June 6, 2007

Will You Stand
for the Family?

 
Dear Family Advocate,

I know that you understand that the family is under increasing
attack around the world in a variety of ways including the
promotion of radical “sexual rights,” same-sex marriage, abortion, autonomous
“rights” for children that undermine parental rights, sex education
that corrupts children, and the denigration of religion and motherhood.

The mission of Family Watch International is to counter these
threats, and we do it in a number of ways. One exciting initiative
we are launching is to gather one million signatures of people around
the world on our “I
Stand for the Family” International Petition.

We launched the petition last month in Warsaw, Poland at the
World Congress of Families IV where it generated a great deal
of excitement from the delegates. Hundreds of people from around the
world signed the petition and will be distributing it in their countries.

This newsletter marks our launch of the petition to our email
lists.

Will you also stand for the family and sign
the petition right now? When you do, you will be making
an important statement that will help us in our efforts to educate policy
makers at the international, national and local levels about the importance
of the family.

By signing the petition you will also be joining our Family
Watch Internet Coalition. In addition to receiving this Family
Watch Update, we will also send you action alerts and special updates
from time to time telling you simple things that you can do to help
protect the family.

One of the things I am asking you to do right now is to please
take a few minutes to pass on this email to as many people as you can.
We need to let as many people as possible know how valuable this petition
will be in showing worldwide support for the family, marriage, life,
religion and parental rights wherever the family is under attack in
venues across the world. We already know that when most people learn
about it, they are anxious to sign it as well.

If you have already signed the petition, thank you! It is especially
valuable for people like you who have signed it to send this newsletter
on to others with a short note letting them know of the example you
are setting and encouraging them to join you in signing it. If you belong
to any other family-oriented email groups, church groups or organizations,
ask for permission to pass this email on to them. Send it to
your spouse, your children and your friends and be sure to urge everyone
to sign it individually and pass it on themselves.

There is great strength in numbers and together we can and
must make a difference for the family!

Thank you for helping in this vital effort to protect the family.

Sincerely,

Sharon Slater
President
Family Watch International

News Items of Interest

 
Marriage: It’s Good for What Ails You

Two recently released studies confirm once again that marriage is
good for you. A major study released by Statistics Canada shows that
the breakup of a marriage creates a disproportionate risk of depression
for men, more so even than for women. The study shows that marriage
has a myriad of core mental and physical health benefits for men in
particular. The statistics indicate that being single is worse for
a man’s life expectancy than moderate cigarette smoking. Read more

here. The second study published in the Journal
of Health and Social Behavior showed that the moods of depressed people
are enhanced by marriage. Read more here.

British Academics Receive Failing Grade

In spite of the mountain of social science evidence which confirms
the benefits of marriage to men, women and children, members of the
University and College Union in England are demanding that teachers
should be banned from promoting heterosexual marriage in the classroom.
Current requirements mandate that children are to be taught “the importance
of marriage for family life,” but academics insist that now homosexuality
must be given equal status to curb the spread of “bigoted” attitudes
in schools and university campuses. Read more here.

Mexico Supreme Court Will Reviews Abortion Law

The Mexico Supreme Court has accepted a petition to review the constitutionality
of a newly passed law that allows abortions for women during the first
three months gestation. The petition, filed by the National Human
Rights Council and the Attorney General’s office, states that the
law violates a constitutional clause guaranteeing the right to life.
A court date has not been set. Read more here.

Pornography’s Devastation

Citing grim statistics, San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer
described America as being deluged by an “electronic tsunami of pornography.”
More annual income is generated by the pornography industry than all
three major professional sports combined. In the keynote address at
the Lighted Candle Society event, Niederauer stated that pornography
is the world’s fastest growing addiction resulting in the destruction
of families and relationships. Read more here.

Pakistan Pushes Back

The Pakistani delegation stood firm in their recent interview by
the United Nation’s Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW). The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute
reports that in response to the committee’s questions on abortion
policy (even though abortion isn’t mentioned in the CEDAW treaty)
in their country, rather than acquiesce, as is often done by the delegations
from developing nations, the delegate from Pakistan told the committee
that “abortion is considered murder once a fetus is conceived,” and
then stated that abortion was illegal in her country except to save
the life of the mother. Read more here.

Confusion in the Congregation

Ann Gordon, a United Methodist minister in Baltimore for nearly
five years is now the Rev. Drew Phoenix after receiving medical treatment
to become a man. While the denomination does not permit actively gay
clergy, it does not have any rules about transgender pastors. Read
more
here.

Most Women Still Pro-Life

Martha Burk, a leading feminist claims that a majority of women are
pro-abortion, however, polls show exactly the opposite–that a majority
of women are pro-life. A poll conducted in June 2003 conducted by
the pro-abortion organization Center for the Advancement of Women
found that 51 percent of women opposed most or all abortions. Only
30 percent said it should be generally available. Read more here.

New Hampshire Governor Signs Civil Unions Bill

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch has signed legislation giving same-sex
couples the same rights, responsibilities and obligations as married
couples. The bill will take effect next year. Same-sex marriages performed
legally in other states will also be recognized. New Hampshire joins
Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, Maine, California and Washington
as U.S. states that allow either civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Read more here.

Gay Tolerance Reaching Record Marks

A recent Gallup Poll shows that pro-gay rights attitudes in the United
States have reached record highs. The highest point since 1982, 57
percent of Americans now believe homosexuality is an acceptable alternative
lifestyle. An increase was also recorded in the number of people who
believe same-sex couples should be recognized by the law and should
have the same rights as heterosexual married couples. Read a summary

here. Read the results of the Gallup poll here.
 

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