Staying at the Table

For 12 years now the Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council (HWFAC) has stayed at the public table in the Hamilton region and during this time have witnessed the demise of Planned Parenthood Hamilton, tremendous decrease in Hamilton’s teen pregnancy rates, the establishment of the Sexual Health Network which now puts their money into the annual ‘Worth
the Wait’ abstinence campaign, and public school sex-ed curriculum which now has a tremendous emphasis on students recognizing that abstinence is best and encourages them to speak with their parents and clergy on sexual matters.

For the past four years HWFAC has also been intensely involved in the public school’s efforts to include sexual orientation in their Equity Policy. We were blessed to be able to have 3 of our directors sit on the sexual orientation steering committee for its’ full 2 year tenure and witness that the goal of the majority of the committee was to have LGBT lifestyles woven into all subject areas beginning in kindergarten, reject medical evidence regarding the high-risk nature of LGBT conduct as bias, use the classroom to promote ‘queer heroes’ and label traditional family values as homophobic and hetersoexist. All in the name of equity.

HWFAC stuck with it regardless of the name calling and hostility we endured. We continued to put up evidence-based arguments against those who would go against the knowledge of God. Finally, despite our strong, yet respectful opposition, the Sexual Orientation Strand went to a public meeting where Trustees were to vote on its’ acceptance. We put approximately 30 hours into a 14 minute delegate presentation which took opportunity to support the school board’s equity vision of ‘A future in which all students can achieve their full potential’ and informed the board that HWFAC fully supports an anti-bullying / anti-harassment for any reason policy and their effort to create a safe environment for all students. We first sent commendations to the board in effort to keep their hearts open for our concerns that would follow.

Our concerns were with the Strand’s anti-homomphobic / anti-heterosexist foundation and its’ potential to label solid evidence-based medical information as homophobic and families who hold that marriage is the union of one man and woman to the exclusion of all others as heterosexist. We explained that as Christians, our families are required to ‘come out and be separate’ meaning to draw boundaries, set limits around our lives and touch no unclean thing including lust, fornication, adultery, homosexuality and bestiality. In our closing we noted that since the staff had stated that they did not know how the strand could be implemented while providing an environment which was safe for our children physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially and intellectually that the strand be set aside and an implementation plan be prepared and submitted to all faith communities for their approval. Trustees that evening did not pass the Sexual Orientation Strand, they voted 8 to 2 to refer it back to staff for a report due June 2. It is not over yet, however a miraculous evening and we pray a turning point.

Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family was once asked, “Why do Christians have such little influence on public policy?” Dr. Dobson replied, “Because Christians do not stay at the table, when things don’t go their way they pick up their marbles and go home.” Christians must return to the public table and occupy the seats. If we do not, others will.

For pdf copies of the presentation please contact us at enosjim@yahoo.com
Jim Enos
FCP candidate
Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale