World Family Policy Center Newsletter

* News relative to protecting the family worldwide *

Volume 3 Issue 16 - May 17, 2004

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord;

and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand

of the mighty man; so are children . . . Happy is the man that hath

his quiver full of them.” Psalms 127:3-5

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Today’s Contents:

A. Featured Articles:

1. Having Babies Seen As 'Patriotic Duty' in Australia

Related article: The Empty Cradle

2. Judge Denies Bid to Stop Gay Marriages in Mass.

Related article: New Data to Show Growing Support for

Traditional Marriage

3. Pro-lifers Oppose New Push to Legalize Abortion in Kenya

4. Percentage of Teens Interested in Religion Increases

Related article: New Film Mocks Christianity

B. Coming Events

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FEATURED ARTICLES

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1. Having Babies Seen As 'Patriotic Duty' in Australia

By Patrick Goodenough

CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief

May 12, 2004

Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - The Australian government

is risking the ire of population-control advocates by urging --

and offering incentives for -- citizens to have more children.

Announcing the conservative government's federal budget,

Treasurer Peter Costello, the minister responsible for economic and

fiscal policy, unveiled a "family-friendly" $13.3-billion package that

for five years starting in June will pay couples $2,000 for each new

baby born.

The budget also made provision for maternity payments, family tax

credits and an increase in the number of subsidized after-school childcare

places.

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\200405\FOR20040512c.html

Related article:

The Empty Cradle

May 07

Phillip Longman

Australian Financial Review

. . . . Demographers at the International Institute for Applied

Systems Analysis predict that human population will peak at

9 billion by 2070 and then start to contract. Long before then,

many nations will shrink in absolute size, and the average

age of the world's citizens will rise dramatically. Moreover, the

populations that will age fastest are in the Middle East and

other underdeveloped regions. During the remainder of

this century, even sub-Saharan Africa will probably grow older

than Europe is today.

The root cause of these trends is falling birthrates. Today, the

average woman in the world bears half as many children as did

her counterpart in 1972. No industrialised country still produces

enough children to sustain its population over time, or to prevent

rapid population ageing.

To read entire article:

http://afr.com/articles/2004/05/06/1083635275666.html

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2. Judge Denies Bid to Stop Gay Marriages in Mass.

Friday, May 14, 2004

FoxNews.com

BOSTON — A federal judge Thursday rejected a last-minute bid

by conservative groups to block the nation's first state-sanctioned

gay marriages (search) from taking place in Massachusetts on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro (search) said the state's high

court acted within its authority in interpreting the Massachusetts

Constitution (search).

The plaintiffs immediately announced they would take their case to

the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — and to the Supreme Court

if necessary. The 1st Circuit agreed to review the case on an expedited

basis.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119881,00.html

Related article:

New Data to Show Growing Support for Traditional Marriage

By Melanie Hunter

CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor

May 13, 2004

(1st Add: Includes comments from the American Center for Law

and Justice.)

(CNSNews.com) - On the same day the Massachusetts courts will

invalidate the state's marriage laws to include same-sex "marriage,"

a pro-family group plans to release new data that showing support

is growing among Americans for a marriage amendment that would

establish marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Members of the Alliance for Marriage, including Rev. Walter Fauntroy,

the Washington, D.C. coordinator for the March on Washington for

Martin Luther King Jr., will be joined by African-American groups

from Boston to release new Wirthlin Worldwide data showing majority

support for AFM's marriage amendment across all racial and political

lines.

"Most Americans believe that gays and lesbians have a right to live as

they choose. But they don't believe they have a right to redefine marriage

for our entire society," said Matt Daniels, president of the Alliance for

Marriage. "Americans want our laws to send a positive message to children

about marriage, family and their future."

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200405\CUL20040513c.html

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3. Pro-lifers Oppose New Push to Legalize Abortion in Kenya

By Stephen Mbogo

CNSNews.com Correspondent

May 12, 2004

Nairobi, Kenya (CNSNews.com) - Pro-life activists in Kenya have rejected

suggestions that Kenya should legalize abortion, following the release of new

figures on the number of women who die as a result of "unsafe" abortions. . . .

The drive to allow abortion emerges in Kenya every now and then, and each

time it does it runs into stiff resistance from Christian and Muslim leaders in a

country where a majority identifies itself as religious. . . .

Trying to legalize abortion in a predominantly African and religious society like

Kenya's "a task close to impossible," said Duncan Mwangi, a sociology teacher

in Nairobi.

The Catholic Church in Kenya maintains that the whole concept of a "safe abortion"

is misconceived.

Like the mother, "the baby in her womb has human rights too," according to the

church's teaching.

To read entire article:

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\200405\FOR20040512b.html

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4. Percentage of Teens Interested in Religion Increases

Religiosity

Childtrends Database

May 17, 2004

Between 2001 and 2002, the percentage of tenth graders who reported that

religion played a very important role in their lives increased from 32 percent to

35 percent, the highest percentage since 1991. Similarly, the percentage of twelfth

graders who felt that religion played an important role in their lives modestly

increased from 32 percent to 33 percent between 2001 and 2002. (See Figure 1)

Importance: Religious youth are more likely to avoid risky behaviors and to engage

in positive activities.1 Youth who see themselves as religious are less likely to take

risks or enjoy danger, engage in violent behaviors, or to get in trouble with the police.2

These youth are also less likely to skip school and to be suspended, expelled, or sent

to detention.3 Religious youth are more likely to volunteer in their communities,

participate in student government, and play sports or exercise regularly.4 These youth

also have lower rates of drug abuse.5 In addition, religious youth tend to hold more

conservative attitudes toward sex and have lower levels of sexual experience.6

To read entire report:

http://childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/35Religiosity.cfm

Related article: New Film Mocks Christianity

Media expert: ''SAVED!' is a hateful, politically correct movie'

May 13, 2004

WorldNetDaily.com

A noted movie critic says the new film "Saved!" is a sad, bigoted,

anti-Christian movie that mocks the Christian faith.

Ted Baehr, the founder of the Christian Film & Television Commission™

ministry has come out swinging against the MGM movie, according to

Assist News Service. The film is slated to be released May 28.

"'SAVED!' is a hateful, politically correct movie," Baehr declared. "It

is being heavily marketed to the community it mocks to lead Christian

youth astray and make them resent their own faith."

To read entire article:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38468

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COMING EVENTS

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October 6 -7, 2005

The Pacific and Asian Family Dialogue

Manila, Philippines

.......................

November 29-30, 2004

The Doha International Conference for the Family

Doha, Qatar

The Doha International Conference for the Family follow upon the

celebration of the International Year of the Family and will be a

two-day conference in Doha, Qatar, under the patronage of Her

Highness Sheikha Mouza Bint Nasser Al-Misnad., Consort of His

Highness The Emir of Qatar and President of Supreme Council for

Family Affairs, State of Qatar.

The conference represents an international assemblage, bringing

together international VIPs, governmental and non-governmental

organizations (NGOs), scholars, academicians, and civil society

leaders who will be invited by the State of Qatar to participate in

a family conference. This conference will call upon all nations of

the world to restate the principles related to family life embodied

in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to adhere to

values and endeavor to promote the role of the family as it is the

natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to

protection by society and state.

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Note: The preceding article excerpts are highlights of current events and

do not necessarily represent the views of the World Family Policy Center

or Brigham Young University.

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Newsletter created and distributed by:

World Family Policy Center

J. Reuben Clark Law School

Brigham Young University

Managing Director: Richard Wilkins

Executive Director: A. Scott Loveless

Newsletter Editors: Joy S. Lundberg and Gary B. Lundberg

If you have any articles, editorials, or papers you would like

circulated through the WFPC News network, you may submit them to

lundberg@lawgate.byu.edu

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