World Congress of Families IX Announces New Additional Participants

Religious leader, international choir are among the experts and advocates coming to S.L.C.

Contact: Benjamin May, 202-413-0119, bmay@policyimpact.com; www.wcf9.org  

SALT LAKE CITY, July 21, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ — The World Congress of Families (WCF) has announced four additional participants who will speak, influence, and entertain at the ninth World Congress of Families to be held Oct. 27-30, 2015, in Salt Lake City.

“To keep the momentum going, it is with great pleasure that we announce the next group of special guests who will be in attendance at the World Congress of Families IX,” said Janice Shaw Crouse, executive director of WCF IX. “We hope that families from all over the world, in this critical moment of history, will come and enjoy the remarkable, fun-filled weekend and stand with other pro-family advocates.”

The previous slate of speakers and participants can be viewed on WCF IX’s official website, www.wcf9.org. WCF will be announcing four participants each week throughout the summer.

The names released this week are the following:

• International Children’s Choir is world renowned for singing in many languages and performing in authentic, colorful costumes from around the world. The choir was founded by Dr. Kathy Sorensen, who believes music warms hearts and unites people, and that multicultural music allows us to share another person’s culture and thereby, a part of his or her soul. The International Children’s Choir has performed all over the world and was invited to represent the American Continent in the Opening Ceremonies of the World Choir Olympics in Xiamen China, and received multiple medals during the competition involving over 20,000 participants.
   
• John-Henry Westen is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.com, a non-profit Internet service dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family. Westen has spoken at conferences and retreats, and appeared on radio and television throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Westen serves on the executive of the Canadian National March for Life Committee, and the annual National Pro-Life Youth Conference. 
   
• Bradford Wilcox, Ph.D., is the Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, and interdisciplinary initiative that analyzes the social and cultural forces shaping contemporary marriage. The Project provides research and analysis on the health of marriage in America and identifies strategies to increase marital quality and stability. Dr. Wilcox’s research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Slate, National Review Online, NPR, NBC’s The Today Show, and many other media outlets. 
   
• James Kushiner is the Executive Director of The Fellowship of St. James, which serves to encourage Christian unity and Fidelity to the historic doctrines and moral teachings of the Christian faith. Kushiner is the Executive Editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity magazine and Salvo, a quarterly for young adults seeking intelligent responses to the secular atheism and materialism dominating schools, media, and society. He has spoken at the World Congress of Families in Amsterdam in 2009 on “Prodigal Research: Religious Faith as it Relates to Family Life, Democracy, and Social Development.

The World Congress of Families (WCF) is the largest gathering of pro-family advocates in the world. WCF IX will seek to provide sound scholarship and effective strategies, and it will mobilize intellectual and advocacy resources to affirm and defend the natural family.

For more information, please visit WCF9.org or follow WCF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

To download a PDF version of this press release, please click here.

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World Congress of Families Answers Attacks and Misinformation in New Report

Contact: Benjamin May, World Congress of Families, 202-413-0119, bmay@policyimpact.com; www.wcf9.org

ROCKFORD, Ill., July 14, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ — The World Congress of Families (WCF) today released “A Call for Civil Dialogue and Constructive Engagement,” a twenty-eight page report that corrects, in detail, a barrage of negative and unwarranted attacks on the WCF initiated primarily by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), particularly after the announcement of WCF’s first-ever congress in the United States in Salt Lake City, October 27-30, 2015.

The report addresses more than 25 inaccuracies, the most vicious of which is the labeling of WCF as a “hate group,” and one that supports violence against the LGBT community. Interestingly, the SPLC cites WCF’s supposed involvement in an anti-gay initiative proposed in Uganda, as its reasoning for the false designation, although WCF has not maintained any relationship with the African country and had no role in any aspect of that initiative.
 
“WCF would never advocate violence or hatred toward any group of people,” said Janice Shaw Crouse, a member of the Board of Directors of WCF and Executive Director of the World Congress on Families IX. “Facts do matter and it is unfortunate that any organization would attempt to tarnish the reputation of WCF to further an agenda, rather than engage in thoughtful and honest public debate and recognize the work that WCF performs on behalf of children and families throughout the world. “
 
The report also exposes efforts by HRC to associate with the WCF the statements of individuals and organizations that did not speak for nor were sanctioned by the WCF.  Further, the report addresses a number of false claims that WCF supported violence in Russia against gays, a falsehood extrapolated from WCF’s support for programs that protect children and all human life (from conception to natural death) from destructive activities including abortion, pornography, and sex-trafficking.
 
“The World Congress has always sought to gather thoughtful scholars, influential policymakers, noted religious leaders and advocates around the world who are focused on strengthening the natural family as the best means of raising society’s next generation,” says Allan Carlson, WCF’s International Secretary. “Anchored from the beginning in language from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we affirm today our belief in the value of every human life.  We continue our call for robust scholarship and civil debate on the issues, and respectful treatment for people everywhere.”
 
“Our hope is that this report will end the attacks and misinformation and allow us to move forward by engaging in thoughtful, constructive, and civil discussion on issues vital to the lives of children and families everywhere,” said Crouse.

The World Congress of Families (WCF) is the largest gathering of pro-family advocates in the world. WCF IX will seek to provide sound scholarship and effective strategies, and it will mobilize intellectual and advocacy resources to affirm and defend the natural family as the fundamental and only sustainable unit of a free society.

For more information and a copy of the report, please visit WCF9.org and follow WCF on Facebook or Twitter.

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Pope trying to galvanise world leaders into action

Nobody, whether atheist or religious, can deny that the Pope’s encyclical on caring for our common home is a big deal.

Its immediate importance comes from its potential to influence world leaders and galvanise the developing world ahead of the Paris Climate Conference this year. Moreover, the encyclical positions Francis in conflict with conservative think tanks such as the Heartland Institute, future contenders for the US presidency (five Catholics are expected to challenge for the Republican nomination), and even climate deniers within the Vatican itself.

The stage is set for a battle royale, and Francis shows little sign of flinching. Instead, he has asked readers to “receive this document with an open spirit”. Now that the encyclical has been published, we are in a position to evaluate it on its own terms.

The text

An encyclical is the second highest form of papal declaration. It is a “letter” that will be sent to the 5,000 Catholic bishops and 400,000 priests for further dissemination and instruction within their congregation. While the encyclical makes no pretence to “infallibility”, political scientist Daniel DiLeo notes that:

Catholics will only be able to disagree with him in good conscience after serious reflection and the determination that the pope has reasoned incorrectly.

The criticism that preceded yesterday’s release suggests that this is might nevertheless be viewed as a low hurdle for climate deniers and other vested interests within the church.

The 184-page encyclical is complex and defies simple summary. My intention here is to select key areas to spark discussion and further analysis.

To every person: Francis is clear that the threat facing the environment transcends religious difference. He invokes Pope Saint John XXIII famous encyclical “Peace on Earth” to highlight that he wishes to engage “every person living on this planet” [3].

The poor: The disproportionate effect of environmental damage on the poor is underlined in almost every section. Francis notes: “Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest” [13].

Climate science: Mainstream climate science is endorsed by noting: “most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases” released mainly by human beings [23]. While this is accurate, climatologist Michael E. Mann, argues that: “Human activity is most likely responsible not just for ‘most global warming’ but all of it, and then some, because natural factors have been acting slightly in the other direction.”

Migration: Climate change is forcing an increasing number of poor people to flee from their homes and seek refuge. “Sadly”, the encyclical notes, “there is widespread indifference to such suffering” [25].

Ecological debt: Francis asserts that a “true “ecological debt” exists, particularly between the global north and south” [51] and that foreign debt has been used as a method of controlling poor countries [52]. Looking ahead to Paris, he also affirms the principle of common but differentiated responsibility [170].

Population: The encyclical argues that “demographic growth” is compatible with “shared development” and that to blame population growth instead of extreme consumption is avoiding the issue [50]. While Francis is correct to highlight the glutinous rates of consumption in Western countries, questions will undoubtedly be asked about his failure to confront issues like birth control and his explicit statements on abortion [120].

Technology: In several sections, Francis derides “blind confidence in technical solutions [14].” Technological growth has not resulted in an increase in humility or a sense of our moral responsibility. He quotes Romano Guardini to argue that “contemporary man has not been trained to use power well” and adds “we stand naked and exposed lacking the wherewithal to control it” [105].

Carbon trading: In a document that is broad and general, Francis goes out of his way to criticise carbon trading noting that it does not “allow for the radical change” required and “may simply become a ploy which permits maintaining the excessive consumption”. Unfortunately, the document is silent on the related but separate issue of carbon taxation.

Energy: The encyclical argues that high polluting fossil fuels like coal and oil (to a lesser degree gas) need to be “progressively replaced without delay” [165]. Renewable energy is highlighted as the ideal replacement [172 and 179] but Francis also argues that it is morally legitimate to “choose the lesser of two evils or to find short-term solutions.” Nuclear energy is only mentioned in the context of caution or risk [104 and 184].

Economics: Francis has been a consistent critic of inequalities caused by capitalism. Consistent with this, the encyclical argues that we need to think of strategies for “containing growth” and even “retracing our steps before it is too late” [193]. This necessitates “redefining our notion of progress [194]” and refusing the blackmail of greenwashed phrases like “sustainable growth”.

Paris and beyond

Some Vatican officials have sought to resist reading the encyclical as a political document. Father Dario Vigan, for example, argued: “Any political or sociological reading of this is culturally poor and misleading you have to look at it in terms of humanity and the Gospel.”

This pure stance is difficult to maintain in light of the timing of the encyclical and the Popes intention to address both houses of the US congress this September. As described already, the encyclical itself is also overtly political and laments the hollowing out of government institutions by corporate finance.

It calls for the creation of “stronger and more efficiently organised international institutions” [175] and notes that: “Unless citizens control political power national, regional and municipal it will not be possible to control damage to the environment” [179].

Looking ahead to the Paris Climate Conference I think it is important to echo Andrew Revkin’s reminder that “Francis remains a man, not a superman.” A similar aura of hope surrounded the newly elected president Obama ahead of the 2009 Copenhagen talks.

If we learned nothing else from that meeting, it was that no individual, regardless of their influence, can transcend the realities of deep-rooted dependences on fossil fuels, vested economic interests and divergent national goals.

As I have argued elsewhere, the papal encyclical provides the climate movement with an “unlikely ally” with whom it can prosecute its own demands for climate justice and radical social change.

These demands need to be brought to Paris and used as pressure points for Catholic heads of state like Tony Abbott to bring our national commitments into like with countries taking credible steps to avoid dangerous climate change.

The writer Peter Burdon is a Senior lecturer at the Adelaide Law School at the University of Adelaide.

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Pope trying to galvanise world leaders into action

Sudan president barred from leaving S. Africa dares world

In an unprecedented development, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir, who is on a diplomatic visit to South Africa, has been barred from leaving the country by a court order for “crimes against humanity”, but dared the world by attending the 25th African Union (AU) Summit here on Sunday.

The Pretoria High Court on Sunday issued an order that bars al-Bashir from leaving South Africa, the Independent Online reported.

Justice Hans Fabricious issued an interim order preventing the Sudanese president from leaving South Africa, pending a decision of the court, to be made after an urgent application that he be arrested is made.

The judge’s order came after granting the state a three-hour period in which to prepare arguments in response to the South African Litigation Centre’s (SALC) application that President Jacob Zuma and the National Prosecuting Authority arrest al-Bashir on the 2009 order of the International Crimes Court (ICC).

The ICC issued warrants for arrest of al-Bashir for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur conflict.

The conflict claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people, and left more than two million more displaced.

The SALC made the urgent application following the ICC’s order that al-Bashir be arrested immediately after he landed in South Africa to attend the AU summit for which he reportedly reached on Saturday.

As a signatory of the Rome treaty, South Africa is obliged to arrest the president, but the AU has previously refused to heed the ICC call, accusing them of targeting African leaders.

Justice Fabricius said al-Bashir should not leave the country until the urgent application to have him arrested has been heard.

Al-Bashir on Sunday attended the summit, Xinhua news agency reported later in the day.

Dressed in a blue Western suit and looking relaxed, he gave the thumbs-up to photographers as he stood for a group picture with other heads of state and government before the summit kicked off.

The South African government kept silent over the ICC request and calls to several departments for comments went unanswered.

But an unidentified government source was cited by Xinhua as saying that it would be ridiculous to arrest al-Bashir who was invited by South Africa and the AU to attend the summit.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti told the media that ICC was only targeting African leaders.

The AU summit, which was scheduled to start at 11.30 a.m., was postponed for several hours before the Sudanese president came in the open.

Meanwhile, the Independent Online said in a later report that the South African government has requested for more time to prepare to respond to arguments for the urgent application for the arrest of al-Bashir, asking that it be stood down for Monday morning.

Asking for more time, senior state attorney William Mokhari said: “We are dealing with a very sensitive matter here” concerning the “sitting president of another African country”.

The case was postponed to Sunday afternoon during an appearance on Sunday morning.

Attorneys for SALC said they would agree to coming back on Monday on the assurance that migration officials at all points of entry were ordered not to allow the Sudanese president out of the country pending finalisation of the case.

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Sudan president barred from leaving S. Africa dares world