" is supposed to mean "not very steadfast in his principles," then the head-line-writers can have those words back. I believe the Bible is the Word of God. I believe in its pages are truths about marriage, and human sexuality, and the sanctity and dignity of all human life. And I will make sure Focus on the Family continues to engage the public square and the policy-making process to advocate for policies that reflect those scriptural principles. But I have to add this: Our hope, ultimately, is not in the Oval Office. It's not in Congress. It's not in state legislatures or city halls. It's in the Lord. Policy is important, but Jesus is more im-portant.
I had the chance to speak to our public policy team after the first of some of these articles was published. The conversation got around to a man named Tim Gill, a multimillionaire software developer and gay activist who has donated a lot of money to candidates and causes of a liberal bent. Some of the most crucial work we do in public policy is to advocate from the other side of an issue that Tim Gill has lent his cash and his clout to. That work — opposing efforts to redefine marriage — is vital. But what I told the team that day was, "In the end, if we're more concerned about where Tim Gill spends his money than where he spends eternity, there's something wrong." I couldn't believe that more strongly. I'm not saying it's either/or, only that the condition of our heart as we carry out our calling to effect policy change has to reflect the truth that even those we disagree with, who op-pose everything we stand for, are made in God's image. We should not be "soft" on our principles, but our hearts must be soft toward our opponents.
So what is the major difference between you and Dr. Dobson when it comes to public policy?
He knows a whole lot more about it than I do. Seriously. He served President Reagan. He's had substantive conversations — on several occasions — with both Presidents Bush. He is not just a student of policy; he has had a major impact on shaping pro-family policies for three decades now. That's not just a tough act to follow. It's an impossible act to follow. No one will ever be James Dobson but James Dobson.
You know, it's interesting to look back at when Focus on the Family was founded. Jimmy Carter was president — not exactly someone who shared Dr. Dobson's values on the social issues of the time. But, as it turned out, Carter was the first president Dr. Dobson advised — as a member of the task force that summarized the White House Conference on Families. Dr. Dobson sought that opportunity because he believed it was part of the DNA of Focus on the Family to help see that government makes policy that benefits and supports families. And he's stayed involved in the process all these years because he still believes that.
I believe it, too. Our mission here is to help families thrive — to help couples nurture their marriages, raise their kids and walk out their Christian faith with passion and boldness and joy. The majority of our work doesn't involve policy, but the work that does is core to who we've been, who we are and who we will continue to be. I've heard someone on the team here at Focus describe the transition from Dr. Dobson to me like this: "The train will always run on the same tracks laid by Dr. Dobson — those biblical principles that are equally applicable, and indispensable, in the home and in the public square. Now, the train may look a little different, and the con-ductor might have a different style. But we're not deviating one inch from our course." I think it's an apt anal-ogy.
How would you encourage family advocates to stand strong in the public square? This hasn't exactly been a bellwether season for the issues we have committed ourselves to.
Don't be discouraged. Even with what's happening in the country right now, God owns the outcome. We have to stand on the values and principles that we find in the Bible, and as long as we're doing that, we can simply trust God, that He's in control, no matter what happens. I would encourage everyone to remember that, even as we're called to provide an answer for why we believe.
What gives you hope for America?
What gives me hope for America is the Church, because outside of that, I don't think there's anything of eter-nal consequence. A lot of people can do a lot of nice things, but, in the end, if the Church is not doing what it needs to do, there is no hope. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ. That's what stirs me on and gives me the energy to fight.
Gary Schneeberger is vice president for media and public relations at Focus on the Family.
