Family

visionnetwork supports Family First's call for a nationwide debate on promoting marriage as a result of its recently released report "21 Reasons Why Marriage Matters", which documents the psychological, social, economic and health benefits of marriage. "It is time that government policies and rhetoric acknowledged that there is a difference in terms of outcomes between marriage and other forms of relationship," said Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. Read more... "Family breakdown and decreasing marriage rates are seldom considered in debate on social policy issues, such as poverty among families with children. A recent 70-page report issued by the Children's Commissioner and Barnardos contained no reference to marriage or divorce, despite the rate of poverty being five times higher for sole parent families. "Whenever marriage is promoted, it has often been labeled as an attack on solo or divorced parents, and that has kept us from recognising the qualitative benefits of marriage which have been discovered from decades of research. "Marriage has changed a great deal, with the marriage rate at approximately 14 marriages per 1000 married adults, less than a third of the peak level of 45.5 per 1000 recorded in 1971. It has been impacted over the past decades by an increased level and acceptance of divorce, cohabiting, and unwed childbearing." New Zealand has a high teenage birth rate, and sole parents with dependent children make up 30 per cent of families...

A few weeks ago Glyn Carpenter plugged parenting courses and Parenting Inc on Michael Law's talkback show on Radio Live and made a huge commitment on behalf of churches around the country. In the face of scepticism from the show's host at the number of people who have done Parenting Inc courses, Glyn suggested that if people had difficulty attending such events, churches could be happy to babysit, child-mind or perhaps even fund parents to attend the courses. Click on the bar below for audio of the interview. JavaScript is disabled!To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser.Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

This is the question New Zealanders will be asked in the referendum that will be held at the end of July.

Visionnetwork National Director Glyn Carpenter says he is surprised so many people are having difficulty with what is a very simple and straightforward question.

"Yes means you think a smack that is administered as part of good parental correction should be a criminal offence. No means you think a smack should not be a criminal offence. People are trying to make it more complicated than it is," is Mr Carpenter's comment.
He is also disappointed that the issue of the $9-10 million cost of the referendum is being used as an argument against those who have worked to bring about the referendum. "There are debates going on about good parenting and violence against children that are extremely important and worthwhile," Mr Carpenter continued. But there are other issues we also need to keep in mind, such as fairness, integrity, and freedom of speech. Those who opposed the so-called "anti-smacking" law are entitled to their view and to express it. In a democracy, they also have a right, some would even say a duty, to challenge a government that passes a law contrary to the will of 80-90 per cent of the people if the polls are to be believed.

As we have said before, constitutionally and legally the New Zealand Government can pass laws contrary to the majority of the people. But the spirit of democracy is undermined in the process. New Zealanders...

Previous posts about biblical teaching on family have led to lively discussion. How do we use the Bible rightly to establish teaching on family? This post addresses two aspects. The Bible uses different sorts of text to teach different ways. We also need to discern the direction or thrust of the Bible as a whole.

This is a follow-up to the article “What is a Family ?” This follow-up asks whether the Bible presents a preferred pattern of family. Discussing Mat 19:3ff; Mk 10:2ff; Gen 1:27,28; 2:18-24; Colossians 3:18-21; Ephesians 5:21-6:4 and 1 Timothy 3:1-4 (cf Titus 1:6) as possible biblical bases for a model of "family".

Social change (high rates of separation and divorce, legislation like the Civil Unions Act last year, some impacts of the much older Privacy Act…) together with the strong Christian tradition of “defending family values” combine to make it really important that as Christians we think through what we mean by “family”.

MORNING AFTER PILL WILL INCREASE PROBLEMS

Thurs 8th May 2008

Vision Network national director Glyn Carpenter, has added his voice to the many others opposed to the free morning after pill.

Unfortunately the default solution to increasing problems in many areas these days is to keep doing more and more of the same rather than think about whether a different approach is needed.

There are numerous reports about negative side-effects with this pill.  It is disengenuous to say the pill avoids abortions when that is precisely what it does do. There is also a law of unintended consequences which suggests that the availability of such "escape" solutions leads to more pressure on vulnerable people to engage in behaviour they do not want to.

The growing numbers of sexual diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and domestic violence incidents, are related to a reductionist view of human life and dignity.

Until we change this view, not only will we not solve the problems, but we may actually increase them.
-- Ends --

An article written by Family First published in the Dominion Post 13 December 2006.

Mark Keown has posted a really good summary piece on his blog under the title "What is family" it is saying largely the same sort of things (I think, but you check for yourself!) as I said here in my "What is a Family?" except Mark says it better and clearer and more positively!