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| Jerry Cirino, chairman of Cleveland Right to Life, introduces Molly Smith, Cleveland Right to Life president, to speakers and volunteers at last weekend's convention |
Like SPUC did (in November 2011), last year Cleveland Right to Life committed themselves to defend marriage, the permanent exclusive union of a man and a woman, and to oppose same-sex marriage.
My talk, which you can read in full on the SPUC website, spelled out the empirical evidence which overwhelmingly shows that marriage as an institution is fatally wounded by redefining it to include same-sex couples and that those who suffer as a result are, above all, children. We are sacrificing children on the altar of adults' sexual rights.
I say:
"... Legalising “same-sex marriage” is not a question of being kind to people with same-sex attraction and letting them get married if they want to. It is a question of the destruction of the family, the oldest human institution in the world, which protects the mental and physical wellbeing of men, women and children. No other grouping offers such a high level of that security and stability that human beings need to flourish. Research shows overwhelmingly that children growing up within marriage do better in terms of health, educational success, happiness, careers and their own marriages. It is precisely because children matter, that real marriage between one man and one woman matters so much ..."I also describe in some detail the serious danger to marriage and the family, and to our children in particular, posed by a political agenda at work at the Family Synod, to destroy the entire edifice of Catholic teaching on human sexuality.
"... The destruction of traditional family structures has very grave consequences for all members of society, but it is children, born and unborn, who are especially vulnerable. Government statistics from the United Kingdom show that children conceived outside of marriage are 4 to 5 times more likely to be aborted than those conceived within marriage.
There’s a website I looked up when I was preparing this talk called Rainforest Concern. Rainforest Concern tells us that half of the Earth’s wildlife and at least two-thirds of its plant species live in tropical rainforests ... These plants provide food and shelter for many rare animals that depend on the rainforest for their survival ... Destroy the rainforest and you destroy protection for that wildlife ... In the same way, the family, founded on marriage between a man and a woman is the natural habitat of children, of unborn children. Indeed, the natural family is a pre-political and pre-Christian institution. Destroy that institution in society and you destroy protection for children, both born and unborn.
Historically, our nations’ laws protected unborn children from being killed, and so, quite logically and rightly, pro-life movements worldwide have worked tirelessly to restore, or to uphold, such laws.
By the same token, historically, families based on the indissoluble union in marriage of a man and a woman, have provided children, both born and unborn, with their best hope of life and fulfilment in life ... so, quite logically and rightly, pro-life movements worldwide must work tirelessly to defend marriage and the family.
The pro-life movement cannot possibly succeed in its efforts to end abortion if the family based on marriage between a man and a woman is destroyed.
What’s more, a major way in which the so-called “homosexual rights” lobby is actively undermining the family and the culture of life, is through targeting its message at little children in their schools including, in the UK, I am ashamed to say as a Catholic myself, in Catholic primary schools. I have little doubt that the same pattern is repeated in other countries too.
I am sorry to have to share with you that homosexual militants are being invited into schools in Britain, including into Catholic schools with the blessing of the local bishop, to train teachers how to educate little boys as young as four years old that they might grow up to marry a man rather than a woman – and the same with little girls.
Catholic schools in Britain, and around the world, have long been complicit in the culture of death, providing access to abortion and contraception for the under 16s without parental knowledge. This is happening, to my shame as a Catholic, with the co-operation of the Catholic authorities.
Now what happens when little Johnny at Our Lady’s School, say, in south London, says to his teacher: “Please Miss! Can boys who grow up to marry a man have babies like mummies and daddies can?” Without a shadow of doubt, very many teachers will say “Yes they can. In a different way ... but yes they can.”
As you know, same-sex couples are now demanding the right to have children– making it even more difficult for pro-life groups effectively to oppose surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation. According to peer-reviewed research, for every baby born by IVF, 23 are either discarded, or frozen, or used in destructive experiments, or miscarry. Defending the right to life of unborn children will increasingly be viewed as an attack on the rights of homosexual couples.
Thus, this is one of the most fundamental reasons why, as the title of my talk this morning states: 'The pro-life movement must embrace the defence of marriage and the family or face defeat' ...
Pro-life activists and everyone of good will must take note of what's happening and take action.
If you want to know how you can help, do contact me ...
Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
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