Prayer needed

Two Prayer events are coming up in our nation....

National Day of Prayer - Sun 19 Feb, 2012

Sunday 19 February is the National Day of Prayer and Fasting.... 
It will be held in Canberra - from 10 am to 4 pm in the Great Hall at Parliament House.
The day is being supported by Christian ministries and Christian leaders across the denominations.

Last year the National Day of Prayer for marriage and family was held in Canberra on July 24, but it has now been decided to hold this National Day of Prayer and Fasting in the lead-up to Easter.
The focus of prayer this year is 'winning souls' for Christ - as well as for our nation.
Following this day, the organisers are calling on Christians to join them in '40 Days of Prayer and Fasting' in the time leading up to Easter. 
Check out all the details on the website - click here.

If you're planning to be in Canberra for the event, please register online - click here.   Those who can are invited to join the gathering in Canberra on 19 Feb. If you can't attend, please check the website and join in prayer in your homes and churches on that day.  

Other events are also being held on the day - for instance, in Queensland, a Prayer gathering will be held at Parliament House in Brisbane - from 1pm to 5 pm. That meeting will also be praying for the upcoming Queensland election on March 24. 
They have a Facebook page - click here. Practical details of event on Facebook - click here.  
Click here to register for the event on the 'Events' page.

40 Days for Life

Another event over the same 40 days is the '40 Days for Life' campaign - asking Christians to focus on life, as well as on the tragedy of abortion in a prayerful way. It begins on 22 Feb and concludes on April 1, 2012. Check their website for more info - click here. 
Their front page reports that a number of abortion clinics in the USA have closed following '40 Days for Life'.   40 Days for Life began in 2007 - this year '40 Days for Life' will operate in 251 locations in the United States, Canada, England, Australia and Spain. participants are invited to pray - and also attend vigils outside abortion clinics. In Australia these will be held in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and WA.
Check location details - click here and scroll down to 'Australia'.     

Labor government promotes homosexuality

More rights for homosexual couples, an online vote on 'marriage', and a reminder to send your submission about federal anti-discrimination laws being extended...  

The Gillard Labor government is continuing to expand rights for homosexuals.
The federal Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, has just announced that the government will provide 'Certificates of No Impediment' to homosexual couples who want to get 'married' overseas - these take effect from February 1, 2012.  

Up until now these certificates have ONLY been provided to heterosexual couples wanting to marry overseas. The federal government has previously refused to give these Certificates to homosexual couples - at least in part because homosexual 'marriage' is not recognised in Australia. Homosexual lobby groups have been campaigning for this change for some time... the change in policy was made at the ALP National Conference in December 2011 (see report).
Now the government has implemented the change!
Read the brief report in the Herald Sun:
Certificates available to same-sex couples, Herald Sun, 27 Jan 2012. 
Read the Attorney General's Media Release:
Certificates of No Impediment to marriage for same-sex couples, 27 Jan 2012.

ONLINE POLL
The Herald Sun is conducting an online poll along with this article.
Please vote NO now! 
"Should gay marriage be legal in Australia?" Click here to VOTE!  

Reminder: Submissions due tomorrow
The federal government is planning to extend and 'consolidate' anti-discrimination laws - and they want to ADD sexual orientation and gender identity as protected attributes.
Submissions (or letters) are due tomorrow - 1 Feb.
Send submissions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
All the information is on our website - at Latest News - click here.

Federal Government promises sexuality anti-discrimination law

The federal Labor government is planning to introduce federal anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

As part of their promotion of 'human rights', they are conducting an Inquiry into all Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws - with the idea of combining them into one Act.

But they are planning to ADD more!

Submissions close on Feb 1, 2012.

Read our full report - link to Discussion Paper, overview of the Labor government's Human Rights Plan and more...
Click here.

US Religious leaders oppose same-sex marriage

The battle over allowing same-sex 'marriage' is heating up in the USA - just as it is in Australia.

Already some states allow same-sex 'marriage - other states have legalised civil unions or civil partnerships for homosexuals.

Recently, almost 40 US religious leaders published an 'Open Letter' -  these included Catholic, evangelical, Jewish and Mormon leaders - which argues that the battle against same-sex marriage is a fight on behalf of religious freedom. They opposed any notion of same-sex 'marriage' - or treating same-sex relationships as being equivalent to marriage.

The letter also urged all Americans to promote and protect marriage “in its true definition.”

Read the 'Open Letter' - click here.

Brief Update - Cotton On and missing woman

Two Updates following our last email (and Latest News post...)  

Cotton On withdraws 'offensive' products
Thank you to those who wrote to Cotton On.

We have the reply that Cotton On is sending - they say they did not mean to offend (and apologise for any offense caused). They say that they have withdrawn the 'offending products' from their Typo stores.

They also say "As an organisation, the Cotton On Group respects family, social and moral values."

Thanks again for taking ACTION!

We might well ask, "Since Cotton On have previously had offensive products and been the subject of complaints, why did they do it again?"
However, we hope their respect for family and moral values means they won't do this again!  

Update on the missing woman, Mandy Ahmadi
In our previous email we noted that Mandy Ahmadi (real name Zahara Rahimzadegan) was missing and that the Homicide Squad had taken over the investigation into her disappearance.

The Homicide police interviewed Mandy's husband for some time. He was then arrested and charged with the murder of his wife. Police searched the yard at the house and a body was found at the rear of the house property, under a concrete slab and new deck.
He has since been remanded in custody until a 'committal mention' hearing in May.
Media reports: Husband charged with wife's murder - The Age, 13/1/2012
Husband appears in court over wife's murder - ABC, 16/1/2012.
Also Friends pay tribute to Zahara Rahimzadegan - Waverley Leader, 16/1/2012  

Thank you for your prayers - please continue praying, especially for the two sons in the family.
We should pray that the full truth is revealed in this case in the court proceedings.