SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Signatures Supporting Current Marriage Definition Presented to MPs by Family First NZ – a registered charity

by Leave a Comment

MEDIA RELEASE – Family First 28 August: Family First NZ [a registered charity and lobby group] has presented a petition containing the signatures of almost 50,000 kiwis to a group of MP’s from Labour, National and NZ First calling on them to reject the bill to redefine marriage when it comes up for its 1st Reading tomorrow.

The statement presented says “I support the definition of marriage in New Zealand being maintained as one man one woman. I oppose any attempt to redefine it.”

“This is an incredible response considering we only launched the campaign a month ago. It shows the level of public opposition to the bill, and the signatures continue to pour in,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“This is not an ‘anti’ campaign. We all support equality. But same-sex couples already have legal recognition through civil unions, so there is no need to redefine marriage. It’s not discriminatory to support the existing definition of marriage. Many homosexuals do not support the call for same-sex marriage – yet they are certainly not ‘homophobic’ or ‘bigoted’ which are lazy labels given to anyone supporting the current definition of marriage.”

“Politicians understood that when they passed the civil unions. Both Labour and Green MP’s acknowledged the structure, traditional value and cultural institution of marriage, and that civil unions was the ‘acceptable alternative’. Nothing has changed since then,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“If marriage is redefined once, there is nothing to stop it continuing to be redefined to allow polygamy, polyamory and adult incest relationships. Throughout history and in virtually all human societies, marriage has always been the union of a man and a woman. Marriage reflects the complementary natures of men and women. Although death and divorce may prevent it, the evidence shows that children do best with a married mother and a father. Marriage is about giving every child a loving and biologically connected and committed mother and father. Marriage is how societies do this.”

Family First is calling on MP’s to reject the marriage amendment bill and to focus on more urgent issues such as employment, child abuse, negotiating our way through the recession, restoring Christchurch, and dealing with family poverty.

ENDS

Church Ministers Cannot Refuse To Perform Same-Sex Marriages – Legal Opinion released by Family First NZ

by Leave a Comment

FAMILY FIRST NZ MEDIA RELEASE 28 August states: A legal opinion obtained by Family First NZ from Barrister Ian Bassett describes the Louisa Wall’s Marriage Amendment Act Bill, if it is enacted, as having the following effects:

(1)   Marriage celebrants (including church ministers) exercising their public function will be in breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Human Rights Act 1993, if they refuse to perform their public function as marriage celebrants by reason of the same sex of a couple seeking to be married.

(2)  Church ministers, marriage celebrants, church elders/ leaders, photographers and caterers and any other person or entity supplying services to the public will be in breach of the Human Rights Act 1993, if they refuse to supply services to a couple seeking to be married, by reason of the same sex of the couple.

(3)  Adoption agencies and hoteliers and any other person or entity supplying services to the public will be in breach of the Human Rights Act 1993, if they refuse to supply services to a married couple by reason of the same sex of the couple.

The Human Rights Commission had earlier issued a statement on its website saying that “…religious officials and leaders are free to refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs.”

Ian Bassett’s legal opinion says that the view of the Human Rights Commission is legally wrong.

Grant Illingworth QC agrees in principle with the legal opinion provided by Ian Basset

DOWNLOAD FULL LEGAL OPINION BY BARRISTER IAN BASSETT
http://www.protectmarriage.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Legal-Opinion-Marriage-Act-Amendment-Bill.pdf

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 0275555542

Dangers of Family Planning Association and Rainbow Youth Sex Ed Agendas Highlighted to School Boards nationwide

by Leave a Comment

Family First NZ, a registered charity and lobby group, has highlighted to school boards nationwide the dangers of the agenda behind the sex education programmes run in schools by two registered charities that are lobby groups – the New Zealand Family Planning Association Inc (FPA) and Rainbow Youth Inc. Its Media Release issued today “Schools Informed Of Agenda of Sex Ed Groups”, highlights that these lobby groups, along with the registered charity/lobby group – the New Zealand AIDS Foundation – are “perpetuating the myth that as long as you use a condom, you can pretty well do what you like in terms of promiscuity, experimentation, and fringe behaviours …” The Media Release dated Monday 27 August 2012 states:

Schools Informed Of Agenda of Sex Ed Groups

Family First NZ as sent a DVD presentation entitled “YOU’RE TEACHING MY CHILD WHAT? Sex Education: A Psychiatrist Calls Foul” to every school principal and every Board of Trustees in New Zealand, highlighting the dangers of Family Planning and Rainbow Youth’s sex education programmes, resources and websites which fail to tell the full facts and which compromise the concerns and wishes of parents, and the safety of young people. The presenter, Miriam Grossman, M.D., is a US-based board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist.

“Dr. Grossman’s mission is to highlight the dangers of the anything-goes, condom-based approach to sexual health. With examples from cutting edge research, she proves that sex is a serious matter, and can never be ‘casual’, especially for girls. In the DVD, she also reports on her examination of NZ-based educational resources and websites hosted by groups such as Family Planning, Rainbow Youth and others – many funded by the government, available to schools, and targeted at students,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

Family First is especially concerned about websites such as curious.org.nz, theword.org.nz, getiton.co.nz and a number of Family Planning pamphlets. Interestingly, the curious.org.nz website has been offline since Dr Grossman’s visit.

“The current approach in NZ sows confusion about right and wrong and says the moral absolute is – use condoms. The government should fund evidence-based education resources which are approved by parents rather than saying one thing to parents and another to their children. Family Planning receives more than $11m from the government of which $2.6m is for education,” says Mr McCoskrie.

A survey of parents in 2010 found that three out of four parents of young children want the abstinence message taught in sex education – with 69% of kiwis overall supporting the ‘wait’ message.

“Judging by the current approach’s results – which is a good place to start – sex education has been an utter failure. New Zealand has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the OECD, our STD rates are out of control, and the number of teenage girls having abortions is tragically high.”

“Groups like the Family Planning Association and the AIDS Foundation are perpetuating the myth that as long as you use a condom, you can pretty well do what you like in terms of promiscuity, experimentation, and fringe behaviours – with little or no information on the physical or emotional ramifications or prevention of disease.”

Family First NZ is calling for the government to withdraw funding of Family Planning and Rainbow Youth’s sex education programmes, resources and websites.

ENDS

Please note: Some of the material highlighted by Dr Grossman can be seen here

http://familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Slides.ppt (Warning – contains offensive material)

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Smartphone application linked to gay syphilis epidemic according to Sexual Health Clinic senior clinician

by Leave a Comment

A new smartphone application is fanning a syphilis epidemic outbreak among Canterbury’s young gay men, a doctor says.

Christchurch Sexual Health Clinic senior clinician Heather Young said gay men would usually contract syphilis after meeting at venues such as clubs, saunas or brothels but this year there had been an increase in men meeting electronically.

“In 2011, sex-on-site venues were associated with 50 per cent of syphilis cases but in 2012 it is more commonly found after use of internet dating sites or the Grindr app,” she said.

Grindr is a free social networking app for gay men. The app uses GPS to notify members when there is another gay man nearby.

Young said gay men needed to be aware of the outbreak and should “take responsibility” by ensuring they were tested.

“People think syphilis is an old infection that is not associated with the modern day but it is re-emerging globally,” she said.

Christchurch homosexual Dixie McGregor said Grindr was “the new and popular” way to meet other gay men.

McGregor, who does not have the app, did not think it was responsible for the rise in syphilis cases: “It’s just the new thing at the moment but no matter how you meet someone it’s still up to the individual to make sure they are having safe sex.”

Canterbury District Health Board clinical director of sexual health Ed Coughlan said the syphilis epidemic had got worse in recent months.

“It’s difficult to say why it’s increased recently but once it’s in the community, among the men who have sex with men population, it’s just very infectious, so it’s just spreading.”

He said the average age of people contracting the sexually transmitted disease had dropped from 46 to 24, with men as young as 19 being affected.

Coughlan said there were eight reported cases in 2011. So far this year there had been 22.

“If it carries on this way we’ll be looking at a fourfold increase and that’s quite concerning,” he said.

“Some people have reported having female sexual partners, so of course that poses another risk but this year it has been only men who have been affected in Canterbury.”

An Environmental Science and Research report showed there was 83 syphilis cases reported last year in New Zealand.

SYPHILIS FACTS

The disease is passed through direct contact with a syphilis sore.

Early-stage symptoms include mouth and genital ulcers, hair loss and rashes.

In its early stages, the disease is easily treated with a penicillin injection.

Late stages of the disease can cause paralysis, blindness, dementia or premature death.

Source: Phone app link to gay syphilis epidemic

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/7545561/Phone-app-link-to-gay-syphilis-epidemic

Note:  Section 2(d) of the SPCS Constitution “Objects” commences:

“To focus attention on the harmful nature and consequences of sexual promiscuity …….” [Emphasis added]

Incredible failures allowed sexual predator to offend – Opinion: Dominion Post editorial

by Leave a Comment

JAMES PARKER should never have been let past the gates of a school, let alone into a classroom. He should never have been in a position where he could be alone with children, and he certainly should not have been allowed to invite them into his home for sleepovers.

Parker, who has been a teacher since 1999, this week pleaded guilty to 49 charges of indecent assault, performing an indecent act and unlawful sexual connection relating to the abuse of 12 pupils at Kaitaia’s Pamapuria School, where he was the deputy principal.

The abuse occurred despite police warning the school in a strongly worded letter in 2009 that he should not have pupils staying in his house overnight. That warning came after police investigated a complaint about him, but were unable to gather sufficient evidence to prosecute.

Incredibly, the school did nothing, and Parker was able to continue offending.

Even more incredible is the revelation that Parker was flagged as a potential predator in 1999, when he was still a student teacher at another school. Teachers Council director Peter Lind says the then Teachers Registration Board had contact from that school, which raised concerns about Parker’s “professional boundaries”.

The school did not want the concerns taken any further, and a few months later made an application for him to progress from provisional to full registration.

The litany of failures that allowed him to worm his way into a position where he could groom and abuse victims will deeply trouble all mums and dads.

Schools should be safe places for kids. When parents drop their kids at the gates or wave them goodbye as they head out the door, they should do so in the knowledge they are not being put in harm’s way.

It is for those in positions of responsibility to ensure that is so. In Parker’s case, at least two schools failed to take action in the face of concerns that should have set alarm bells ringing.

Pamapuria’s board of trustees has resigned since Parker’s arrest, and a commissioner is now running the school. Police are continuing their investigations into Parker, and the school is also reviewing its policies and procedures.

A further investigation is warranted to determine how Parker came to be registered, why earlier unease about him was not acted upon and whether there are appropriate systems to vet teachers and act when concerns are raised.

In the meantime, Kataia community leader Ricky Houghton says great efforts are being made to support Parker’s victims and reassure them that what happened was not their fault.

That is to be commended. It is not Parker’s victims who are to blame, but those who failed to protect them.

Source:  Opinion:Editorial Incredible failures allowed sexual predator to offend

The Dominion Post, Saturday, August 25, 2012, p. C4.