Crisis Notwithstanding, World Congress of Families Presses Ahead in Kiev, Moscow

Jim Burroway

March 13th, 2014

The crisis in Crimea will naturally continue to consume the world’s attention. Forgotten, of course, is last month’s report of proposals before Ukraine’s Parliament to institute a Russian-style anti-gay “propaganda” law. With the new Ukraine government still trying to find its footing and expending every energy on the ongoing crisis, this legislative effort appears to have fallen off everyone’s radar. Well, almost everyone. Here’s an email from the Rockford, Illinois-based World Congress of Families that landed in my inbox this morning.

Larry Jacobs, speaking at a Watchmen On the Walls conference in Latvia, 2007.

World Congress of Families managing director Larry Jacobs today called on the international pro-life and pro-family network to pray for peace in Ukraine. “We are concerned about the crisis in Ukraine and pray for world leaders to come together to promote peace and resolve the conflict,” Jacobs said. “We echo Pope Francis’s prayer, ‘that all parts of the country work to overcome misunderstandings and to build together the future of the nation.’ “We have many Christian friends and pro-family leaders of all faiths in all regions of Ukraine. We pray for their safety and their important work to promote authentic human rights, encourage the natural family, and protect human life from conception to natural death.

Jacobs announced that planning for a special World Congress of Families event in Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev would continue. “After speaking with our friends and supporters in Ukraine, we are pleased to announce that they are continuing their efforts to organize a World Congress of Families regional meeting in Kiev this summer in collaboration with WCF leaders from Eastern Europe and Russia to promote the natural family as the fundamental unit of a free and stable society that transcends all political differences and the interests of nations and armies,” he said.

In 2007, Jacobs was a key speaker at a Watchmen On the Walls conference in Riga, Latvia, which also featured  American anti-gay extremists including Don Federer and Scott Lively.

World Congress of Families is pressing ahead with its main congress this year in Moscow, at the Kremlin with funding from Vladimir Putin allies and a joint session with the Russian Parliament. Planned participants in Moscow are said to include Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage, Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Benjamin Bull of Alliance Defending Freedom, Justin Murff of the Christian Broadcasting Network and Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute.

Rob in San Diego

March 13th, 2014

The dude said “We echo Pope Francis’s prayer, ‘that all parts of the country work to overcome misunderstandings and to build together the future of the nation.”

Why isn’t he echoing the Pope’s stance on leaving gays alone, or the fact “who are you to judge us”?

Timothy Kincaid

March 13th, 2014

You’ll notice that they treat the Pope like they do Jesus. Quote the bits that make it seem like he supports your position while ignoring his overriding message.

FYonug

March 13th, 2014

We should press them to boycott the conference in Russia.

Nathaniel

March 13th, 2014

“authentic human rights”

Are LGBT people not authentic humans? Or are the freedoms of assembly and speech not authentic rights for LGBT people? Either way you cut it, he doesn’t see us as fellow humans.

Timothy Kincaid

March 13th, 2014

It’s helpful to remember that when dealing with certain organizations, words can often mean the opposite of their secular or common usage.

authentic human rights = rights held by the Catholic Church to restrict the behavior of humans based on its teachings

natural law = the law of the Catholic Church as explained through the prism of a distortion of natural observance

traditional family = the definition of family as defined by the Catholic Church and as practiced in Western Europe and the Americas from the late middle ages through the industrial revolution

religious freedom = the freedom of the Catholic Church to impose it’s teaching by means of civil law irrespective of contrary teachings from other religions

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