Threats to Religious Freedom
It is not only priests and ministers of religion who are entitled to "religious freedom". All believers should have the right not to be coerced into actions that violate their conscientious beliefs. This principle is being seriously violated in regard to homosexual "marriage" in the USA (see p.2) and there will be similar violations here if homosexual "Marriage" is legalised. In Australia homosexual couples are free to live as they wish, they can hold commitment ceremonies catered for by those who wish to do so. They have no restrictions on bringing up children in their care and indoctrinating them with LGBTIQ propaganda from infancy.Wherever homosexual "marriage" is legalisd however, those who disagree, or have a conscientious objection, religious or otherwise, to participating in such "wedding" ceremonies, are compelled by law to violate their conscience. They are not free to live as they wish, are denied parental rights to bring up their children as they see fit, and become virtually second class citizens.
Senator Eric Abetz (Lib. Tasmania) has made a very important
contribution to this issue. When the Senate
Committee's Report on the Exposure Draft Bill regarding
same-sex marriage was tabled in the Senate in February,
Senator Abetz wrote to Endeavour Forum and other supporters
stating:
"I have taken the rare step of submitting Additional Comments
to the Report because it's vital we protect our societal
foundational institution. My comments can be found here
http://abetz.com.au/images/ marriage_additionalcomments.pdf
"Marriage has been the bedrock institution of our society for millennia especially designed to protect children. As such, any redefinition of marriage would have far reaching effects throughout our legal system and society at large, and therefore must be approached with caution, restraint and rationality, things that have been sadly missing from the public arguments proposing change.
"The Australian people are entitled to be told the full extent
of the consequences of any proposed change. The Committee
report helps highlight the consequences of change
and exposes the shallowness and glibness of the campaign
to change the definition of marriage. It would be no small
matter. Even the Attorney General's Department was unable
to say with any accuracy how many other Commonwealth
Acts would need to be consequently amended.
"Thank you for your support in helping to protect children.
"Australia's infamy on abortion funding in our overseas
aid has made news overseas. LifeNews reports Australia
will be giving $9.5 million for abortion services as part of
our international "aid". Coercive legislation in Victoria and
Tasmania require doctors who on conscientious grounds
will not perform abortions to refer their patients to practitioners
who have no such objections, thus making pro-life
physicans unwilling accomplices in the death culture. Now
our overseas "aid" will be used by international abortion
agencies, some of which co-operate with China's forced
abortions policies in which abortion is compulsory after
two children. The US Mexico City Policy, re-instated by
President Trump, ensures U.S. foreign aid of millions of
dollars will continue to go to health care and humanitarian
relief . It just will not subsidize abortion overseas.
The Australian policy seems almost incomprehensible - if the Turnbull government was looking for a policy to alienate its conservative base it could not have found a better one. Women in developing countries need basic health and maternity care, not abortion facilities. Abortion does not create "gender equality" as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop claims, especially when the majority of the babies aborted are female. And what about our enormous budget deficit?
The increased incidence of abortion in countries such as
India and China has led to a major increase of breast cancer
(see p. 3). Prior to pregnancy, the cells in a woman's breast
are immature and vulnerable to cancer. That is why childless
women are at a higher risk of breast cancer than women
who have had children. Breast cells do not mature and
become more resistant to cancer until 32 weeks of pregnancy,
therefore an abortion prior to 32 weeks will increase
the number of cancer-vulnerable cells in a woman's breasts.
Endeavour Forum is holding an NGO Parallel Event in New
York during the UN's session of the Commission on the
Status of Women. Our Event entitled "Reproductive
Health of Asian Women", is at 4.30 pm, 10th Floor, the
Church Centre on 23rd March. Speakers: Dr. Angela
Lanfranchi, breast surgeon and President of the Breast
Cancer Prevention Institute, Dr. Joel Brind, Professor of
Human Biology & Endocrinology, and Mrs. Denise
Mountenay, President & Founder, Canada Silent No More.
The Event will be chaired by Marianna Orlandi of C-Fam. 