February 2007 Newsletter |
Sexual Orientation Committee Moves to Eliminate
'Diverse and Respectful', 'Evidence-Based Teaching' and 'Staff Choice'
"Diverse and respectful, what does that mean?"
... Since that newsletter (HWFAC's August 2006), the homosexual/bi-sexual push has continued. At the October 2, 2006 meeting, our Council and some other group members asked that the term 'bias-free teaching material' in Section 4.1 be replaced with 'diverse and respectful teaching material' as in reality, bias-free material does not exist.
The LGBT community representative objected stating, "We are not comfortable with diverse and respectful, what does that mean." Under the direction of Bill Torrens the Committee rejected 'diverse and respectful' and adopted 'bias-free.' We again challenged this notion of 'bias-free' stating that having a positive position for something is a bias, as is having a negative position. The response was, "Positive bias is acceptable, discriminatory bias is not." In other words, HWDSB will affirm homosexual/bi-sexual bias but will not permit any evidence that shows the negative implications; students may think critically as long as it is gay positive. Essentially this amounts to homosexual/bi-sexual indoctrination and has nothing to do with critical thinking which considers all aspects and then based on the facts, determines an evidence-based position.
Section 4.1 also contained the term 'evidence-based teaching' used in addressing sexual orientation and our Council supported this. Once again the LGBT community representative objected to this term stating, "The medical community has medical evidence against LGBT conduct and we don't want to see this expressed in the classroom." Bill Torrens stated, ...
More...
|
Muzzling Free Speech - HWFAC Editorial Response to Gwendolyn Landolt's Article
The Spectator's decision to print Gwen Landolt's article is impressive. Gwen's article is accurate regarding the muzzling of free speech at many levels. The name-calling responses of those who do not support evidence-based logic is the lowest level of debate which results when one has no basis from which to argue. This effort to set aside evidence regarding homosexual and bi-sexual conduct is evident within the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board as our Council has witnessed on several occasions while serving on the Sexual Orientation Committee formulating policy for this strand of the Board's Equity Policy.
While there is strong evidence regarding homosexual and bi-sexual conduct risk physically, emotionally and spiritually, it is the medical evidence which should concern people from all backgrounds if they were able to remove their politically tinted glasses and consider it. One only has to look at the ... More...
See the original editorial by Gwendolyn Landolt here.
|
The Sexual Health Network, a committee of the City of Hamilton Public Health Services, is assisting parents in fulfilling their important role of teaching their children about sexual health by offering educational workshops for parents around sexuality.
Professor Garfield Gini-Newman will be guest speaker on Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Michelangelo's Banquet Centre, 1555 Upper Ottawa St., Hamilton. The evening conference will offer parents an opportunity to receive factual information about sexually transmitted infections and some practical tips on how to engage your children in discussions about sex and sexuality. Available for participating parents is a free, attractive travel coffee mug, and for students who wish to make a commitment to abstinence there are bracelets, pens and water bottles, all stating, "I'm Worth the Wait."
All parents and guardians, from both the Catholic and public school boards and the community as a whole, are welcome to attend.
Sexuality is not a topic to ignore when it comes to educating our children. Take the time to talk to yours and share your thoughts and feelings on this most important subject.
For further details please call 905-546-2424 ext. 1981.
|
Equipping Christians Breakfast Presentations
By: Harold Schulz - On Saturday, December 2, 2006, some 65 people met in the fellowship hall of the Church of God in West Hamilton to hear various presentations intended to motivate Christians to be active in the "public square." The breakfast meeting ran under the motto: Engaging Christians in the Public Square. After a delightful hot breakfast was served, our presentations began.
The first presentation from our own Jim Enos, Vice-President of the Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council (HWFAC). Jim spoke of the issues the council deals with in preserving Judeo-Christian family values and its attempt to keep "harmful" sex education out of the curriculum. Jim spoke of the early setbacks the council faced but also how, through faith and perseverance, they have prevailed and are succeeding in ...
Our next speaker was Ancaster Dundas Flamborough Westdale MP David Sweet. David reminded all of us that this great country we call Canada includes forefathers who took their Christian faith out of their private lives and into the public sphere and made Canada a better country. ...
Our final and guest speaker was the Rev. Tristan Emmanuel, President of the ECP Centre. Tristan spoke of the freedoms and liberties which we enjoy in our country. He asked us if we really cherish them? Tristan then went on to show us that these freedoms and the liberty that the western world enjoys have not always existed and that they originate from the Message of the Gospel and that ...More...
|
Guest speakers were: Roy Beyer, (Director, Foundation for National Policy), Ruth Ross, (Exec. Dir. Christian Legal Fellowship), Link Byfield, (Dir., Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy), Joseph Ben-Ami, (Exec. Dir., Institute for Canadian Values), and Tristan Emmanuel, (ECP Centre). Audio clips and summaries can be found on the ECP Centre website.
HWFAC will share a few of the important insights from the first speaker, Roy Beyer, who spoke on Over-coming the image problem in the war against religious freedom.
Q. How do many political leaders perceive us and what is our response? A. Christians are irrelevant; Christians are easily placated (naïve) and manipulated; Christians are easily intimidated; There are no political consequences to them just ignoring us; Christians are afraid of losing their charitable status; Christians are reluctant to be in conflict.
Q. How does the general public perceive us (our image) and what can or should we do? A. As Self-righteous, Uneducated, Angry and Mean-spirited, and as Regressive...
More...
|
Prayer Request
PLEASE PRAY FERVENTLY FOR:
- That the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on our country. That He will reveal to us our sins, and help us to sincerely repent. Thank Him for His forgiveness.
- Pray that the word will spread of the perversions the HWDSB wishes to promote as equal to our children, and that God's children will PRAY and ACT according to God's leading. We must occupy until the Lord returns. We must fight for our children and for our children's children, so that there is freedom to live and witness the Christian life free from persecution and the Gospel may go forward and all men are saved and come to knowledge of the truth. Nehemiah. 4:14.
- HWFAC's representatives in Equity Policy sexual orientation (S.O.) committee monthly meetings. Pray for new legal counsel. Pray for those who serve at our various school boards, and all levels of government for courage and boldness.
- Pray for financial support for HWFAC.
- 1 Timothy 2:1-6, Joshua 7 - 10, Psalm 47.
Thank you, prayer warriors, for your faithful perseverance and tenacity.
Gloria Turner, Prayer Coordinator
|
Host Church Needed for 10th Annual Scavenger Hunt for Birthright
On Saturday June 16th, HWFAC will sponsor the 10th Annual Scavenger Hunt for Birthright. Each year on Father's Day Weekend we hold this event in support of the very necessary work of Birthright in providing pro-life counseling, articles of clothing and toiletries, emotional support and much more to Hamilton's young women who experience unplanned pregnancy. Last year, in one morning alone, 418.5 pounds of infant and maternity clothing and articles were collected along with $839 in cash. The articles collected on this single weekend each year typically provides 6 months of supply and thus is a crucial event. Birthright is almost totally dependent on local churches for their supplies as they receive very little government funding.
Birthright does not have a facility large enough to host the Scavenger Hunt and thus HWFAC is currently seeking a host church where the event may be held this coming Father's Day Weekend. HWFAC provides the food, barbecue, promotion, co-ordination et cetera. The host church provides their facilities, tables and chairs. The church facility should be available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please seriously consider being the host for this year's 10th Annual Scavenger Hunt for Birthright.
Contact Penny Enos (905) 304-7944.
|
Highlights from 2006
- Growth and Development (Sex-Ed) Curriculum - 4th Edition - In March of 2004, our Council was contacted by the school board to preview the latest 4th edition of the Growth and Development Curriculum. This was in advance of it being released to the classroom. ... They have agreed to include in the curriculum an excellent chart that HWFAC recommended entitled, 'How at Risk are You' and to add the following statement at our request, "No grade 8 student meets the criteria of being able to make a responsible decision to engage in sexual activity." This represents a tremendous turn of philosophy for HWDSB and we are thankful to God. We continue to urge HWDSB to not introduce ...
- Equity Policy Sexual Orientation Steering Committee -
As was the case last year, the vast majority of our time and energy has been directed in fighting the efforts of this committee to use the classroom to affirm homosexual/bisexual conduct and relationships as natural and healthy ...
- 9th Annual Scavenger Hunt for Birthright - HWFAC sponsored the 9th Annual Scavenger Hunt for Birthright at Saints Peter and Paul. 3 churches attended and contributed 418.5 pounds of infant and maternity clothing and supplies as well as $839.00 in cash; ...
- Bill 52: Mandatory School Attendance to Age 18 and Required Proof of Attendance -
HWFAC kept apprised of this bill and wrote numerous times to local MPP Jennifer Mossop, and finally ...
- Presentations - HWFAC had opportunity to speak December 2 at the Church of God in West Hamilton, with MP David Sweet, and attended in Ottawa to represent Hamilton at the National Marriage Caucus. ...
- Sexual Health Network - Our representative and colleagues at the SHN continue to attend meetings and insist upon the production of materials that are abstinence-based. Parent conferences and sex-ed materials for parents and students in grades 5 to 8 are a welcome addition and are truly amazing considering ...
- Election of Public School Board Trustees - HWFAC prepared a questionnaire for trustee candidates...
- HWFAC Web Site Activity - HWFAC's Web Site again served us well in 2006. Monthly page requests average over 3,000. Through our website, we are hearing from individuals and organizations from ...
See full 2006 Highlights page.
|
Top of Page
Back to Newsletter Articles Main Page
Back to HWFAC's Home Page
|
HWDSB Equity Policy
Public Education 