Click here to download: Open letter to Gillard re marriage
Dear Friend,
Those who opened their copy of The Australian yesterday morning (2/3/11) were in for a front page shock. Two journalists have reported that Prime Minister Julia Gillard has not only broken her “no carbon tax” promise in order to placate the Greens – she has also decided to smooth the way for the Greens bill to allow homosexuals to “marry”.
That is only a report, of course – and it may not be true. It may be that Ms Gillard is only thinking about the possibility and has not made a firm decision.
That is why our open letter to the Prime Minister on marriage is so important at this time. We are very thankful for the four thousand or so people who have already returned signed letters for us to present to Ms Gillard (with copies to every other member of federal parliament) – but it would be great if we could double that number.
Attached to this email is an updated version of the open letter. It includes references that document research showing that children do better with their married biological parents than other family types. And we are sending this email to a wider group of contacts who may wish to sign the letter.
I have received a lot of feedback following my earlier email on this issue. All of it was positive, but some people wanted more evidence showing children, all things being equal, need both a mum and a dad. Many people have not heard of this evidence – unsurprisingly, since the media usually fails to report it!
And that is why you have probably not heard about the latest study, conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services for the Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect, published late last year. The 22 page section on Differences in the incidence of maltreatment related to family structure and living arrangement is not yet on the internet – we accessed a report from the UK think tank, Family and Youth Concern (www.famyouth.org.uk) – but the findings are dramatic.
For example, the study shows that, compared with children living with two married biological parents, children living with one natural parent who has an unmarried partner are eighttimes more likely to suffer maltreatment, eleven times more likely to be abused, and six times more likely to be neglected. We have included a chart of the findings in our VoxLinknewsletter, due to be mailed this month. If you are not already receiving our publications, email office@fava.org.au with your name, postal address and phone number for a free six month subscription.
There is another reason why this open letter is so important. Some people are saying, “I believe in man-woman marriage – but life will go on as usual if the law changes the definition. It won’t impact me or my family.”
That’s where they’re wrong. As Brian Camenker from Massachusetts discovered, once marriage includes homosexual couples, homosexual behaviour becomes officially normal and good – and too bad for anyone who does not agree. School curricula, churches, libraries, courts and businesses would all be affected.
If you have not already signed the earlier version of the open letter, please print and sign this version. Then please either scan and email to our national office (letter@fava.org.au) or post back (FamilyVoice Australia, 4th Floor, 68 Grenfell Street, Adelaide 5000) – by 18 March 2011. Please forward this email to your friends, asking them to sign and return the letter too.
You can find the references plus a report by Brian Camenker by clicking on the links in the news item on our website at:
http://www.fava.org.au/news/2011/australians-sign-open-letter-to-the-pm-on-marriage/
Man-woman marriage is the safest family type for raising the next generation. If for no other reason, that is why we need to keep the meaning of marriage as a voluntary, lifelong, exclusive union of a man and a woman – and we need to tell Prime Minister Julia Gillard and other federal MPs. Now.
Can you help spread the message?
Sincerely in Christ,
Dr David Phillips
National President
FamilyVoice Australia
4th Floor, 68 Grenfell St, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
Phone: 61 8 8223 6383 or 1300 365 965 Fax: 61 8 8223 5850
Email: dmp@fava.org.au Website: www.fava.org.au
A Christian voice for family, faith and freedom
Click here to download: Open letter to Gillard re marriage
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