by Marriage Report + Euthanasia Challenge Warwick & David – Canberra Declaration
Good News Update 230 – 15 November 2017
Today we received the news of the marriage survey results. While disappointed by the result, we are determined to fight on regardless because our children deserve the best possible start in life.
Senator Eric Abetz, a longtime friend of the Canberra Declaration team, said, ” I am heartened by the strong “no” vote in the face of such a relentless campaign from the “yes” campaign by the media, political elites and celebrities.
Please pass my thanks onto the Canberra Declaration team who have fought so well for marriage, life and family. To have gained 38.4% of the vote affirming marriage between a man and a woman is no small feat and needs to be acknowledged and respected. To put this in perspective, the “no” vote, in percentage terms, is more than:
• The Coalition’s current primary vote;
• Labour’s primary vote at the last election;
The voices of the millions of “no” voters deserve to be recognized in the framing of any legislation. A hubristic winner-takes-all approach in this matter would ignore the will of the 4.8 million Australians who have concerns about changing marriage.
Protecting fundamental freedoms – freedoms such as parental rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and conscientious objection will be vital to alleviate the valid concerns of millions of Australians… To defer, let alone defeat, consideration of these vital protections would miss an obvious opportunity to reduce the valid and very real concerns of many Australians.
I place on record my sincere thanks to the thousands of volunteer campaigners who advocated for marriage – especially when they knew from the beginning it would be a difficult campaign. They put principle before populism and made the case for marriage in a calm and respectful way.”
So we too thank you for being part of the Canberra Declaration community and for your amazing effort in prayer, giving and action in the battle for marriage. We will not give up but continue to stand for marriage, family, faith, freedom and life.
Speaking about life, we need to renew our stand against the insidious creep of euthanasia into both Victoria and NSW. Watch this short video to see what the Canberra Declaration says about LIFE.
Tomorrow, the Voluntarily Assisted Dying Bill 2017 will be debated, and most likely voted on, in the NSW State Parliament Upper House. In Victoria, debate in The Upper House around possible amendments to the bill before the Council will commence tomorrow until a vote on the second reading is taken.
We again call for more prayer and action.
In 2014, Belgium became the first country to allow the euthanasia of children. This is an example of how the scope of euthanasia always ‘creeps’ to include more groups of vulnerable people. See this article Legal Euthanasia for Victoria? Beware by Paul Russell that appeared in The Spectator early this year.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide can indeed be made to sound compassionate and dignified, but this is largely based on myths. Legalisation would remove a key safeguard that protects our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. It could make the elderly and the disabled feel they are a burden on society. Physicians would be under pressure to take part in state-sanctioned killing.
Once again we ask all Australians to –
• PRAY: We, supported by prayer groups across the country, are calling for two days of prayer and fasting Thursday 16 & Friday 17 November. Then we call for an ongoing rolling campaign of prayer and fasting whenever either the NSW or Victorian Euthanasia bills are debated in either of the state parliaments. Please pray that Victorian and NSW Upper House MPs will be awakened to the insidious dangers of legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide. Please pray that both Voluntary Assisted Dying Bills will be soundly defeated.
and
• ACT: Please phone NSW Upper House National Party MPs urging them to vote against the Bill. We ask you to ring the seven National Party Upper House members listed below and politely remind them that the National Party has stood for life, family and conservative values since it formation in 1920. This is almost 100 years of solid representation of those who generally stand fast for the things all Australian families hold dear. Ask them not to turn their back on the families they have stood for all these many years.
RING the Parliament House switchboard in Sydney on 02 9230 2111 all day on Thursday 16 November and ask to speak to each of the seven National Party parliamentarians one at a time.
• Hon. Ben Franklin
• Hon. Bronnie Taylor
• Hon. Duncan Gay
• Hon. Niall Blair
• Hon. Rick Colless
• Hon. Sarah Mitchell
• Hon. Trevor Khan
Thank you for your commitment to make a stand for life.
Yours for pushing back the culture of death,
Warwick Marsh & David Rowsome
PS Here are two resources to help you pray and act.
• How can I pray and act for what is happening in the Victorian Parliament this week? Click for more details in Right to Life Victoria email.
• How can I know how to pray for the underlying issues in the euthanasia challenge? – Download A Prayer for Protecting the Vulnerable in Australia and use to pray concerning strongholds (print it as an A5 booklet).
to protect life, marriage, family and freedom
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