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NCAA nixes family ad, Focus 'befuddled'

by Charlie Butts

OneNewsNow.com

March 1, 2010

The NCAA has withdrawn Focus on the Family's banner ad on its website, apparently because of the organization's stance on homosexual relationships.

Associated Press reports the National Collegiate Athletic Association heard from some of its members that the banner conflicted with the organization's policy of inclusion, regardless of sexual orientation. The ad -- part of the pro-family group's "Celebrate Family - Celebrate Life" campaign -- was pulled without any notice, according to Focus on the Family's Gary Schneeburger.
 
"We're a little befuddled, I guess is the best way to say it, that an ad that clearly that was not controversial," he responds. "It was not even political -- it was simply about a father wanting the best for his son...."
 
The ministry spokesman suggests the banner ad was taken down "not...because the ad itself was offensive, but because the very existence of Focus on the Family apparently to some people is offensive."
 
The major governing body of college sports says ads must be in agreement with NCAA principles, and its own standards allow it to exclude advertising and advertisers that it deems "do not appear to be in the best interests of higher education and student athletes."
 
"What that tells us," says Schneeburger, "is that we're not allowed to advertise our family help services because we have biblical values on issues like marriage." And if such material were "all of a sudden labeled hate speech," he says "we have deeper problems in our country than we even know."
 
Schneeburger points out that Focus spends 90 percent of its budget on parenting and marriage resources, and only 10 percent advocating on behalf of the unborn and for traditional marriage. The supposedly controversial Super Bowl ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, was part of Focus's "Celebrate Family - Celebrate Life" campaign.