American Family Association

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The American Family Association (AFA) is an American , ultra-conservative, Christian evangelical, non-profit organization. It was founded in 1977 by Rev. Donald Wildmonin as the National Federation for Decency . The AFA is based in Tupelo (Mississippi). The organization claims to have 150,000 followers; like the National Association of Evangelicals , the Eagle Forum , the Pro Life Action League and the Family Research Council, it is one of the Christian interest groups and religious right in the USA.

The American Family Association's criticism also affects the German education system. In March 2007, compulsory schooling in Germany was compared with the methods of National Socialism on the organisation's official website .

activities

The AFA is, according to its own account, " a Christian organization that promotes the biblical ethics of decency within American society, with an emphasis on moral issues that concern the family ."

The activism of the AFA consists of calls to members to write letters of request or complaint (so-called action alerts ), calls to members to boycott companies, publications on the AFA website or AFA's own media, as well as classic lobbying.

Allegations of anti-Semitism

The AFA has been accused of anti-Semitism several times. On the one hand, the organization often tries to make comparisons that were interpreted by Jewish institutions as instrumentalizing or playing down the Holocaust. In March 2007, compulsory schooling in Germany was compared with the methods of National Socialism on the organisation's official website . Furthermore, abortions in the US have often been compared to the Holocaust.

AFA chairman Don Wildmon was accused in the 1980s of claiming that "Hollywood and the theater world were heavily influenced by Jews" and that the former showed "genuine hostility to Christians and the Christian faith" in their work . These statements have been condemned as anti-Semitic by various sources, including some religious leaders.

In recent years, Jewish organizations have repeatedly accused the Christian Right of undermining the separation of church and state. Don Wildmon attacked Anti Defamation League chairman Abraham Foxman, warning him that continued Jewish criticism could lead to a lack of Christian support for Israel ( Christian Zionism ) in the future.

Position on homosexuality

AFA publications state that homosexuality is a sexual orientation that can be changed . In radio broadcasts, the AFA calls for criminalizing homosexuality. Scott Lively , the head of the California section of the AFA, published the book The Pink Swastika in 1995 , in which the NSDAP was identified as a homosexual organization and gays were accused of mass murder.

National Endowment for the Arts

The organization tries to fight against indecency in advertising and media. Robert Clark Young's satirical novel One of the Guys (1999) prompted the AFM to question the funding policy of the National Endowment for the Arts , the state cultural foundation with funding programs for young artists. Even the US Congress got involved in this discussion.

Marilyn Manson

Paul Cambria, attorney for singer Marilyn Manson , successfully issued a warning in April 1997 after the AFA alleged in an AFA Journal that Manson was calling on audiences to practice sex and commit acts of violence during his concerts. Neither was true. The AFA later testified that the AFA group in Biloxi , Mississippi, was solely responsible for the article.

literature

  • Anette Dowideit: Protest in the name of the Lord. Religious right is a growing influencing factor in the US. It is now successfully putting global corporations like Ford and Mattel under pressure. In: Die Welt , April 8, 2006, p. 18

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b State police take children from parents. Their crime? They were home schooling their daughter. ( Memento of May 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), afa.net, March 23, 2007
  2. ↑ What is AFA? In: afaMEDIA, About AFA. American Family Association, archived from the original on September 21, 2013 ; accessed on August 14, 2014 .
  3. ^ Publications ( Memento of March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), GLADD , June 1, 2005.
  4. ↑ a b Religious leaders denounce Wildmon's anti-Semitism . Institute for First Amendment Studies. May 21, 1989. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  5. ↑ http://mediamatters.org/items/200512090002
  6. ^ Legal Sanction for Homosexual Behavior ( Memento June 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), January 29, 2010
  7. ↑ Cosmo Garvin: Moral Minority . In: Sacramento News and Review , April 1, 2001. Retrieved August 15, 2014. 
  8. ↑ Brad Quinn. In the Navy ( March 10, 2001 memento on the Internet Archive ) In: Cincinnati CityBeat , November 16, 2000
  9. ↑ Mikkleson, Barbara: Dead Puppies . In: Snopes . May 15, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  10. ^ Ozzy, Manson File Suit Against Meadowlands , MTV News. May 2, 1997. Retrieved July 18, 2009. 
  11. ↑ Ozzy, Slayer Turn Up On "Ozzfest Live," MTV News. April 28, 1997. Retrieved July 18, 2009.