Mental illness ravaging nation's youth

24/10 The Age | ALARMING new figures have revealed that one in four young people are battling a mental illness, with many problems triggered by drug and alcohol abuse.The first snapshot of Australia's mental health in a decade found that Generation Y is being ravaged by depression, anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals that 26% of people aged 16 to 24 — about 650,000 people — suffered mental illnesses last year. Anxiety problems including panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress were the most common with 15% of young people affected. Around 13% suffered conditions related to dependency on alcohol or other drugs such as sleeping pills, amphetamines and heroin. A further 7% had mood illnesses such as depression and bipolar.

Sunshine Coast Pride Fair

23/10 Queensland Pride | Organisers of the inaugural Sunshine Coast Pride Fair say they were “overwhelmed” with the numbers who turned up at the October 19 celebrations. Over 700 people attended the Fair at Millwell Road Community Centre at Maroochydore.

Gender selection would 'kill relationships'

19/10 Sunday Telegraph | AS many as 50 per cent of Australian women undergoing IVF treatment want to be able to choose the gender of their baby, a study has found. And if sex selection was allowed, most women would like to have a girl while their male partners want a boy.

... The research, which will be presented at the Fertility Society of Australia this week, is expected to reignite the controversial issue of parents choosing the gender of their baby. Ms Carrigan, a senior nurse coordinator at the Queensland Fertility Group, said that while gender selection was prohibited in Australia, fertility centres regularly received requests from patients.

Two mummies, two daddies ok for Victorian kids

17/10 Australian Christian Lobby Media Release | A Victorian Government bill removes the idea that kids should have a right to both a mother and a father.

Victoria's Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill 2008 seeks to expand access to fertility services, such as IVF and surrogacy, to almost anyone who wants to have a child, irrespective of their circumstances. The bill will allow single men, single women, homosexual couples and heterosexual couples access to assisted reproductive treatment to help them have a child.

Infertility treatment used to be just that - a treatment for couples who were medically infertile. However, under the new bill, eligibility for treatment is not dependent on medical need. Instead, anyone who is unlikely to conceive a child in their current circumstances can access treatment, meaning that people who simply lack a partner of the opposite sex with whom to start a family can now use IVF and surrogacy in order to have a child.

Obviously, if a same-sex couple uses such services, only one of them will be related to the child; nonetheless, the bill will allow both partners to be legally recognised as equal 'parents', endorsing the fiction that a child has two fathers or two mothers.

The focus is on defeating this bill in Victoria's Upper House, where it is likely to be debated from October 28. ACL has launched a new Make a Stand campaign to help you voice your concerns about this bill.

Please visit the Who's my mum? Who's my dad? page to send a letter to Victorian Upper House members asking them to oppose this bill, which deliberately denies a child's right to start life with a mother and father. 

Queenslanders are also encouraged to contact their Attorney-General Kerry Shine and Shadow Attorney-General Mike Horan regarding the recommendations of a Qld parliamentary committee to legalise surrogacy for same-sex couples, which also denies a child's right to a mother and father.

When Darkness Covers the Land

10/10 Bill Muehlenberg - 11.50am | Today is a sad day for Victoria, for Australia, and for the world.

This morning Victorian Upper House politicians have covered their hands in blood by passing one of the most vile pieces of legislation yet seen in this land. The Victorian abortion bill which decriminalises abortion and allows open slather on abortion, even late-term abortion, was passed by a vote of 23-17.

Victorian Upper House makes tragic abortion vote

11/10 Australian Christian Lobby | In a tragic day for Victoria and for unborn children, the State’s Upper House today voted to pass the Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008 by 23 votes to 17. ...

...Attention now turns to up to 70 amendments which are to be debated in the Upper House and, if passed, could lessen some of the damage inherent in the bill. The amendments are understood to include a ban on partial birth abortions, changes to the conscientious objection clause, and a reduction in the period abortion on demand would be freely available from 24 weeks gestation to 20 weeks (along with the requirement for a panel review after that period rather than just the agreement of two doctors).

Thou Shalt Judge

10/10 Bill Muehlenberg, Culture Watch | No, I didn’t get it wrong: I did not mistakenly leave a word out of my title. While I certainly have Matt. 7:1 in mind, my thesis here is that believers are commanded to judge. When Jesus told us not to judge in the Matthew passage, he is clearly referring to hypocritical judgment. The immediate context (Matt. 7:1-5), and the whole context of Scripture makes this quite clear.

In the Bible there are numerous passages encouraging believers to judge, to test, to discern, to evaluate, to discriminate, and to differentiate. Unfortunately we live in a world which shies away from all of those activities, and is trying to convince us that we must never judge anyone or anything.

A warped view of tolerance has infected the world, but sadly much of the church has been contaminated by this nonsense as well. On a regular basis believers are going around telling other believers how unbiblical and unspiritual it is to judge.

Port Augusta Prison rioters refuse to surrender

10/10 staff writers - news.com.au | RIOTING inmates "fed up" with overcrowding and lockdowns are refusing to surrender after seizing control of a cell block at Port Augusta Prison in South Australia.

There had been no reports of injuries or escapes but a Correctional Services spokesman confirmed about 46 inmates had taken control of the high-security Bluebush cell block. There were unconfirmed reports late last night that the prisoners had also broken into another prison unit.

... a man claiming to be a prisoner serving a life sentence called The Advertiser from an office phone at the prison last night. "We are just sick of the way we are being treated," the man said. He said prisoners were protesting overcrowding at the prison, which had been ongoing for 18 months. "I'm a life prisoner and I've had two first-time remand prisoners with me in the past two months and it's not fair to them or to me," he said.

ARE YOU AWARE that abortion up to 9 months 
is almost a legal reality for Victoria?

The 'Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008' was voted on in the Lower House. It passed - 49 for and 32 against. All 41 amendments were rejected. The Bill will now move to the Upper House for debate and voting. This will begin on Tuesday 7th of October. If passed, it would make abortion legal for any reason and at any time up to 24 weeks. It also makes abortion legal up to birth, provided 2 doctors agree it is appropriate on medical grounds and with regard to "the woman's current and future physical, psychological and social circumstances." In effect, this means abortion on demand.

06/10 Peter Stokes, Saltshakers | An estimated 3,000 people gathered today outside the Victorian Parliament to Pray and Protest against the decriminalisation of abortion in Victoria. Some came from as far away as Mildura & Adelaide. The message was clear - say no to the legal killing of unborn children. The prayers were that Christians would speak out and that our Upper House MPs would vote against the abortion Bill that will come before the Upper House this week. Other prayer meetings were held in other states and towns to coincide with this meeting.

Thank you to all those who gave of their time to show Victorian MPs how much they oppose this Bill.

“Doctors in Conscience Against Abortion Bill”

The AntiConscience Clause.

Clause 8 of the Bill is unconscionable and unprecedented in this country.

We believe it to be an attack on the basic human rights of health professionals which undermines their moral integrity and professional autonomy. The state should not coerce its health professionals to participate in the taking of human life. Many doctors, nurses and pharmacists, with strong ethical, religious and cultural beliefs against abortion will have to consider whether to continue to practice in breach of the law or to discontinue working as healthcare professionals in this state.

Excerpted from the new "Doctors in Conscience Against Abortion" website

Ford to let parents set speedo for teens

05/10 SMH.com.au | Starting next year, Ford Motor Company will allow parents to limit the speed at which their teenage children drive their car.

The company will roll out a new feature on many 2010 models that can limit teen drivers to 130 km/h, using a computer chip in the key.

Parents in the United States, where most teens can get their drivers licence at 16, also have the option of programming the car key to limit the audio system's volume, and to sound continuous alerts if the driver doesn't wear a seat belt.

VICTORIA: 80 Hour Week Ongoing Protest on Steps of Parliament

Every week day from 6.30am to 6.30pm (+ weekends), Matthew Prince has been protesting on the steps of Parliament. He is a successful businessman, MBA graduate and father of 2. Today is day 10!

Matt cancelled his New York business trip because he felt compelled to make a stand against the Abortion Law Reform Bill.

He writes: “I just don’t get why unborn kids don't have rights. I can't sit by and keep quiet anymore. Enough is enough.”

The driveby insults are commonplace and the intense discussions with prochoicers are draining, but Matt remains respectful and compassionate.

His blog at www.mattsprotest.com records some of these daily interactions.

Since he has taken his stand, he has been contacted by several MPs, many ProLife and Church leaders, not to mention countless people on both sides of the debate, in Victoria and interstate.

Matt’s stand is becoming an inspiration for many who have felt they had no voice. And he hopes the MPs are listening – this bill has gone way too far.

Media contacts:  Information: Kirsten Jack 0421-047-864 / Email: matt@mattsprotest.com