Received: from beru.its.uow.edu.au (130.130.68.31) by staffmail.uow.edu.au (10.5.102.13) with Microsoft SMTP Server id 8.1.336.0; Sun, 7 Dec 2008 09:43:58 +1100 Received: from febris-nat.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.210] helo=febris.its.uow.edu.au) by beru.its.uow.edu.au with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1L95sP-0003a2-7N for blane@uow.edu.au; Sun, 07 Dec 2008 09:43:53 +1100 Received: from c3.confirmedcc.com (c3.confirmedcc.com [64.95.77.164]) by febris.its.uow.edu.au (MOS 3.10.3-GA) with ESMTP id PYB08976; Sun, 7 Dec 2008 09:43:49 +1100 (EST) Received: from p2-ws508.ad.prodcc.net (unknown [10.252.0.101]) by c3.confirmedcc.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id DA9851860BEE for ; Sat, 6 Dec 2008 17:25:38 -0500 (EST) From: Fatherhood Foundation To: Brian Lane Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2008 09:26:49 +1100 Subject: Love in Action Thread-Topic: Love in Action Thread-Index: AclX9CFGXMiwmL+tTWeG910lvlBNaQ== Message-ID: <1102354780337.1101938345415.1211.8.105172502@scheduler> List-Unsubscribe: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3d90mBLDU8ykduMbyQks4BmusDV7HBcHJQ== Reply-To: "info@fathersonline.org" Accept-Language: en-AU, en-US Content-Language: en-US X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthSource: excasht01.ad.uow.edu.au X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: x-junkmail-status: score=10/49, host=febris.its.uow.edu.au x-junkmail-sd-raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A150204.493B0028.006D:SCFMA772204,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=64.95.77.164, so=2008-09-22 23:22:13, dmn=5.4.3/2007-10-18, mode=single engine x-junkmail-iwf: false x-return-path-hint: ESC1102354780337_1101938345415_1211@in.confirmedcc.com x-roving-id: 1101938345415.1211 x-lumos-senderid: 1101938345415 x-roving-campaignid: 1102354780337 x-roving-streamid: 0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_000_1102354780337110193834541512118105172502scheduler_" MIME-Version: 1.0 --_000_1102354780337110193834541512118105172502scheduler_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/11.jpg?a=3D11= 02354780337] 8th December 2008 Inspiring Fathers Encouraging Families Iss= ue 329 [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101093164665/people3_header= 1.jpg] Love in Action Dear Brian, Welcome to the Fatherhood Foundation newsletter and email information servi= ce for fathers and families as we present Love in Action.. In This Issue Frontline...Love is being committed to committed Link...Dad Can I Borrow the Car Laughter..Gone Fishin' Grandfathers...Injustice Single Dads...Shared Parenting All You Need is Love..Marital Checkup Special Feature...Open Lettter News & Info..Parents Links Dad's Prayer..Put Love in Action Next Week The Bucket List Join our Mailing List! [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/ftf_btn_1.gif] Quick Links Fatherhood Foundation Dads in Distress Men to Men Malachi Global Marriage.com.au Mannet Living Waters Care for the Family - UK Wild at Heart CSA Adverts Thought of the Week [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/stock1/0f2c6t9a.jpg] Our love must not be a thing of words and fine talk. It must be a thing of action and sincerity. 1 John 3:18 Frontline [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/514.jpg?a=3D= 1102354780337] I was teaching at a seminar in Tasmania about love and relationships. The s= eminar audience was made up of both men and women and I asked the rhetorica= l question, "What is love?" A woman spoke up. They are usually the first to do so. I am not saying that= men don't have an opinion on love, but women seem to have thought about th= e subject a lot, lot more. She said, "Love is being committed to being committed." I have not yet heard a better definition of love. Have you? Please tell me = if you have. This week the Fatherhood Foundation would like to share with you some pract= ical tips on how to put love into action. Men put love into action everyday by providing for their families. Many tim= es their occupation drives them out of the home for long hours and sometime= s the jobs they do are both dirty and dangerous, but for women and children= , this sort of sacrifice does not necessarily spell love. Children spell love T-I-M-E whilst women spell love A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. Both= the Fatherhood Foundation's website and letterhead bear the words: Love La= ugh Listen Learn. Perhaps it will help if I use the word LOVE as an acrosti= c. L - Learning - that's why you read this weekly newsletter, to get id= eas on how to be a better dad and/or better husband. This is foundational. = When we stop learning, we start dying. Learning, learning all the time. Rec= ently I discovered the sacred principle of the 'six second kiss' - a great = way to enliven a declining relationship. Your marriage is either advancing = or retreating, there is no sitting on the fence. You as a man must take res= ponsibility for your relationship. Try starting the playful habit of a six = second kiss. Even in the middle of an argument - call for a six second kiss= break. You will be surprised how many arguments the six second kiss will d= issolve. O - Opportunity. Seize the day and grab the opportunity. For example = I will often reject the notion of mum's taxi and go for dad's taxi instead.= After all it's a great way to spend time with your children. I am often th= e silent type but I force myself to engage in conversation because: V - Verbal expression. I begin by asking questions like, "How was yo= ur day? What did you do? What did you enjoy the most? Why was it enjoyable?= The V in love could also stand for Value. You must value their ability and= listen to your child's answers. People always feel valued when you listen = to them. So both talking AND listening are part of the double V process of = verbal expression and listening expression of acts of love. But remember da= ds, you have 2 ears and only one mouth. That should be the ratio of listeni= ng to talking. E - Exercise. Love is something you do as well as say. If you say it= but don't do it, love-in-action becomes another useless metaphor in the ve= rbal wasteland of love. Exercise your heart and let the love out. Your fami= ly will be so glad you did. Lovework Buy some flowers for your wife or do something with your children. Whatever you do, put your L-O-V-E into action. Learn new ideas. Grab the op= portunities. Say 'I love you' and add value by listening. Lastly, make sure there is some forward motion on your part because love is= something you do. Yours for love in action Warwick Marsh PS The media storm has died down but the vilification continues. The saying= , 'Never let the truth get in the way of a good story' is an expression tha= t easily comes to mind. It is important for the men's movement to stand tog= ether in solidarity against injustice and discrimination wherever it might = come from. Find my further thoughts on the subject in Special Feature as an= Open Letter to the Men and Father's Movement. Thank you for your many enco= uraging phone calls and emails. They have lifted my spirits and encouraged = me to press on. ____________________________________________________________________ Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 33 years. He is the grandfath= er of two children and father of five children, four boys and one girl, ran= ging in age from 28 years to 16 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, = producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himsel= f. Link of the Week Dad Can I Borrow the Car Laughter [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/517.jpg?a=3D1= 102354780337] Dad & I went fishing the other day. We were having no luck with snags and o= nly the odd bite and to make things worst we ran out of bait. We quickly scrounged around in the back of the ute for some scraps of food = to put on the hook when we found a dead mouse. We baited up the hook with t= he mouse carcass and threw the line in the water. Low and behold, we caught a fish straight away. It was a catfish. Grandfathers [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/515.gif?a=3D1= 102354780337] Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere. Martin Luther King Jnr (in a letter from Birmingham Jail) Single Dads Shared Parenting Council of Australia[http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com= /fs007/1101938345415/img/518.jpg?a=3D1102354780337] The Shared Parenting Council of Australia strongly supports all reasonable = initiatives designed to protect women and children from violence. At the same time the Council points out that the recent "exposure" of this = subject in the SMH seriously understates the full extent of the problem of = family violence. The Sydney Morning Herald articles in question limited th= e discussion to battering of wives by husbands - this type of violence is i= ndeed a serious matter, deserves condemnation and merits protective program= s. However, family violence is a more complex issue and includes also serious = instances of female violence towards men, women and children. The incidence= of maternal violence to children, both physical and emotional, is especial= ly worrying yet attracts no media attention. The media have a duty of care = to report accurately and the public have a right to know who are the real p= erpetrators and the real victims. The narrow focus of the SMH in reporting = only "men's violence against women" ensures that the other groups affected = by violence remain hidden from public view and leaves the vast majority of = victims of violence without a voice and a campaign that speaks for them. The claims by SMH journalist Ruth Pollard (Courts put kids at risk, 25/11/0= 8), that changes to the Family Law Act are compelling courts to hand childr= en over to violent fathers are false and scurrilous. These claims are an in= sult to judges and magistrates who apply the law and deal daily with seriou= s relationship issues. There are precise safeguards in the Act to exclude shared parenting and joi= nt parental responsibility in cases where there are real issues of violence= , conflict or abuse. The allegation that women are being "forced" into medi= ation with violent ex-partners is particularly mischievous. The Act does no= thing of the kind, and mediators and community agencies have screening stra= tegies to identify cases in which mediation is inappropriate. [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/153.jpg?a=3D1= 102354780337]We welcome the Federal Attorney General's statement that he is= consulting with all stakeholders in examining the real effect of the share= d parenting legislation. We urge him to reject the arguments of biased adv= ocates, more concerned with advancing their own agendas than with the real = interests of children and women. Reducing mothers to "victim" status is a f= avoured strategy of radical feminists opposed to men and does nothing for t= he protection and welfare of women and children. The Executive Secretary of the SPCA, Wayne Butler said, "Recent judgements = show clearly that it is a complete nonsense to suggest that the Family Law = Act has in any way softened the approach of the judicial officers to cases = of family violence and alleged violence. In particular I refer to Miller & = Brass [2008] FamCA 944 (30 September 2008) and Short & Trevilian (No. 2) [2= 008] FamCA 215 (25 March 2008)." "In both judgements, reference is made to the new Act, particularly with re= gard to the impacts of s60cc in these cases. The court acted to prevent exp= osure of the children to potential violence even though it was considered i= mprobable that any violence would occur. The judgements in those cases make= it crystal clear that safety and the interests of the child continue to be= paramount." The SPCA will suggest to the Attorney General that he consults widely with = the judges, magistrates, lawyers, mediators and counsellors who deal regula= rly with separated families in and outside the courts. Reports that have co= me to our attention speak favourably of the application of the shared paren= ting legislation and the new collaborative approach to sound parenting post= divorce. We strongly suggest that nothing less than five years would provide adequat= e time, experience and material for a full and careful review of the effect= s of the reformed Family Law legislation. We trust that the Attorney General will not be persuaded by anything less. Contact: Edward Dabrowski, Federal Director, Tel. 0409 917 345 email: director@spca.org.au All You Need is Love [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/516.jpg?a=3D= 1102354780337] Do You Need a Marital Checkup? Study: An Annual Tuneup Could Improve Your Relationship By ANDREA CANNING, JENNIFER PEREIRA and IMAEYEN IBANGA Dec. 3, 2008 ABC NEWS When most people hear the word checkup, they might think of semi-annual den= tal visits or physicals, but it turns out an examination might also help im= prove the health of your marriage. Psychologist James Cordova is convinced annual marital counseling can impro= ve relationships, and he said a recent study he led proves it. "Essentially, what we've discovered over time is that marital health, reall= y is a health concern. The qualities of a person's marriage and the extent = to which they are doing well in that marriage have a dramatic effect on phy= sical health and mental health," said Cordova, an associate professor of ps= ychology at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. The Study In a two-year National Institutes of Health study, Cordova followed 68 coup= les, who varied in age, for six months. On average the pairs had been toget= her for 15 years, with the husbands' ages around 47 and the wives' 44. Half of the married couples were given marriage checkups, which included th= erapy once a year, and the other pairs received no therapy at all. Cordova found that the couples who participated in the two-session checkup = intervention, which included completing a battery of questions and face-to-= face assessment, fared better. "Marital satisfaction improves for couples who have been through counseling= once a year, while control couples didn't improve at all," Cordova said. "People that have been through the marriage checkup are improving in all ki= nds of ways in comparison to couples who haven't." Participants David Bayer and his wife Kay said they've seen a difference in= their marriage since they joined the study. The two, who have been married= for 23 years, said they decided to participate because they were worried a= bout the future. "We had two really close friends get divorced and it sort of hit us when th= ey got divorced: 'What happened to them?' So, we're trying to improve on wh= at we saw go wrong," Kay Bayer said. The Bayers said their biggest weakness was communication, but both have lea= rned to find more effective ways to talk to each other because of the study= . Marriage Concerns "You don't realize the little things that may affect your marriage," Kay Ba= yer said. "[I was] learning to speak more clearly to him so he could unders= tand where I was coming from. I tend not to think before I speak on some is= sues." The Bayers' experience was typical of what other couples who took part in t= he checkups found, Cordova said. "They feel more intimate in their relationship," Cordova said of the couple= s who engaged in therapy. "They feel more accepting of each other, more abl= e to accept one another's warts and all. They're more active in taking deli= berate care of their marriage." Common Complaints Cordova said the most common complaint he hears from couples involves not b= eing able to fit their marriages into a hectic lifestyle. "[The] things we help them with [are] to notice that it's an issue, to noti= ce they're suffering from it and figure out ways to make time," he said. Cordova said he hopes more couples will focus on what's right in their marr= iages and build on those strengths. Click here for more information about Cordova's study: http://tinyurl.com/5o89bu Copyright =A9 2008 ABC News Internet Vent Special Feature [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/519.jpg?a=3D1= 102354780337] Open Letter to Men & Fathers Movement Re: National Men's Health Draft Policy Debacle It is a sad day when political expediency triumphs over sound judgement. It is a sad day when the oppressed become the oppressors. The end never jus= tifies the means. It is a sad day when 'truth is fallen in the streets'. It is a tragedy when political correctness becomes the new religion of choi= ce by anti-male government forces. I don't believe in feminism but I don't believe in masuclinism either. I be= lieve in peoplism. We need a new way to be human, to find our heart and lea= rn how to love; to discover our uniqueness as male and female and enjoy our= diversity, without the need to criticise and condemn each other in the pro= cess. Last week there was an extraordinary outburst of hate and hetrophobia again= st my appointment on Tuesday 25 November 2008 as an Ambassador for the Nati= onal Men's Health Draft policy. If you believe what the media says about me= you will be buying a share in the Sydney Harbour Bridge or investing your = life savings in some internet scam. Even the media doesn't believe its own = lies. Thoreau famously said when asked if he wanted the newspaper delivered= , "I have seen a newspaper". Newspapers aren't interested in the truth. The= role of newspapers is to sell newspapers, not to tell the truth. The Austr= alian article was defamatory. The Illawarra Mercury newspaper reprinted my open letter in fu= ll on their website in a rare, but much appreciated, display of honest jour= nalism. Isaiah said, 'Judgement is turned backwards. . for truth is fallen in the s= treets, and equity cannot enter'. These words could have been written yeste= rday. As famed automobile pioneer Henry Ford observed, 'the truth frequentl= y seems unreasonable; the truth is frequently depressing; the truth sometim= es seems to be evil. But it has the eternal advantage, it is the truth, and= what is built thereon neither brings nor yields to confusion'. Des Griffin= observed, 'People who stand for nothing will fall for anything, most fall = easy prey to still further manipulation by unscrupulous politicians or reli= gious shysters'. We might add media charlatans to the list. I am being vilified because I believe that children need both a mother and = a father. I am being vilified because I have the temerity to disagree with = the new religion of political correctness. I thought that we lived in a fre= e country where people could debate in the best interest of the child in op= en and reasoned discourse. The totalitarian rule of the Family Law Court cu= lture has now well and truly taken over the outworking of public policy. Yo= u disagree with the militant feminist establishment at your own cost. This is not unusual for me to be out of favour with the establishment becau= se I was a member of the counterculture in the late sixties and early seven= ties. All my friends were outcast communist hippies and protesters against = injustice. Nothing has changed. Many of my friends in the men's movement ar= e former left wing revolutionaries. I will continue to advocate for the tru= th in a spirit of love. We are in a battle where we must out-love our enemi= es as Dr Martin Luther King used to say. Hate will never defeat hate, only = love will. The Men and Father's Movement in Australia is a very diverse body and is ma= de up of many disparate groups with strong opinions. The reason we have bee= n so successful over the last few years is that we have worked together whi= lst respecting our differences. That is the reason there have been positive= changes to the Family Law Court system (although much more is needed). Tha= t is the reason that a 'national men's health policy' is now up for discuss= ion. Women have had a National Health Policy since 1989 but the men have be= en neglected. It is up to the men and father's movement to now get behind Professor John = Macdonald and encourage him as a voice for strengths-based Men's Health Pol= icy. Having said that, we should not gloss over injustice at any time. We = need to stand together and support one another. We must heed the words of P= s Martin Niemoller's poem which was written while in a Nazi concentration c= amp. 'In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up beca= use I wasn't a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I= wasn't a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a J= ew; And then . . . they came for me . . . and by that time there was no one lef= t to speak up.' So I was an Ambassador for Men's Health for one day only and it could well = go into the Guinea's Book of Records as the shortest ambassador on record. = The injustice of the situation has not gone unnoticed by the Australian peo= ple as a recent news poll would indicate. People must have realised the que= stion was defamatory to begin with as my plight received a majority of the = votes with a higher than normal total voting figure of 92,775 voters. Imagine what would have happened if the media had told th= e truth. The totalitarian precedent that the Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, set is q= uite extraordinary in a supposed democratic and free society. Accept the mi= litant feminist government position or face the sack is the governmental me= ssage. It is worrying to hear of plans by the Rudd Government to dismantle = the Federal Magistrates Court and amalgamate that court into the dreaded Fa= mily Law Court. Equally worrying is the call by the Attorney Generals Depar= tment into an enquiry into Shared Parenting at the behest of the militant f= eminist groups who seem to hate the notion of equality between mothers and = fathers. It would seem that there is still an ongoing struggle against the = injustice the children and fathers of Australia have suffered these last co= uple of decades at the hands of a governmental system that would seem to be= perversely anti-male. Thousands of men have committed suicide because of t= he injustice they suffered at the hands of government instrumentalities. My= sacking and subsequent vilification is simply a sign that we still have a = long struggle ahead of us in this battle for the truth. Thank you to all those who have written letters of support and encouragemen= t, Thank you to all those bloggers and internet warriors who have spoken up= for the truth in online forums. Thank you to all those who have written to= the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Nicola Roxon to protest this injustice. = As Martin Luther King said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice eve= rywhere." Thank you for your support. Kind regards Warwick Marsh News & Info Parents Links [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/= img/520.gif?a=3D1102354780337] Parents want Kids with sense of humour Australian parents would rather their children grow up to be comedians than= brain surgeons. Children Attend Divorce Classes WORKSHOPS on coping with divorce, dealing with anxiety and making friends a= re all on the school-holiday program list for children this Christmas break= in NSW. Banned Dads Agonising Loss A father has been barred from seeing his daughter for seven years. After a = tortuous 10-year journey through four courts, more than 20 hearings, 12 psy= chologists and six lawyers, he was told he could not see his daughter until= she came of age. Father Groups Demand a Fair Go THE Family Court has been accused of turning Australia into a divided socie= ty, riven by bitter custodial and access disputes over the children of brok= en homes. Fathers' groups say the court is discriminating against men and increasing = the rising cost of family disputes. They say more fathers who are separated from their children are taking thei= r lives. ABS-Childrens Participation Statistics Downloadable files in pdf, xls or zip for Children's Participation in Cultu= ral and Leisure Activities in Australia ________________________________________________________________ [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/509.jpg?a=3D1= 102354780337] Re: Men's Health Ambassadors The ratio of positive emails to negative is now about 6:1 Here are some of them for your interest. _________________________ I've been receiving your newsletter for around four years now and am thankf= ul for your efforts. I would have been honoured to have you representing Au= stralian Men on our Draft Men's Health policy. I believe you have my own an= d my family's best interests at heart. I have confidence in your ability, c= onnectedness, generosity and love of your fellow man. So when things get a = bit tricky and e few individuals get together to give you a bit of a hiding= remember that you're not alone, not in the slightest. Please accept my tha= nks and affirmation for a job well done. Kind regards. Kev Peagam ______________________________ Dear Ms Roxon, I don't know how informed you are about homosexuality but as a former homos= exual I would like to draw the following facts to your attention. The fact that homosexuals live an extremely promiscuous lifestyle is a well= known and well documented fact. I would refer you to one (although there a= re many others) excellent book by Thomas E. Schmidt, "Straight and Narrow"? Too busy to read it? Well here are some of the facts about homosexuality. Bell and Weinberg in their book "Homosexualities" found that 74% of male ho= mosexuals reported having more than 100 partners during their lifetime, 41%= more than 500 partners, 28% more than 1000 (yes, one thousand) partners. 7= 5% reported that more than half their partners were strangers, and 65% repo= rted that they had sex with more than half their partners only once. For th= e previous year, 55% reported twenty or more partners, 30% fifty or more pa= rtners. The above is as quoted by Thomas Schmidt in "Straight and Narrow?" Page 107= . This was my experience in the world of the homosexual. A life of promiscuit= y. There was also, and still is, alcohol and drug abuse within the gay comm= unity. Leaving alcohol out of the picture, let's have a look at the drug ab= use issue. In 1989 a San Francisco study found 89% used marijuana, 50% used= cocaine, 72% used poppers, 33% used barbiturates and 50% used LSD. Once ag= ain, I quote Thomas E. Schmidt. Obviously with the high rate of both promiscuity and the high rate of drug = and alcohol abuse sexually transmitted diseases abound. I have quoted facts here which can easily be verified if you will take the = time and the trouble. In chapter nine of his book, Thomas Schmidt goes on t= o document the sexually transmitted diseases that are common in the gay com= munity. It makes for very sad and disturbing reading. As Health Minister I would urge you to do some reading before you sack any = more people. It is not "homophobic" to have an intelligent and realistic vi= ew of what the homosexual life consists of. Nor is it, in my opinion, helpf= ul for a Health Minister to be so very poorly informed about these things. Chris __________________________ Your research and papers are biased, and am ashamed that such dribble is pr= eached by Australians. A country which I always thought prided it self on i= ts ability to accept all sorts of people. I am a father, I am gay, I am al= so a member of society who is dedicated to helping others. I have two well = adjusted, intelligent children who lack neither love or and environment in = which to flourish. Their future is not jeopardised by sexual, physical or d= rug abuse. Your paper preaches nothing but lies to blame others for your in= ability to understand some of the horrors this world inflicts on members of= the human race much of which is caused by people such as yourselves. Chris= tian extremists who are a complete contradiction to all that they supposedl= y sprout. Shame on you Dan Purcell gay and proud _________________________ Homophobia not issue On November 27, 2008, Health Minister Nicola Roxon, wrongly sacked one of h= er men's health ambassadors, Warwick Marsh of the Fatherhood Foundation. This is for allegedly expressing homophobic views. What is homophobia? Homo= phobia comes from the Greek homos: one and the same and from phobos: fear, = phobia. Wikipedia defines homophobia as an irrational fear of, aversion to,= or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals (reference: http://= en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia) This action by Ms Roxon is insidious for its underlying agenda. The Health Minister fails to understand what most people in the street know= . This is that children are much better off when they grow up with parents = that are a mother and father. That is rather than having parents who are of= the same sex. This issue is not about homophobia. It is not about people who want to be in homosexual and lesbian relationshi= ps. It is about a refusal to understand what is best for the children in this c= ountry. John Flanagan, Non-Custodial Parents Party, Thirroul __________________________ This is not a Paper it's a complete disgrace. By the way there is no such word as gender disorientation. What a complete = load of thrown together rubbish 'Gender Matters' is. Cindi E _________________________ It was disappointing to see public discourse in Australia reduced to the lo= w level of ranting seen recently as the homosexual lobby and the radical fe= minists led by Ms Roxon attacked you personally as well as your organizatio= n. We know that you have been engaged in an honest, frank program to support f= athers and good parenting. Keep up the good work. Our prayers are with you all. Ken Francis ____________________________ I am of the opinion that the role of ambassador is to lobby for, and create= interest in creating a truly representative policy regarding the issues th= at men face in our every day lives and that affect our health. It is my bel= ief that you are more than capable of providing this service. I hope that t= he men 'who should know better' stop looking for tall poppy's and get behin= d those who 'have a go'. Dave Dad's Prayer [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/152.jpg?a=3D1= 102354780337] Dear God Help me to put love into action: To take a stand against injustice, To live out the truth Instead of merely professing it. Fine talk is not the ultimate expression of love. It is only when we live our life From the hidden man of the heart That we can truly put love into action. Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity. Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of h= arm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in f= athering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, pr= otective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and thei= r children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public F= und and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax ded= uctibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong DONATE ONLINE BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 542 UNANDERRA NSW 2526 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Regis= ter of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax = Assessment Act 1997. You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscri= bed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish to receiv= e future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below. Forward email [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/safe_unsubscribe_logo.gif] This email was sent to blane@uow.edu.au by info@fathersonline.org. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(tm) | Pri= vacy Policy. Email Marketing= by [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/cc-logo-color-sm.gif] Fatherhood Foundation | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia --_000_1102354780337110193834541512118105172502scheduler_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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8th  December 2008 &nb= sp;       Inspiring Fathers=  Encouraging Families Issue 329
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Love in Action
Dear Brian,

Welcome to the Fatherhood Foundation newsletter and email inform= ation service for fathers and families as we present Love in Acti= on..

=09
In This Issue
Frontline...Love is being committed to committed
Link...Dad Can I Borrow the Car
Laughter..Gone Fishin'
Grandfathers...Injustice
Single Dads...Shared Parenting
All You Need is Love..Marital Checkup
Special Feature...Open Lettter
News & Info..Parents Links
Dad's Prayer..Put Love in Action
Next Week&nb= sp;
 The = Bucket List
 =09 =09
 
Join our Mailing List!
 
=09 =09 =09
Quick Links
 Thought of the Week
Our love must not be a thing of
words and fine talk.
It mus= t be a thing of action and sincerity.
 
1 John 3:18
&nb= sp;
Frontline
 
 3D"Man
 
I was teaching at a seminar in Tasmania about love and relationships. = The seminar audience was made up of both men and women and I asked the rhet= orical question, "What is love?"
 
A woman spoke up. They a= re usually the first to do so. I am not saying that men don't have an opini= on on love, but women seem to have thought about the subject a lot, lot mor= e.
 
She said, "Love is being committed to being committed."=
 
I have not yet heard a better definition of love. Have yo= u? Please tell me if you have.
 
This week the Fatherhood Fo= undation would like to share with you some practical tips on how to put lov= e into action.
 
Men put love into action everyday by provi= ding for their families. Many times their occupation drives them out of the= home for long hours and sometimes the jobs they do are both dirty and dang= erous, but for women and children, this sort of sacrifice does not necessar= ily spell love.
 
Children spell love T-I-M-E whilst women s= pell love A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. Both the Fatherhood Foundation's website and l= etterhead bear the words: Love Laugh Listen Learn. Perhaps it will help if = I use the word LOVE as an acrostic.
 
L   &nb= sp;    - Learning - that's why you read this weekly newslett= er, to get ideas on how to be a better dad and/or better husband. This is f= oundational. When we stop learning, we start dying. Learning, learning all = the time. Recently I discovered the sacred principle of the 'six second kis= s' - a great way to enliven a declining relationship. Your marriage is eith= er advancing or retreating, there is no sitting on the fence. You as a man = must take responsibility for your relationship. Try starting the playful ha= bit of a six second kiss. Even in the middle of an argument - call for a si= x second kiss break. You will be surprised how many arguments the six secon= d kiss will dissolve.
 
O     &nbs= p; - Opportunity. Seize the day and grab the opportunity. For example I wil= l often reject the notion of mum's taxi and go for dad's taxi instead. Afte= r all it's a great way to spend time with your children. I am often the sil= ent type but I force myself to engage in conversation because:
 <= br />V        - Verbal expression. I beg= in by asking questions like, "How was your day? What did you do? What did y= ou enjoy the most? Why was it enjoyable? The V in love could also stand for= Value. You must value their ability and listen to your child's answers. Pe= ople always feel valued when you listen to them. So both talking AND listen= ing are part of the double V process of verbal expression and listening exp= ression of acts of love. But remember dads, you have 2 ears and only one mo= uth. That should be the ratio of listening to talking.
 
E&n= bsp;       - Exercise. Love is something you = do as well as say. If you say it but don't do it, love-in-action becomes an= other useless metaphor in the verbal wasteland of love. Exercise your heart= and let the love out. Your family will be so glad you did.
 
Lovework
=  
Buy some flowers for your wife or do something with your childr= en.
 
Whatever you do, put your L-O-V-E into action. Learn = new ideas. Grab the opportunities. Say 'I love you' and add value by listen= ing.
 
Lastly, make sure there is some forward motion on you= r part because love is something you do.
 
Yours for love in= action
Warwick Marsh
 
PS The media storm has died dow= n but the vilification continues. The saying, 'Never let the truth get in t= he way of a good story' is an expression that easily comes to mind. It is i= mportant for the men's movement to stand together in solidarity against inj= ustice and discrimination wherever it might come from. Find my further thou= ghts on the subject in Special Feature as an Open Letter to the Men and Fat= her's Movement. Thank you for your many encouraging phone calls and emails.= They have lifted my spirits and encouraged me to press on.
__________= __________________________________________________________

Warwi= ck Marsh  has been married to Alison for 33 years. He i= s the grandfather of two children and father of five children, four boys an= d one girl, ranging in age from 28 years to 16 years.  Warwick is= a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he = can still laugh at himself.
Link of the Week

 = Dad Can I Borrow the Car

Laughter
=
3D"catfish"
 
Dad & I went fishing the other day. We were having no= luck with snags and only the odd bite and to make things worst we ran out = of bait.

We quickly scrounged around in the back of the ute for= some scraps of food to put on the hook when we found a dead mouse. We bait= ed up the hook with the mouse carcass and threw the line in the water.

Low and behold, we caught a fish straight away.=20
 
It was a catfish.
Grandfathers
3D"MLK"
Injustice anywhere = is a threat to injustice everywhere.
 
Mart= in Luther King Jnr
(in a letter from Birmingham Jail)
Single Dads
 Shared Parenting Coun= cil of Australia3D"SPCA"

The Shared Parenting Council of Australia strongly supports= all reasonable initiatives designed to protect women and children from vio= lence. 
At the same time the Council points out that the recent = "exposure" of this subject in the SMH seriously understates the full extent= of the problem of family violence.  The Sydney Morning Herald article= s in question limited the discussion to battering of wives by husbands - th= is type of violence is indeed a serious matter, deserves condemnation and m= erits protective programs. 

However, family violence is a = more complex issue and includes also serious instances of female violence t= owards men, women and children. The incidence of maternal violence to child= ren, both physical and emotional, is especially worrying yet attracts no me= dia attention. The media have a duty of care to report accurately and the p= ublic have a right to know who are the real perpetrators and the real victi= ms. The narrow focus of the SMH in reporting only "men's violence against w= omen" ensures that the other groups affected by violence remain hidden from= public view and leaves the vast majority of victims of violence without a = voice and a campaign that speaks for them.
 
The claims by SMH journalist Ruth Pollard (Courts put kids at risk, 25= /11/08), that changes to the Family Law Act are compelling courts to hand c= hildren over to violent fathers are false and scurrilous. These claims are = an insult to judges and magistrates who apply the law and deal daily with s= erious relationship issues.
There are precise safeguards in the Act to= exclude shared parenting and joint parental responsibility in cases where = there are real issues of violence, conflict or abuse. The allegation that w= omen are being "forced" into mediation with violent ex-partners is particul= arly mischievous. The Act does nothing of the kind, and mediators and commu= nity agencies have screening strategies to identify cases in which mediatio= n is inappropriate.

3D"FamilyWe welcome the Federal Attorney Genera= l's statement that he is consulting with all stakeholders in examining the = real effect of the shared parenting legislation.  We urge him to rejec= t the arguments of biased advocates, more concerned with advancing their ow= n agendas than with the real interests of children and women. Reducing moth= ers to "victim" status is a favoured strategy of radical feminists opposed = to men and does nothing for the protection and welfare of women and childre= n.

The Executive Secretary of the SPCA, Wayne Butler said, "Rece= nt judgements show clearly that it is a complete nonsense to suggest that t= he Family Law Act has in any way softened the approach of the judicial offi= cers to cases of family violence and alleged violence. In particular I refe= r to Miller & Brass [2008] FamCA 944 (30 September 2008) and Short & Trevil= ian (No. 2) [2008] FamCA 215 (25 March 2008)."
"In both judgements, re= ference is made to the new Act, particularly with regard to the impacts of = s60cc in these cases. The court acted to prevent exposure of the children t= o potential violence even though it was considered improbable that any viol= ence would occur. The judgements in those cases make it crystal clear that = safety and the interests of the child continue to be paramount."
The S= PCA will suggest to the Attorney General that he consults widely with the j= udges, magistrates, lawyers, mediators and counsellors who deal regularly w= ith separated families in and outside the courts. Reports that have come to= our attention speak favourably of the application of the shared parenting = legislation and the new collaborative approach to sound parenting post divo= rce.
We strongly suggest that nothing less than five years would provi= de adequate time, experience and material for a full and careful review of = the effects of the reformed Family Law legislation.

We trust tha= t the Attorney General will not be persuaded by anything less.
Contact= : Edward Dabrowski, Federal Director, Tel. 0409 917 345
email:  = director@spca.org= .au 
All You Nee= d is Love
 3D"Couple
Do You Need a Marital Checkup?
Study: An Annual Tuneup Could Improve Your Relationship
By AND= REA CANNING, JENNIFER PEREIRA and IMAEYEN IBANGA
Dec. 3, 2008 ABC NEWS=
 
When most people hear the word checkup, they might think = of semi-annual dental visits or physicals, but it turns out an examination = might also help improve the health of your marriage.
 
Psych= ologist James Cordova is convinced annual marital counseling can improve re= lationships, and he said a recent study he led proves it.
 
= "Essentially, what we've discovered over time is that marital health, reall= y is a health concern. The qualities of a person's marriage and the extent = to which they are doing well in that marriage have a dramatic effect on phy= sical health and mental health," said Cordova, an associate professor of ps= ychology at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.
 
T= he Study
 
In a two-year National Institutes of Hea= lth study, Cordova followed 68 couples, who varied in age, for six months. = On average the pairs had been together for 15 years, with the husbands' age= s around 47 and the wives' 44.
 
Half of the married couples= were given marriage checkups, which included therapy once a year, and the = other pairs received no therapy at all.
 
Cordova found that= the couples who participated in the two-session checkup intervention, whic= h included completing a battery of questions and face-to-face assessment, f= ared better.
 
"Marital satisfaction improves for couples wh= o have been through counseling once a year, while control couples didn't im= prove at all," Cordova said.
"People that have been through the marria= ge checkup are improving in all kinds of ways in comparison to couples who = haven't."
 
Participants David Bayer and his wife Kay said t= hey've seen a difference in their marriage since they joined the study. The= two, who have been married for 23 years, said they decided to participate = because they were worried about the future.
 
"We had two re= ally close friends get divorced and it sort of hit us when they got divorce= d: 'What happened to them?' So, we're trying to improve on what we saw go w= rong," Kay Bayer said.
 
The Bayers said their biggest weakn= ess was communication, but both have learned to find more effective ways to= talk to each other because of the study.
 
Marriage= Concerns
 
"You don't realize the little things th= at may affect your marriage," Kay Bayer said. "[I was] learning to speak mo= re clearly to him so he could understand where I was coming from. I tend no= t to think before I speak on some issues."
 
The Bayers' exp= erience was typical of what other couples who took part in the checkups fou= nd, Cordova said.
 
"They feel more intimate in their relati= onship," Cordova said of the couples who engaged in therapy. "They feel mor= e accepting of each other, more able to accept one another's warts and all.= They're more active in taking deliberate care of their marriage."
&nb= sp;
Common Complaints
 
Cordova said t= he most common complaint he hears from couples involves not being able to f= it their marriages into a hectic lifestyle.
 
"[The] things = we help them with [are] to notice that it's an issue, to notice they're suf= fering from it and figure out ways to make time," he said.
 
Cordova said he hopes more couples will focus on what's right in their mar= riages and build on those strengths.
 
Click here for more i= nformation about Cordova's study:
= http://tinyurl.com/5o89bu
 
Copyright =A9 2008 ABC News= Internet Vent
=09

Special Feature

3D"Sad
 
  Open Letter to Men & Fathers Movement

Re: National Men's Health Draft Policy Deba= cle
 
It is a sad day when political expedie= ncy triumphs over sound judgement.
 
It is a sad day when t= he oppressed become the oppressors. The end never justifies the means.
 
It is a sad day when 'truth is fallen in the streets'.
&n= bsp;
It is a tragedy when political correctness becomes the new religi= on of choice by anti-male government forces.
 
I don't belie= ve in feminism but I don't believe in masuclinism either. I believe in peop= lism. We need a new way to be human, to find our heart and learn how to lov= e; to discover our uniqueness as male and female and enjoy our diversity, w= ithout the need to criticise and condemn each other in the process.
&n= bsp;
Last week there was an extraordinary outburst of hate and hetroph= obia against my appointment on Tuesday 25 November 2008 as an Ambassador fo= r the National Men's Health Draft policy. If you believe what the media say= s about me you will be buying a share in the Sydney Harbour Bridge or inves= ting your life savings in some internet scam. Even the media doesn't b= elieve its own lies. Thoreau famously said when asked if he wanted the news= paper delivered, "I have seen a newspaper". Newspapers aren't interested in= the truth. The role of newspapers is to sell newspapers, not to tell the t= ruth. The Austral= ian article was defamatory. The Illawarra Mercury newspaper reprinted my open letter in full on the= ir website in a rare, but much appreciated, display of honest journalism. 
Isaiah said, 'Judgement is turned backwards. . for truth is= fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter'. These words could have be= en written yesterday. As famed automobile pioneer Henry Ford observed, 'the= truth frequently seems unreasonable; the truth is frequently depressing; t= he truth sometimes seems to be evil. But it has the eternal advantage, it i= s the truth, and what is built thereon neither brings nor yields to confusi= on'. Des Griffin observed, 'People who stand for nothing will fall for anyt= hing, most fall easy prey to still further manipulation by unscrupulous pol= iticians or religious shysters'. We might add media charlatans to the list.=
 
I am being vilified because I believe that children need = both a mother and a father. I am being vilified because I have the temerity= to disagree with the new religion of political correctness. I thought that= we lived in a free country where people could debate in the best interest = of the child in open and reasoned discourse. The totalitarian rule of the F= amily Law Court culture has now well and truly taken over the outworking of= public policy. You disagree with the militant feminist establishment at yo= ur own cost.
 
This is not unusual for me to be out of favou= r with the establishment because I was a member of the counterculture in th= e late sixties and early seventies. All my friends were outcast communist h= ippies and protesters against injustice. Nothing has changed. Many of my fr= iends in the men's movement are former left wing revolutionaries. I will co= ntinue to advocate for the truth in a spirit of love. We are in a battle wh= ere we must out-love our enemies as Dr Martin Luther King used to say. Hate= will never defeat hate, only love will.
 
The Men and Fathe= r's Movement in Australia is a very diverse body and is made up of many dis= parate groups with strong opinions. The reason we have been so successful o= ver the last few years is that we have worked together whilst respecting ou= r differences. That is the reason there have been positive changes to the F= amily Law Court system (although much more is needed). That is the reason t= hat a 'national men's health policy' is now up for discussion. Women have h= ad a National Health Policy since 1989 but the men have been neglected.  
It is up to the men and father's movement to now get behind = Professor John Macdonald and encourage him as a voice for strengths-based M= en's Health Policy.  Having said that, we should not gloss over injust= ice at any time. We need to stand together and support one another. We must= heed the words of Ps Martin Niemoller's poem which was written while in a = Nazi concentration camp.
 
'In Germany, they came first = for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up becaus= e I wasn't a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, and I d= idn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew;
And then . . . they came for m= e . . . and by that time there was no one left to speak up.'
&nbs= p;
So I was an Ambassador for Men's Health for one day only and it cou= ld well go into the Guinea's Book of Records as the shortest ambassador on = record. The injustice of the situation has not gone unnoticed by the Austra= lian people as a recent news poll would indicate. People must have realised= the question was defamatory to begin with as my plight received a majority= of the votes with a higher than normal total voting figure of 92,7= 75 voters. Imagine what would have happened if the media had told the t= ruth.
 
The totalitarian precedent that the Health Minister,= Nicola Roxon, set is quite extraordinary in a supposed democratic and free= society. Accept the militant feminist government position or face the sack= is the governmental message. It is worrying to hear of plans by the Rudd G= overnment to dismantle the Federal Magistrates Court and amalgamate that co= urt into the dreaded Family Law Court. Equally worrying is the call by the = Attorney Generals Department into an enquiry into Shared Parenting at the b= ehest of the militant feminist groups who seem to hate the notion of equali= ty between mothers and fathers. It would seem that there is still an ongoin= g struggle against the injustice the children and fathers of Australia have= suffered these last couple of decades at the hands of a governmental syste= m that would seem to be perversely anti-male. Thousands of men have committ= ed suicide because of the injustice they suffered at the hands of governmen= t instrumentalities. My sacking and subsequent vilification is simply a sig= n that we still have a long struggle ahead of us in this battle for the tru= th. 
 
Thank you to all those who have written letters= of support and encouragement, Thank you to all those bloggers and internet= warriors who have spoken up for the truth in online forums. Thank you to a= ll those who have written to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Nicola Roxon= to protest this injustice. As Martin Luther King said "Injustice anywhere = is a threat to injustice everywhere." Thank you for your support.
&nbs= p;
Kind regards
Warwick Marsh
News & Info
=
 
Parents Links &n= bsp;  3D"Parents_Computer"
 
 
 
 
Australian parents would rather their children grow up to be comedians= than brain surgeons.
 
 
WORKSHOPS on coping with divorce, dealing with anxiety and making frie= nds are all on the school-holiday program list for children this Christmas = break in NSW.
 

A father has been barred from seeing his daughter for seven= years. After a tortuous 10-year journey through four courts, more than 20 = hearings, 12 psychologists and six lawyers, he was told he could not see hi= s daughter until she came of age. 
 
 
THE Family Court has been accused of turning Australia into a divided = society, riven by bitter custodial and access disputes over the children of= broken homes.
Fathers' groups say the court is discriminating against= men and increasing the rising cost of family disputes.
They say more= fathers who are separated from their children are taking their lives.
 
ABS-Childrens Participation Statistics <= /div>
 
Downloadable files in pdf, xls or zip for Children's Partici= pation in Cultural and Leisure Activities in Australia
 _________= _______________________________________________________




3D"Fathering
 
 
 Re: Men's Health Ambassador= s
 
The ratio of positive emails to negative= is now about 6:1
Here are some of them for your interest.
______= ___________________
 
I've been receiving your newsletter fo= r around four years now and am thankful for your efforts. I would have been= honoured to have you representing Australian Men on our Draft Men's Health= policy. I believe you have my own and my family's best interests at heart.= I have confidence in your ability, connectedness, generosity and love of y= our fellow man. So when things get a bit tricky and e few individuals get t= ogether to give you a bit of a hiding remember that you're not alone, not i= n the slightest. Please accept my thanks and affirmation for a job well don= e. Kind regards.
 
Kev Peagam
________________________= ______
 
Dear Ms Roxon,
 
I don't know how in= formed you are about homosexuality but as a former homosexual I would like = to draw the following facts to your attention.
 
The fact t= hat homosexuals live an extremely promiscuous lifestyle is a well known and= well documented fact. I would refer you to one (although there are many ot= hers) excellent book by Thomas E. Schmidt, "Straight and Narrow"?
&nbs= p;
Too busy to read it? Well here are some of the facts about homosexu= ality.
 
Bell and Weinberg in their book "Homosexualities" = found that 74% of male homosexuals reported having more than 100 partners d= uring their lifetime, 41% more than 500 partners, 28% more than 1000 (yes, = one thousand) partners. 75% reported that more than half their partner= s were strangers, and 65% reported that they had sex with more than ha= lf their partners only once. For the previous year, 55% reported twenty or = more partners, 30% fifty or more partners. 
 
The above= is as quoted by Thomas Schmidt in "Straight and Narrow?" Page 107.  
This was my experience in the world of the homosexual. A li= fe of promiscuity. There was also, and still is, alcohol and drug abuse wit= hin the gay community. Leaving alcohol out of the picture, let's have a loo= k at the drug abuse issue. In 1989 a San Francisco study found 89% used mar= ijuana, 50% used cocaine, 72% used poppers, 33% used barbiturates and = 50% used LSD. Once again, I quote Thomas E. Schmidt.
 
Obvio= usly with the high rate of both promiscuity and the high rate of = drug and alcohol abuse sexually transmitted diseases abound.
&nb= sp;
I have quoted facts here which can easily be verified if you = will take the time and the trouble. In chapter nine of his book, Thomas Sch= midt goes on to document the sexually transmitted diseases that are co= mmon in the gay community. It makes for very sad and disturbing reading. 
As Health Minister I would urge you to do some reading befor= e you sack any more people. It is not "homophobic" to have an intellig= ent and realistic view of what the homosexual life consists of. Nor is it, = in my opinion, helpful for a Health Minister to be so very poorly informed = about these things.
 
Chris
__________________________=
 
Your research and papers are biased, and am ashamed that = such dribble is preached by Australians. A country which I always thought p= rided it self on its ability to accept all sorts of people.  I am a fa= ther, I am gay, I am also a member of society who is dedicated to help= ing others. I have two well adjusted, intelligent children who lack neither= love or and environment in which to flourish. Their future is not jeopardi= sed by sexual, physical or drug abuse. Your paper preaches nothing but= lies to blame others for your inability to understand some of the horrors = this world inflicts on members of the human race much of which is caused by= people such as yourselves. Christian extremists who are a complete contrad= iction to all that they supposedly sprout.
 
Shame on you 
Dan Purcell
gay and proud
_______________________= __
 
Homophobia not issue
 
On November 27, = 2008, Health Minister Nicola Roxon, wrongly sacked one of her men's health = ambassadors, Warwick Marsh of the Fatherhood Foundation.
 
This is for allegedly expressing homophobic views. What is homophobia? Hom= ophobia comes from the Greek homos: one and the same and from phobos: fear,= phobia. Wikipedia defines homophobia as an irrational fear of, aversion to= , or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals (reference: http:/= /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia)
 
This action by Ms Rox= on is insidious for its underlying agenda.
 
The Health Mi= nister fails to understand what most people in the street know. This is tha= t children are much better off when they grow up with parents that are a mo= ther and father. That is rather than having parents who are of the same sex= .
 
This issue is not about homophobia.
 
It is not about people who want to be in homosexual and lesbian relationsh= ips.
 
It is about a refusal to understand what is best fo= r the children in this country.
 
John Flanagan, Non-Custo= dial Parents Party, Thirroul
__________________________
 This is not a Paper it's a complete disgrace.
 
By the w= ay there is no such word as gender disorientation. What a complete load of = thrown together rubbish 'Gender Matters' is. 
 
Cindi = E
_________________________
 
It was disappointing to s= ee public discourse in Australia reduced to the low level of ranting seen r= ecently as the homosexual lobby and the radical feminists led by Ms Roxon a= ttacked you personally as well as your organization.
 
We kn= ow that you have been engaged in an honest, frank program to support father= s and good parenting.
 
Keep up the good work.
Our pray= ers are with you all.
 
Ken Francis
 
_______= _____________________
 
I am of the opinion that the role of= ambassador is to lobby for, and create interest in creating a truly repres= entative policy regarding the issues that men face in our every day lives a= nd that affect our health. It is my belief that you are more than capable o= f providing this service. I hope that the men 'who should know better' stop= looking for tall poppy's and get behind those who 'have a go'.
 =
Dave
 
 

Dad's Prayer

           &nbs= p;       
3D"Man
 
Dear God
 
Help me to put love into action:=
To take a stand against injustice,
To live out the truth
In= stead of merely professing it.
Fine talk is not the ultimate expressio= n of love.
It is only when we live our life
From the hidden man o= f the heart
That we can truly put love into action.
 
<= /img>
=09
=09
Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Pre= vention Charity.
Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been pro= ven to be a source of harm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children b= y promoting excellence  in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word an= d deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well= -being of their children and their children's mother.

 

If you would like to give financially t= o the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

 

Fatherhood Found= ation Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details must be = emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility)

 Westpac Branch Wollongong      &nb= sp;            =   DONATE ONLINE

BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558
 

Or mail cheque and address details to:<= br />PO Box 542
UNANDERRA  NSW&nbs= p; 2526
AUSTRALIA

 

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund&n= bsp; is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities u= nder Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.=

 

You have received the fatherson= line.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been = subscribed by a friend.  If you do not wish to receive future emails, = please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below.

=09
=09
=09
3D"Safe
This email was sent to blane@uow.edu.au by in= fo@fathersonline.org.
Fatherhood Foundati= on | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia
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