Focus on the Family’s Jim Daly Denies SPLC ‘Hate Group’ Label: Emphasizes ‘Love of Christ’ Over Controversy

In an exclusive interview, Focus on the Family President Jim Daly strongly criticized the recent move by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to designate his organization as a "hate group," calling the label both discouraging and dangerous. Daly described the SPLC’s decision as indicative of a growing cultural intolerance for dissenting viewpoints, particularly when it comes to deeply held religious convictions.

Focus on the Family, a prominent Colorado-based Christian nonprofit since 1977, has become a household name for millions across the country. The organization provides a wide array of services, including marriage counseling, parenting resources, foster care support, and crisis intervention, with a mission centered on promoting what it considers a biblical foundation for family life. Daly revealed that Focus’s radio shows reach over six million listeners, with several million more engaging digitally every month.

The SPLC’s decision moves Focus into company with groups widely recognized as espousing hate—white supremacists and violent extremists—placing it on a controversial list that has drawn criticism from across the ideological spectrum. Daly argued that the classification is based solely on Focus’s outspoken support for traditional marriage. “Our Christian tradition is marriage between one man and one woman, and that's what we believe and we believe we can advocate for that,” he stated plainly, emphasizing that his organization’s advocacy stems from its scriptural understanding rather than animosity toward any group.

Daly reiterated that while culture may be shifting, Focus would not abandon its core beliefs to win mainstream acceptance. “For us, we can't relent on changing what we believed to be scriptural truth for the current place of where the culture is at," he affirmed. He further expressed disappointment in the SPLC’s evolution, noting, “I think the SPLC started in a good place… but they have turned that muscle now on the Christian community.”

Beyond reputational harm, Daly expressed grave concern for the real-world ramifications of such labels. He recalled the 2012 shooting at the Family Research Council—a fellow Christian nonprofit previously listed by the SPLC—where the perpetrator cited the organization’s appearance on the SPLC’s “hate map” as inspiration for violence. Daly warned, “They are dancing on very dangerous territory when they put these labels out.”

Daly reported that Focus on the Family faced increased threats almost immediately after the SPLC’s announcement. “We had protesters harassing our employees... so we had to get and pay for extra police presence on our campus,” he disclosed, highlighting concerns about the safety of staff and supporters.

Yet Daly maintained that Focus on the Family would remain steadfast in its work, which includes foster care support and pregnancy resource efforts. Reflecting personally, he shared, “My wife and I both have been foster parents for 15 years. We support pregnancy resource centers with ultrasound machines.” According to Daly, last year alone his organization helped “140,000 couples get through a marital crisis” and more than half a million couples “to strengthen their marriage.” He posed a pointed question: “Why would you go after an organization doing that much good and label us a hate group? It just, it makes no sense.”

Throughout the conversation, Daly stressed that Focus’s motivation is rooted not in political gamesmanship but in living out the message of Christ. “This is not hate,” he insisted. “This is the love of Christ trying to show people God's design for marriage and parenting and people.” Still, he acknowledged that such a message is increasingly seen as controversial in today’s climate, which often “punishes theological conviction.”

To illustrate a way forward, Daly cited a meeting between the late Pastor Tim Keller and gay rights activists in New York City as a positive example of pluralism and dialogue. He argued, “Creating a hate list because of your views, your theology, your ideology, just isn't helpful.”

On the legal front, Daly signaled that Focus is evaluating a possible response. “There has to be a line where an organization that creates a hate list has to be responsible for that,” he said, suggesting that a defamation lawsuit would pose difficulties for the SPLC if pursued in court.

Despite the controversy, Daly found encouragement in the feedback from families Focus has served. “People that do know us, people that have experienced us helping them through a crisis in their marriage or a crisis with their teenager, they know us. This isn’t who you are, and they get it.”

In closing, Daly urged fellow believers to engage the culture with compassion rather than confrontation. Citing scripture, he said, “Romans 2:4 says it’s God’s kindness that leads one to repentance—and I believe in that.” He challenged churches not only to preach orthodoxy, but to practice it, underscoring a vision where the Christian community’s tangible service could be transformative: “We could literally wipe out the foster care list if we just got engaged—one family per church.”

Daly summed up his hope for the future with a visionary goal: “Wouldn’t it be nice if Fox News and the New York Times ran a headline that said: ‘Christian Church wipes out waiting foster care list’? I’m looking forward to that headline. And that’s what I work for every day.”