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Good News Update 78 2 October 2013
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The Battle for Marriage Continues...
Dear
We are thankful to God for the federal election result on the 7th September with those political parties pushing to redefine marriage no longer in power. The fact that both the Labor Party and the Greens built their reelection around their campaign to introduce homosexual 'marriage' and were defeated shows that the majority of Australians do not want to redefine marriage.
Instead we have a pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-family Prime Minister in Tony Abbott who will be able to lead the Liberal National Party with a clear majority in Parliament.  Even so, our Prime Minister is still under enormous pressure and needs our prayerful and practical support. Just 12 days after the federal polling stations had closed, the Marriage Equality Bill 2013 was introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly. If passed this month,
it will allow the 'marriage' of any two homosexuals in the ACT whether resident or non-resident. At present there are 8 Labor and 8 Liberal Members and 1 Greens Member holds the balance of power. The vote will be taken on 22 October, 2013 (less than 3 weeks away).
We need to pray and we need to take action now. There were a host of important election issues but, we believe, homosexual 'marriage' is a pivotal issue for Australia at this time. Any redefinition of 'marriage' will have severe repercussions for our nation - perhaps far greater than most of us realize. A report, written by Brian Camenker of MassResistance, about the state of Massachusetts in the USA, reads like a bad dream. Homosexual 'marriage' was legalised there 9 years ago. Camenker says,
"Anyone who thinks that same-sex "marriage" is a benign eccentricity which won't affect the average person should consider what it has done to Massachusetts since 2004...It has become a hammer to force the acceptance and normalization of homosexuality on everyone."
He goes on to show how legalised homosexual 'marriage' seriously weakens the fabric of almost every sector of society. For example, the way in which parents raise their own children has been changed as freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience have been drastically curtailed. Read more of the report here. This attack on marriage in the ACT is an attack on marriage everywhere in Australia and marriage must be defended strongly. Simon Corbell, the ACT Attorney-General, in inviting homosexuals from all over Australia to get married in Canberra when this law is enacted, is helping create a future 'fatherless generation' Australia-wide. This is a terrible injustice to our children. Mr. Corbell has thrown down the gauntlet to all those who want to defend the future of our children. As Martin Luther King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The Canberra Declaration states that "religious freedom, marriage and family, and the sacredness of human life have provided the foundations enabling Western democratic societies to flourish. We erode these foundations at our peril." The Bible states: "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3). As a first response, we can pray! Then, we can act. We ask you, now at this crucial time, to write a letter to our Prime Minister. It is really important that this letter is on paper and posted via Australia Post. Emails are also very useful, but secondary to paper letters which have a much stronger impact in a political office. In your letter: - Thank him for his personal (and his party's) stand for marriage between a man and a woman in the lead up to the election.
- Point out that the proposal by the ACT government to redefine marriage goes against the Australian Constitution and the Commonwealth Marriage Act 2004. Then ask him to overturn any ACT law which legalises homosexual 'marriage'.
- Explain the importance of marriage for society and the many benefits that marriage brings to children, men and women.
Then make copies of your letter and send these to your local MP and Senators. You can follow this up by sending a copy of the letter through the useful email tools available online. Details for doing all this are provided below. If you need help in drafting a letter, four sample ones are also provided below. If you use one, it is very important that you make the sample letter your own. Try at least, to change the first sentence. Personal letters are always more powerful than form letters. We fully realise we have made a lot of calls on you by email during this election period. The battle to preserve marriage has been a long one so far. Thanks for sticking with it as we're sure future generations will be very grateful. May God defend and preserve marriage and family in Australia!
Warwick and Alison Marsh & David and Marilyn Rowsome
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Instructions and Sample Letters
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Send a Letter to our Prime Minister
Writing to our Prime Minister, The Hon Tony Abbott MP, with copies to your local MP and state or territory Senators sends a powerful message to our political leaders. It is an effective way for you to communicate your concerns about homosexual 'marriage' to those in a position to make policy decisions.
Sending a signed hard-copy letter is proven to be the most effective way to communicate. But at the same time, it is good to send an electronic copy by email to make sure the message gets through.
PLEASE SEND THESE PRAYERFULLY AND QUICKLY AS THE ACT VOTE IS ON 22 OCTOBER.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS CD UPDATE TO YOUR FRIENDS.
A STACK OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LETTERS WILL GIVE OUR PM AND ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
A POWERFUL VISUAL REMINDER TO TAKE ACTION.
IN THE CASE OF OUR PM WHO BELIEVES IN MARRIAGE BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN
IT WILL BOLSTER HIS CONFIDENCE THAT HE IS ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS.
Here are a few simple rules for writing letters:
- Always be polite. Individuals and politicians do not respond to abusive letters.
- Give an indication of who you are and why preserving the institution of marriage is important to you.
- Be brief. A simple, short letter is adequate. You should write no more than one page. Long letters are less likely to be read.
1. Send signed hard-copy letters by Australia Post
Write your letter based on these guidelines and the sample letters below. You could copy a sample letter into a Word document and make your own changes. Then print, sign and post the letter to the Prime Minister at this address.
The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Print extra copies. Sign and post these to your local MP and state or territory Senators using the postal addresses found on this Government website.
2. Send copies of the letter by email
Use the Contact your PM website to send a copy of your letter to Tony Abbott. Then use the Australian Family Association tool to contact your local MP and your Senators by email. Introduce yourself and tell them you have sent this letter to the PM. Then you can copy and paste it into the tool using Ctrl V.
Letter to the Prime Minister - Sample No. 1
The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
RE: Protect Marriage and Family in the ACT and Australia
Dear Mr Abbott,
Congratulations on such a decisive victory in the last federal election.
I feel this is a strong indication that the majority of Australians are not interested in redefining marriage.
Firstly, I thank you for speaking out in favour of marriage as "between a man and a woman" in the lead up to the election.
I am strongly against homosexual 'marriage' and I write to you to urge you to maintain your position on this.
I voted for the Coalition in the last election because of your conservative stance on these kinds of social issues.
If you allow homosexual 'marriage' in Australia I will not be able to vote for the Coalition again.
Please act strongly and do not allow the lobbying of a minority make you give up on your own beliefs and values.
I pray that the Liberal National Party, under your leadership, will continue to uphold the long-standing institution of marriage as it has in the past.
Marriage is an ancient institution for the purpose of having children raised by their biological parents and a state sponsored system which denies this need would be an injustice on children.
Do act swiftly to overturn the bill introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly as it is unconstitutional for a territory legislature to make laws of marriage affecting the whole nation.
Yours sincerely,
(Sign and Date)
Print Name:
Print Address:
Copy to: Mr/Ms (first and last name), MP for (name of your electorate)
Copies to: Senator (first and last name), Senator for (name of your state), Senator...
Letter to the Prime Minister - Sample No. 2
The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
(DD) October, 2013
RE: Protect Our Children's Future
Dear Mr Abbott,
I am thankful for the Federal election result with those political parties pushing for homosexual 'marriage' no longer in power.
Even so, the long-standing institution of marriage and family in Australia is under threat once again with the recent push to redefine marriage in the ACT.
In recent decades marriages and families have been undermined by legislation concerning divorce, abortion, gambling, prostitution and pornography. Now politicians and militant and vocal lobbyists in the ACT are calling for the legalisation of homosexual 'marriage'. When are these attacks on marriage and family going to end?
The relentless Labor/Greens push for 'marriage equality' fails to acknowledge that marriage isn't only about human love but, just as importantly, the raising of children. Modern research clearly shows that children do best by far when raised by their biological parents. Children need the unique input that only a father and a mother can provide.
As often seen in cases of adoption, children want to know where they have come from and who are their real biological parents. This gives a sense of family identity and helps to explain inherited traits. In homosexual 'marriage', children may never know who their real father or mother is. And because they lack input from both a father and a mother they will be more prone to gender identity confusion.
Clearly, the legalisation of homosexual 'marriage' would be an injustice to our children.
Please do act swiftly and decisively to overturn the Marriage Equality 2013 Bill in the ACT. We must not deliberately disadvantage and confuse our children. It is not fair.
Yours sincerely,
(Sign and Date)
Print Name:
Print Address:
Copy to: Mr/Ms (first and last name), MP for (name of your electorate)
Copies to: Senator (first and last name), Senator for (name of your state), Senator...
Letter to the Prime Minister - Sample No. 3
The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
(DD) October, 2013
RE: Protect Marriage in the Australia
Dear Mr Abbott,
Firstly, I want to thank you for sharing your personal belief that marriage is "between a man and a woman" in the lead up to the election.
I am also very thankful that the Liberal National Party under the leadership of John Howard initiated and passed the 2004 amendment to the Marriage Act 1961. For this affirmed marriage as "the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life". This is a priceless legacy for all Australians. Sadly, many Australians do not appreciate what is at stake in changing this definition by legalising homosexual 'marriage'.
Lifelong marriage between a man and a woman guarantees children their biological birthright to a mother and a father and has a proven track record of providing them with protection, education, welfare, support and nurture.
As shown by a growing amount of research from around the world, no other arrangement has improved upon the benefits of marriage for men, women and children and for society as a whole. Such research was presented at the World Congress of Families held in Sydney in May of this year with its theme 'Happy Families - Healthy Economy'.
To ensure a strong and healthy and prosperous society, we need to protect marriage and family life in Australia.
As an Australian citizen I urge you to overturn the Marriage Equality 2013 Bill recently introduced in the ACT Legislative Assembly.
Not only is it unconstitutional it is highly detrimental to Australian society.
Yours sincerely,
(Sign and Date)
Print Name:
Print Address:
Copy to: Mr/Ms (first and last name), MP for (name of your electorate)
Copies to: Senator (first and last name), Senator for (name of your state), Senator...
Letter to the Prime Minister - Sample No. 4
The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
(DD) October, 2013
RE: Protect Parents and Children
Dear Mr Abbott,
Congratulations on such a decisive victory in the last federal election. I am very thankful that a political party with a strong historical stand on marriage and family is in power.
In this letter I want to bring to your attention that in countries where marriage has been redefined and homosexual 'marriage' legalised, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience have been curtailed. No
longer are parents free to raise their children with the monogamous and heterosexual view of marriage as the ideal. Parents are forced to stand aside while the education system teaches their children that homosexual 'marriage' is an equal alternative.
I therefore urge you to speak out in favour of the long-standing institution of marriage as affirmed in the 2004 Amendment to the Marriage Act 1961 as "the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life".
Please act strongly and protect the rights of Australian parents to raise our children according to what we believe is the true meaning and purpose of marriage.
The main purpose of the Marriage Act 1961 was to bring the regulation of marriage into the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth. For until 1961, marriage had been regulated by State and Territory law and there were nine separate and diverse systems of marriage law in Australia.
Please act to overturn the recent bill introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly as it is unconstitutional. A very small legislature should not be able to make laws of marriage affecting the whole nation. This would indeed be a backwards step.
Yours sincerely,
(Sign and Date)
Print Name:
Print Address:
Copy to: Mr/Ms (first and last name), MP for (name of your electorate)
Copies to: Senator (first and last name), Senator for (name of your state), Senator...
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