Note from Rowland: this website is committed to presenting varying points of view. Here’s a conservative one on this subject…

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25 October 2006

Dear Friends,

Some of you may have heard about the girl (13) from Windaroo Valley State High School south of Brisbane, who failed her Health and Physical Education subject because she refused on religious grounds to do an assignment about living as a heterosexual in a “homosexual colony on the moon”. Among ten questions students were required to answer was: “Where do ideas about homosexuality come from?” The teacher told the class not to discuss the assignment with their parents, and the girl’s mother only found out about it when she saw a first-ever “fail” on her daughter’s report card some months later.

Her story was reported on the front page of Brisbane’s “Sunday Mail” on 8 October. You can read it by clicking on: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20542442-5007200,00.html

For some days the Courier-Mail ran an online poll with the story, asking the question: “Is it appropriate for teenagers to discuss homosexuality in the classroom?” Over 11,000 people voted – 48% YES; 51% NO.

It was a poorly worded question. I wanted to vote: “Yes – provided students are given factual information about the serious risks of the homosexual lifestyle.” But I was not given that option. In the context of the curriculum offered by Windaroo Valley State High School, I agree strongly with the (slight) majority who voted “No”.

There have been an amazing 339 comments posted on this story on the Courier-Mail website – possibly a record. Many supported the girl in her stand, but many others condemned the girl and her parents for being “homophobic”. What a term of abuse that word has become, hurled at anyone who believes that homosexual behaviour is a serious health risk and is contrary to the way our bodies were designed.

Jesus Christ Himself condemned homosexual behaviour as “unclean” in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:21. He referred to “porneia” – a Greek word often translated as “sexual immorality”. Porneia included all the sexual behaviour prohibited by God in Leviticus 18 and 20: incest, adultery, fornication, homosexual acts and bestiality.

Moreover Jesus Christ said that from the very beginning, God’s plan for humans has been heterosexual. In Matthew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-8, Jesus affirmed the words of Genesis 2:24 – “God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

All of this underlines the seriousness of my request to you today.

The federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is holding an inquiry into rights for same-sex couples. It is called “Same-Sex: Same Entitlements”.

Click on: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/samesex/index.html .

Submissions – which can be a simple email – close on Friday 3 November.

So far, Festival of Light Australia appears to be the only organisation to make a substantial submission with documented evidence, explaining why the federal government should continue to give marriage special rights above other kinds of relationships since children do far better when raised by their natural married parents. Homosexual and lesbian partners already have the general rights given to all citizens and should not be given privileged treatment on the basis of their sexual behaviour. They can already provide for their future through wills, deeds and powers of attorney. You can read our submission by clicking on: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/samesex/submissions/031.html

All other major submissions so far have argued that homosexual relationships should be officially recognised by governments and given the same rights as marriage.

Where are the submissions from those who want to keep marriage special?

There is still time (just a week) for you to send an email as your submission. Please pray about it and share this with your friends.

HOW YOU CAN SEND A SIMPLE SUBMISSION

Put words like “Same-Sex Entitlements Submission” in the subject line.

Include your name and street address.

Points you could make in your own words include:

* Marriage is the lifelong exclusive union of a man and a woman . Studies show that marriage is the best environment to raise children, who are Australia’s future.

* Marriage needs favourable discrimination, ie affirmative action, to protect children.

* Non-marriage relationships should not be given the same privileges as marriage.

* Homosexual partners are already able to provide for their future through wills, deeds and powers of attorney.

* Governments should not pass legislation to give official recognition to same-sex partners on the basis of their sexual conduct.

* Governments have spent billions of dollars addressing the serious health problems of the homosexual lifestyle. It does not make sense to reward this harmful lifestyle by giving it special privileges previously given only to marriage.

* Governments should not pass legislation which gives marriage rights to unmarried partners because such legislation would undermine the special status of marriage.

* Governments should not encourage same-sex partners to adopt or artificially conceive children, since every child deserves, all things being equal, to grow up with both a mother and father role model.

* Governments should not encourage lesbians to conceive children artificially using donated sperm. Such children deserve to have the names of both natural mother and father on their birth certificate. No child can have two “mothers”. ………………………

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission discussion paper is seriously biased. We need to send a clear message with the truth, even if they may not want to hear it.

Can you spend a few minutes to email them?

God bless!

ROS

Mrs Roslyn Phillips, B Sc Dip Ed

Research Officer, Festival of Light Australia

Website http://www.fol.org.au