What's behind "The Foundation for a Better Life"?

1/28/15 | Self

[Faith Presses On]

Just lately I've noticed a lot of commercials promoting virtues like kindness, patience, generosity, etc. They are produced by something called "The Foundation for a Better Life," web site "values.com."

Their message seems so secular humanist, since there's no mention of Jesus (and that's further confirmed in that their site even says that they believe people to be "basically good,") that I thought to look them up, and finally remembered to today. I discovered that Philip Anschutz, the founder, is actually said to be a very wealthy, "conservative Presbyterian," and liberal Media Matters says he has supported groups who have opposed legalizing homosexual unions.

A couple other things about it:

They have an exhaustive list of their "values," and they are all humanistic. They don't list faith or promote anything Christian.

They say they promote positive thinking.

All sorts of liberal media donate time to the group's ads, according to their web site.

Yet the founder is a "Christian conservative."

Things just don't seem to add up.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Foundation_for_a_Better_Life

http://www.values.com/who-we-are

http://www.values.com/teaching-values

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/12/16/fox-hides-anti-gay-right-wing-background-of-fou/174453

[Faith Presses On]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Foundation_for_a_Better_Life
http://www.values.com/who-we-are
http://www.values.com/teaching-values
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/12/16/fox-hides-anti-gay-right-wing-background-of-fou/174453

[nuconvert]

” the organization is headed by its president, Gary Dixon, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).”

[The_Reader_David]

So, a conservative Presbyterian set up a foundation whose purpose is not evangelization, but the promotion of classical virtues. What is there to “not add up”?

[Fungi]

I hear their ads all the time, almost every hour on the Salem network. You are right, something does not add up. They sell a morality from a humanistic framework, religion is never mentioned. Gandhi is one of their favorites, extolling his virtues, they neglect his peculiar habit of well, you do not want to know.

[struggle]

One of my students and I made jokes about this endlessly, trying to think up new euphemistic Foundation names for when the president eventually commits suicide (the irony inherent in the world demands it)

The Foundation for Positive Feelies
The Foundation Opposed to Sartre’s Absurdist Metaphysics
The Foundation for Forced Ignorance of Life’s Difficulties
and our favorite:
The Foundation for Getting a Bunch of Hot Chicks and Expensive Cars

[MeshugeMikey]

Ive heard their ads on a Salem Communications radio station in the S.F. Bay area KFAX.

I had a similar sort of perception as to who they are.

the mahatma ghandi....ad...spelled NEW AGE....Non Christian fairly clearly

Ive never bothered to visit the website. but had thought about contacting the station manager.

[Bill Russell]

I agree with The_Reader_David. Not all service to your fellow man has to be “evangelization.” Sometimes you have introduce the common ground that even a secularist will agree to as “good” before you can introduce him/her to the Root and Cause of the goodness. I have heard many of their commercials and find nothing objectionable in them. I do not believe they are focused on promoting any socialist nor atheist agenda.

[House Atreides]

Do they rely on the book “To Serve Man”?

[Faith Presses On]

From their web site (”Who we are”):

“We believe people are basically good but sometimes just need a reminder.”

Their ads and their philosophy are inconsistent with the Gospel and what the Bible says about goodness and man’s nature.

[Vigilanteman]

Erasmus and Sir Thomas More were both considered among the leading Humanists of their day and yet both were also strong men of faith. If the fruit of the message is good then so is the messenger.

[Mastador1]

Honesty and hard work?

[Arthur McGowan]

Isn’t this the outfit that does a smarmy ad about Cardinal Bernardin and how he wasn’t guilty of molesting young males? Or is that “Laity Lobby”? All very fishy.

[onedoug]

Presbyterian. Is he one of the pack that’s re-written the scriptures just so; removing any mention of Israel, Jesus’ Jewishness, etc?

[Pelham]

Sappy, saccharine ads featuring Gandhi. Mother Teresa. A little girl channeling Mr Rogers.

It’s beginning to reach a Kars for Kids level of evil and I may end up killing my radio.

[Slyfox]

Erasmus and Sir Thomas More were both considered among the leading Humanists of their day and yet both were also strong men of faith.

Their brand of humanism was based on human nature in relation to God, unlike the common brand of humanism today - "secular" meaning devoid of God.

JPII referred to the Erasmus-More brand as "Christian Humanism" which is a good thing.

[Pelham]

“Gandhi is one of their favorites, extolling his virtues, they neglect his peculiar habit of well, you do not want to know. “

Urine drinking? Wearing a diaper? Urging Jews not to resist Hitler?

Those are just a few that come to mind.

[Pelham]

That was a distinctly different Humanism from the modern secular variety.

[Fungi]

You missed the primary one, at least one of them. A book was written on it, don't know if it is still available. You are on the right track, well at least it seems...

[mrobisr]

I agree there is absolutely no “basically good” without Jesus Christ. On the face they may seem “basically good”, but in the Spirit they are dead.

Matthew 12:30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

30 He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.