Polianiac

Mission Statement of The Family Research Council

“Family Research Council (FRC) champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society. FRC shapes public debate and formulates public policy that values human life and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family. Believing that God is the author of life, liberty, and the family, FRC promotes the Judeo-Christian worldview as the basis for a just, free, and stable society.”

Honestly, until this weekend, I had never read the Mission Statement for Dobson’s Family Research Council. I will admit I find it politically amazing. (Please note the “small p” political.) Why is that important you might ask…  From my chair, it is important because the small “p” always informs the capital “P” Political in a democratic (?) society.

I have a couple of questions about this mission statement:

How do we get from “shapes public debate” to “formulates public policy”?

Where does a “politically constituted regime” (in the Classical sense) fit into this schema, other than within a theocratic construction?

Since when is the “public sphere” and “the private sphere” conflated within a Gestalt that ignores the United States Constitution?

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified: 12/15/1791.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Preamble)

I realize one usual argument in favor of this “world view” is that FRC is not advocating for an established “Religion”. Please note: “religion” in the Constitution is written as a lower case “r” in anticipation of this very eventuality. I have a hard time reconciling “Judeo-Christian” as any-thing other than “established religion”.

How would this worldview inform all policy as to how we engage with “others”, (those who freely choose to not hold with this one “worldview”) particularly “others” who are national citizens of this country founded as the United States of America and “others” around the globe?

Enlighten me please…