Dr Philip Hughes works at Christian Research Association. He has just written a book on life, ethics and faith in Australian society showing that religious faith has a significant impact on the way people live. He spoke to the ACL's Katherine Spackman about the findings in this interview.

Emily's Voice will be hosting a one-day seminar in Brisbane for those who want to change culture, support women facing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy, or help those who are suffering as a result of pregnancy loss.



Keynote speakers will be:



Anne Lastman, Founder, Victims of Abortion: In the past 17 years, Anne Lastman has assisted more than 1500 women who have suffered post-abortion grief. Having personally experienced the trauma of two abortions, and with professional qualifications in counselling, psychology and theology she is eminently qualified to speak and teach on grief and loss.



Paul O'Rourke, CEO, Emily's Voice: Before joining Emily's Voice two years ago, Paul was CEO of Compassion Australia, a national child sponsorship and advocacy ministry. Paul has a Master's Degree in child development and a genuine desire to help Australians to fall in love with the unborn.



Helen Glen, Community Education Manager, Priceless Life Centre, Brisbane: For almost 20 years, Helen Glen has been helping women with an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. Helen knows first hand the shock and stress of experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, and draws on her personal and professional experience to support women.



Seminar details:



Date: Saturday 22 March 2014



Time: 9.00am-3.30pm



Where: The Church at the Gabba, 859 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba



Cost: $45 per person. Includes morning tea, lunch and a free copy of Why Satan Hates Our Kids: How Children are Suffering and Why the Church Should Care



To register, go to registernow.com.au and search 'Life Seminar'.



Emily's Voice seeks to change culture through a relentless, innovative, truthful and sensitive media campaign that inspires Australians to fall in love with the unborn and support women facing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy.



For more information on the speakers and the event, visit the Emily's Voice website. 

Tasmania’s new Catholic archbishop Julian Porteous, who began his role September, has in a recent blog sent a strong message about the need for Christian engagement in the public square. He points out three foundations of society currently under great threat – the sacredness of life, the true nature of marriage and family, and religious freedom.



Archbishop Porteous strongly endorses the need for Christians to be active in ensuring orchestrated campaigns by a small motivated minority groups do not reshape society for the worse, pointing to the Jesus’ admonition for his followers to be salt and light in the world. This article is well worth sharing around.



Read the article by following this link.

Crossroads' second annual pro-life walk in Australia will begin in Brisbane on 11th January 2014 and will finish in Melbourne on 9th February.



Crossroads is an international pro-life organisation that sponsors pro-life walks every summer in several countries in order to help bring about a "culture of life" and a renewed respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life, from the very beginning in the womb until natural death.



The walk is made up of Australian young people and will pass through most of the biggest cities in the country, covering over 1,600km.



Click here to download the flyer. The 2014 Crossroads walk calendar is also available via this link.



For more information, please visit the Crossroads Australia website or the Facebook page.

This year's March for the Babies will be held on Saturday 12th October.



The March has been held each year in Victoria since 2009, and is in response to the Abortion Law Reform Act passed in 2008 in Victoria, which makes abortion available for any reason up to 24 weeks. After that time a woman can obtain an abortion if two doctors agree – the reasons that can be used not only cover life and health issues – they include “social circumstances” as well.



Last year, over 3,500 people marched through the Melbourne CBD calling for a change of culture for the unborn and a repeal of the Victorian legislation, considered to be one of the most extreme abortion laws in the Western world.



If you are in Victoria, we encourage you to join in the March for the Babies this October.



Details:



When: Saturday 12th October 2013



Time: 1pm



Where: meet at Treasury Gardens, corner of Spring Street and Wellington Parade, Melbourne



Wear: pink and blue



For more information, please visit the official March for the Babies website.

MEDIA RELEASE



For release: Tuesday 6th August 2013



The Australian Christian Lobby is pleased to announce its Make it Count 2013 Election Panel event will be webcast live on Monday September 2nd, 2013 in the lead up to the federal election.



The panel event will comprise of leading Christian thinkers and subject matter experts:

• Rev Dr Keith Garner, Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of Wesley Mission



• Hon John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister



• Hon Robert McClelland, former Attorney-General and retiring ALP member for Barton



• Dr Megan Best, bioethicist and palliative care specialist



• Dr Justine Toh, Centre for Public Christianity 

ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton will facilitate the discussion in front of a live studio audience around issues including refugees, gambling, poverty, sexualisation of society, family and marriage, religious freedom, life issues and more.



This event is being made available for churches by registering at webcast.australiavotes.org.au



Mr Shelton said it is the first time the ACL has used a panel event during an election and was confident it would provide essential information for Christians in helping them decide how to vote.



The event is organised by Australian Christian Lobby and sponsored by Christian Super.

ACL's Chief of Staff Lyle Shelton and Communications Director Katherine Spackman will be speaking at this year's Easterfest.



Easterfest is Australia's largest festival about Easter…not just at Easter, but about Easter. Celebrating its message draws thousands of people from across the country to make the pilgrimage up the mountain to Toowoomba.



The ACL staff will participate in 'The Forum' presented by Bible Society, facilitating group discussions on challenging issues of life and faith.



On the Friday, Lyle will be facilitating two group discussions: Are We There Yet?…response to world poverty and Addicted to Technology? The pleasures and pitfalls of living in the digital age. In the evening, Katherine will be a panel guest in a discussion on The Sexual Individualism of the iWorld.



Lyle will also be a key panel guest on Saturday on Being a Voice in the Political Arena and Christians in Politics - A history of advocacy of those in need. He will also be a key panel guest on Sunday on Responding to the crisis in child well being in Australia, and will facilitate a discussion on One Heart…Church Unity. 



On Sunday evening, Katherine will be the primary speaker on Human Trafficking, facilitated by David Wilson and including guests Destiny Rescue.



If you're able, we encourage you to come along and participate in this event as we celebrate the true meaning of Easter.



Details are as follows:



Date: 29th-31st March



Where: Queen's Park, Toowoomba



Cost: Click here for a detailed breakdown of prices



Visit the Easterfest website to register your attendance.

Teresa Martin is from Cherish Life Queensland and spoke to the ACL's Katherine Spackman about the historic Roe v Wade decision 40 years ago in the United States Supreme Court which legalised abortion.

MEDIA RELEASE



For release: Tuesday, November 27, 2012



South Australian Labor MLAs should be granted a conscience vote on a bill that proposes to introduce euthanasia by stealth, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.



ACL spokesman Dan Flynn said it had always been Labor’s policy to grant a conscience vote on life issues.



“This bill certainly brings about euthanasia by stealth, despite the SA parliament’s recent rejection of a euthanasia bill,” Mr Flynn said.



This month, the Advanced Care Directive Bill 2012 passed the House of Assembly as Labor-sponsored legislation introduced by Health Minister John Hill.



The bill makes binding any statement in an Advanced Care Directive for the withdrawal or withholding of health care, including nutrition and hydration.



“Given that this bill introduces euthanasia by omission, it should be the subject of a conscience vote before the South Australian Upper House, in accordance with Labor’s express policy on euthanasia votes,” Mr Flynn said.



Paul Russell of HOPE: Preventing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide has described the proposed legislation as a “euthanasia Trojan horse.”



“Actions or omissions with the intent to kill or the intent that the patient dies are either acts of euthanasia or assisted suicide,” Mr Russell said.



ACL calls for the referral of the legislation to a Committee for public submissions before it is rushed through Parliament.



 

 



ACL's Victorian Director Dan Flynn has had an opinion piece published in Online Opinion entitled Not marching for baby fish.



The March for the Babies event held in Melbourne over the weekend was a visual demonstration that Victoria's abortion laws are out of step with community sentiment - there was a huge turnout of almost 4,000 people who marched for the right to life of every child.



You can read Mr Flynn's article via the link above, or see below for a copy.



Thousands of Victorians marched through Melbourne's CBD on Saturday. Why? Who needs their protection?



This month snapper commence their annual migration into Port Philip Bay. These fish are highly prized by recreational anglers and in accordance with sustainable fisheries priorities Fisheries Officers will enforce size limits to protect juvenile fish.



If you are caught taking or being in possession of an undersized snapper it will be returned to the water and you can expect an infringement notice. If your offending involves numerous undersized fish, they will be returned to the water and you can expect to be charged, face court and be fined or worse. Something in a previous life I was employed to ensure.



Tragically, unborn babies in Victoria are not afforded the same protection as our undersized fish.



In 2007, the then Premier John Brumby announced that Victoria's abortion laws were "out of step with community sentiment" and he commenced a process that lead to the liberalisation of abortion law.



The Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 now provides that abortion may be performed by a medical practitioner up to twenty four weeks without reference to any criteria. Abortion after twenty four weeks and up until the moment of birth, can be performed after confirmation by any two medical practitioners that the abortion is appropriate, having regard to all relevant medical circumstances and the women's current and future physical, psychological and social circumstances.



These provisions have created an environment of abortion on request. It is estimated, based on Medicare statistics that approximately 20,000 abortions occur in Victoria each year.



The 2009 Annual Report of the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM) released in June 2012 reveals that from a total of 410 post twenty week abortions, 210 were performed on babies without physical defects, including ten undertaken after twenty eight weeks. Children at this stage of gestation are certainly capable of surviving outside the womb.



The 2010 report of CCOPMM revealed 345 late-term babies were killed in 2007 and that fifty four of them were still alive after the abortion procedure.



This lead then MLC Peter Kavanagh to try to set up an investigation into the cases of the fifty four babies who survived their abortion and were subsequently left to die. The questions he wanted answered related to what efforts were made to ensure those children had the best possible healthcare and opportunity to live. The motion was defeated. Mr Kavanagh was described in Parliament as "disgusting" for even raising the issue.



However, when the federal Parliamentary Group on Population and Development told a Senate Inquiry in 2008 that public funding of abortion was needed because the birth of babies with disabilities would be a burden on the budget, it is hard to expect much sympathy for the situation of the unborn in certain sections of our parliaments.



Fortunately for those who do not understand the importance and relevance of this issue a documentary will be released next month entitled "The Voice of John". This film will discuss the reality of babies born alive after abortions. In The Voice of John the humanity of the unborn will be made real -"one small voice will speak for millions."



Public sentiment is moving away from abortion as the answer to unexpected and initially unwanted pregnancies or crisis pregnancies as they're called. Financial support, medical treatment, accommodation and care are now commonly being identified as better solutions.



Fuller analysis of why women have abortions may uncover options that make provision for mother and child to co-exist and prosper.



In submissions to a Victorian Parliamentary review of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights in July 2011, the Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart and the bishops of Ballarat and Sale, argued that the Charter gave "inadequate protection for the right to life, including the right to life of the child before birth".



This deep concern of the Church for the unborn was reflected again in a speech by Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen last week, when he said: "What sort of society is it that kills 100,000 children in the womb each year?"



The estimated 3,500 Victorians who marched through the Melbourne CBD on Saturday to marked the 4th anniversary of the introduction of the Abortion Law Reform Act called for a change of culture and legislation. They marched for numerous reasons, including compassion for the women whose children have been aborted; women who have been failed by society in the provision of practical and emotional assistance.



The March was a peaceful witness to life and a visual demonstration that Victoria's abortion laws are "out of step with community sentiment", that surely values the life of a child over a fish.