Progressive Atheists joined with Radical Women, Equal Love, The Block Party Against Hate, The Rainbow Army, The Council of Single Mothers and their Children, theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss and many others, to protest the World Congress of Families at Catch the Fire Ministers in Hallam on Saturday, 30 August 2014.
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Menu:
- Report
- Event Details
- Endeavour Forum Introduction
- Endeavour Forum National and Overseas Coordinator, Babette Francis
- Protest Events
- Related Petitions to Sign & Share
Report:
Progressive Atheists view our protest as a success on so many fronts.
- Progressive Atheists worked successfully in coalition with Radical Women, Equal Love, The Block Party Against Hate, The Rainbow Army, The Council of Single Mothers and their Children, theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss and many others.
- The World Congress of Families moved venues 5 times due to venue cancellations and police advice.
- Eventually they showed their true colours by accepting Catch the Fire Ministries venue hosting.
- Most politicians pulled out from attending the event citing the anti-Muslim stance of Rise Up Australia – the political party associated with Catch the Fire Ministries.
- The WCF final event venue was far south of Melbourne in an industrial estate, far from convenient to attend.
- Progressive Atheists protested with the united front against homophobic, transphobic, anti-LGBTI, anti-marriage equality, anti-feminist, anti-women, anti-sex before marriage, anti-contraception, anti-abortion, anti-divorce, anti-euthanasia, anti-union, anti-science, anti-freedom of choice, anti-freedom of belief and anti-secular views.
- Politician Rev Fred Nile from the ‘Christian Democratic Party’ did attend and decided the best statement to make was “the protest outside is part of my talk today, I’m illustrating that there are two forces, the God force and the devils force”
World Congress of Families, Matt Barber, Rick Scarborough and Daniel Lapin have called protesters “sexual radicals”, whilst Rev Fred Nile from the ‘Christian Democratic Party’ labels us collectively as “the devils force”.
The WCF is against almost everything for which the Progressive Atheists Inc. stands
- Progressive Atheists promotes a secular society without religious privileges over Atheists.
- WCF is opposed to the Progressive Atheists’ principles and is:
- against the banning of discrimination in employment
- against the banning of discrimination in the provision of services to the homeless and other disadvantaged people
- against the banning of divisive prayer at all levels of government
- against the banning of the indoctrination (with supernatural and superstitious myths) of young children
- against the provision of adequately qualified counsellors in schools instead of religious chaplains
- against clergy being subject to the same criminal and other laws as other Australians
- against removing special privileges for religions in planning laws
- against the religion business being subject to the same business laws as Australian businesses
- against religion paying their fair share of taxes
- against laws preventing cults preying on vulnerable people
- Progressive Atheists promotes the equality of genders and individual differences.
- WCF is (or some parts are) for a separate role for all women and genders by being
- against the use of child care services
- against contraception
- against choice of child bearing
- against ordination of women
- against the ordination of gay and married men
- Progressive Atheists promotes the free expression of sexual orientation between consenting adults.
- WCF is against the natural broad range of sexual orientation between consenting adults by
- banning LGBTI discussion (Russia)
- making LGBTI activity a serious criminal offence (Uganda and other countries)
- promoting the perverse deviant sexual behaviour of enforced celibacy in the Catholic Church
- promoting gay therapy
- Progressive Atheists promotes the scientific method as the most effective tool we have available to know what is true about reality.
- WCF is for ignoring a vast amount of scientific evidence when it contradicts their religious beliefs on
- creationism
- gay therapy
- sexual orientation
- HIV/AIDS
- cancer
- abortions
- existence of demons/witches/wizards and a literal force for evil
- exorcisms
Event Details:
World Congress of Families, Regional Event
Melbourne, Saturday, 30th August 2014
Venue confirmed:
Catch the Fire Ministry, 30 Star Crescent, Hallam
Endeavour Forum Introduction
Our organisation is a Christian, pro-life, pro-family Australian Non-Government Organisation (NGO) which has special consultative status with the Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. We were founded to counter feminism, to defend the right to life of the unborn, and to support marriage and the natural family. We have links with similar organisations both local and overseas.
The original meaning of “feminism” was a belief in equal rights for women in spheres conventionally reserved for men’. However, in contemporary politics, most feminists insist that the means for achieving equal rights involve abortion on demand, denial of sex differences between men and women, affirmative action policies which discriminate against men, and taxpayer funding for formal childcare but no equivalent payment to mothers who care for their own children. Feminists also deny that marriage is good for women, men and children, and refer to it as a form of ‘legalised prostituition’ – except in the case of same-sex “marriage” then it becomes an “equality” issue. In view of such beliefs, we consider feminism is an evolutionary anachronism, a Darwinian blind alley; it inevitably leads to a birth rate below replacement level.
Principles and aims
Endeavour Forum aims to enhance the status of uniquely female roles – we affirm that men and women are equal but different, not equal and the same.
We support the right to life of all human beings from conception to natural death. Our aim is a society in which married women with children can work or not work in paid employment as they choose. We can only do this by educating the public and the parliamentary representatives of the situation facing families today.
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Endeavour Forum National and Overseas Coordinator, Babette Francis
The Endeavour Forum, founded by Babette Francis, is hosting the “World Congress of Families Regional Event” in Melbourne on 30 August 2014. The Congress will be sponsored and attended by a total of 7 high profile Australian politicians.
- The Hon. Kevin Andrews MP, Minister for Social Services will open and close the event.
- The Hon. Robert Clark, Attorney-General will give a 15 min. talk welcoming everyone to Victoria.
- The Hon. Bernie Finn, MLC will speak about abortion.
- The Hon Jan Kronberg, MLC will chair a talk on sexuality.
- Rev. The Hon. Fred Nile, MLC will speak about “God’s creative purpose for planet Earth”.
- The Hon. Senator Eric Abetz (Tas) supporter and participant of the event.
- The Hon.Senator Cory Bernardi (SA) supporter and participant of the event.
In their own words the Endeavour Forum is “a Christian, pro-life, pro-family Australian Non-Government Organisation (NGO).” The Endeavour Forum was “founded to counter feminism, to defend the right to life of the unborn, and to support marriage and the natural family.” They go on to state, “we consider feminism is an evolutionary anachronism, a Darwinian blind alley; it inevitably leads to a birth rate below replacement level.”
Endeavour Forum are anti reproductive choice, anti marriage equality and anti feminism. Further research finds that the Endeavour Forum National and Overseas Coordinator, Babette Francis has a habit of cherry picking scientific evidence that supports her Christian based bigoted beliefs despite the scientific community consensus debunking these claims. When Babette can’t find a debunked study to cite, she reverts to the use of mockery and ridicule to promote her ideas.
Babette has a hard right conservative Christian agenda to have us all heterosexual, cisgendered, virgins on marriage and pregnant unless we practice abstinence. Babette is against the use of contraception, links the introduction of abortion to the lowering of the birth rate, claims that “condoms will not stem the tide of HIV infections” and states that “Life and Marriage issues … underpin the economic prosperity of a nation”. Babette clings to the belief that abortion causes breast cancer rather than accept the consensus supported by major medical bodies that there is no such link.
Babette’s attitude towards people who identify as LGBTI is abhorrent. Babette uses mocking and ridicule to promote her ideas against the acceptance of people who identify as LGBTI. She expresses the view that Lesbianism is a lifestyle that you can teach and that being homosexual is a lifestyle choice that can be changed at any time based on a whim. Babette believes that ‘conversion therapy’ is the best solution for people who identify as LGBTI. Babette’s ignorance is staggering and her attitude is offensive and shameful.
Babette would also like to push the idea of ‘sin’ to be incorporated into our social and cultural values “[s]ocial conservatives believe there is wrong-doing, the old-fashioned idea of “sin””. Babette seems to believe that it is possible that without the notion of sin that vast numbers will turn to crime.
Babette would like to see the Abbott government match their conservative economic politics with socially conservative policies on abortion and divorce and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Babette’s main concerns are the Coalition governments lack of articulation of the moral issues that underpin their policies. Babette would like Tony Abbott to shout with confidence that we should “stop abortions” and “stop family breakdown”.
As an anti-feminist and mens rights advocate Babette has a very low opinion of men, believing that “[w]ithout the taming and civilizing effects of marriage, men would have less incentive to work, less incentive if they did work to advance their careers, and more temptations to indulge in anti-social behaviour – alcohol, speeding cars, drugs or crime.” Babette states that this would be caused by women having sex before marriage because if men have “sex-without-responsibility freely available, why bother to get married?”. Babette asks us to consider, if “all Australian women had sex before marriage and became single mothers – think of the impact on the federal budget.”
Babette is clearly committed to retrogressive bigoted hard right conservative Christian based views regardless of scientific consensus or evidence to the contrary. Babette’s ignorance is staggering, but what leaves us baffled is why any Australian politician would want to have any association with such bigoted, immoral and blatantly ignorant views.
The Congress is set to receive ‘the welcome they deserve’ from a large number of groups including Radical Women, Equal Love, The Block Party Against Hate, Melbourne RadQueer, The Rainbow Army and Progressive Atheists. Make sure that you come along and make your presence felt on Saturday, 30 August 2015.
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Protests against the “World Congress of Families”
World Congress of Families, Regional Event
Melbourne, Saturday, 30th August 2014
Progressive Atheists Protest “World Congress of Families”
Saturday, 30 August 2014 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
This is an all day event and we expect protesters to come and go throughout the day. Equal Love have their starting time at 11:00 AM. The Block Party Against Hate goes from 12.30 PM – 4.30 PM.
St Cecilia’s Catholic Church
37 Hillside Parade
Glen Iris VIC 3146
*NOTE* POSSIBLE VENUE CHANGE
The venue of this event may change at short notice – watch this space!
Protest Events on listed on Facebook:
There are a number of protests coinciding to oppose the Christian based, retrogressive, bigoted, hard right conservative, immoral and blatantly ignorant views expressed by those hosting, presenting and attending this event.
- Protest “World Congress of Families” Event
- Day of Action: Give the World Congress of Families the welcome they deserve!
- PROTEST – Against the Homophobic agenda of ‘The World Congress of Families’
- The Block Party Against Hate
- Protest The Far Right World Congress of Families
- The Rainbow Army Goes To Melbourne
Related Petitions to Sign & Share
Calling on coalition MPs to withdraw from the conference that promotes homophobia and bigotry
Petition by Mamamia Team | Petitioning Robert Clark MP
WHY ARE OUR POLITICIANS ATTENDING A CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THIS ANTI-GAY, ANTI-ABORTION, ANTI SCIENCE GROUP?
Australia’s leading women’s website Mamamia is calling on MP Kevin Andrews, Cory Bernardi, Bernie Finn and Robert Clark to withdraw from the World Congress of Families conference.
Later this month, the World Congress of Families conference will be held at St Patrick’s church in Mentone, Victoria.
The opening address will be given by the Victorian Attorney-General, Robert Clark. Other Australian politicians include Federal social services minister Kevin Andrews, Federal Liberal senators Eric Abetz and Cory Bernardi, and Victorian Liberal senator Bernie Finn.
Stop government involvement with conference that endangers women and LGBTI people
Petitioning Australian Federal Government & Victorian State government | Posted 27 July 2014
The “World Congress of Families” are classified as an anti-gay group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre due to their support for Russian and Ugandan policies that have led to increasingly violent attacks on LGBTI people; and their support for the criminalisation of homosexuality.
They are running an international conference in Melbourne on August 30th, opened and closed by Minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews, who acts as an Australian representative of the group. Their managing director Larry Jacobs will speak in favour of Russia’s policies at the conference.
We want all members of Parliament to remove all involvement out of the World Congress of Families.
Petitioning Denis Napthine | Petition by Ben Cooper | Sydney, Australia | posted 16 July 2014
Federal Social Services Minster Kevin Andrews and Victorian State Attorney-General Robert Clark will participate in the World Congress of Families event that is being held in Melbourne in late August. Robert Clark will be giving a speech welcoming the World Congress of Families and Kevin Andrews who is an International Ambassador for the World Congress of Families will officiate the opening and closing of the event.
The World Congress of Families, which lists Federal Senate Leader Eric Abetz and Federal MP Cory Bernardi as supporters, is being organised by a group that campaigns for the criminalisation of homosexuality and for Christian based conversion therapy.
We take the view that no member of parliament should be involved in an event and/or give it’s support to an organisation that advocates that homosexuality should be a crime and that believes homosexuals can and should be converted to heterosexual.
Pro-life policies – from Russia, with love
Petition posted 16 July 2014
Ever heard of the World Congress of Families? They’re dedicated to preventing abortions, and are against the decriminalisation of homosexuality – and our State Attorney-General, Robert Clark, is set to address their hardline pro-life event in Melbourne next month.[1]
The controversial event will include addresses on “the pro-life and pro-family policies in the US and Russia” and the debunked “link between abortion and breast cancer”.[2]
Can you help us show Robert Clark Victorian voters don’t want our Attorney General supporting this controversial conference?
See & Sign Petition
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