Dear ~Contact.FirstName~,
It is difficult to advocate for the family in today’s political environment without using military terminology. We often describe politics as a “battleground.” We speak of “defending” the family and “battling” the opposition. We speak of “attacks” and “strategies” and “enemies.” We use these terms because they easily describe the nature of our work in securing a future for the family. There truly is an ideological enemy that we are fighting. It is an enemy that sees the family as a problem, not a solution, and misuses the law and the courts to achieve radical political ends. We are fighting a real enemy with an objective, a plan of attack, and an army.
The Opposition’s Objective
Our opposition has one primary objective: freeing individuals from any accountability for their actions. They seek to “liberate” themselves to do as they like, without respect for the consequences.
Since the family is about assuming responsibility for others, dismantling traditional family structures is central to the enemy’s objective. In order for individuals to be fully “liberated” to pursue their own self-interest or selfishness, they cannot be bound by any such structure.
The Opposition’s Plan of Attack
The destruction of the family is being advanced on many fronts:
1. Sexual liberation: There is an explicit effort to promote unfettered sexuality by separating behavior from its natural consequences. This effort is exhibited in “comprehensive” sexual education courses, “reproductive rights programs” that promote abortion, and misguided attempts to combat AIDS with condoms, to name a few.
2. Gender neutrality: Biological and cultural norms defining gender are being challenged in order to destroy societal standards, expectations, and norms that support the development of both individuals and society. The indispensable gender-specific roles of mothers and fathers are the focus of this attack.
3. Population Decline: Incorrect notions are promulgated regarding the consequences of population growth in order to instigate programs, such as China’s one-child policy, that degrade life and undermine the family. Such policies allow individuals to secure immediate freedom and material comfort, while transferring the true cost to future generations.
4. Increased Government Involvement: In order to make the family irrelevant, the enemy promotes governmental programs that replace the traditional role of mothers, fathers, and families.These programs undermine the rights of parents seeking the best for their children, while excusing those unwilling to fulfill their parental duties.
The Opposition’s Army
The faces of this army should be familiar to all. The radical feminists who think women must act the same as men in order to be equal to men. The environmental and population extremists who believe people are a burden rather than a blessing. And the LGBT activists who claim the “right” to express their sexuality however they wish outweighs the long-term effects of those actions on the larger society.
Combined, the efforts of these groups create a very real and focused attack on the family. This is not just rhetoric. They seek to destroy this fundamental human structure.
The Work of UFI
We at UFI are constantly working to stop these efforts with a two-front plan: educate and advocate.
Education:
We cannot save the family without a distinct cultural shift back to valuing and preserving the family. This happens first through strengthening homes, but also through guiding and changing cultural perceptions of the family. Education is the fastest and most effective way to do this.
UFI’s educational efforts are concentrated where we believe they will have the most impact. First we are developing materials and programs to support parents in strengthening and improving their own homes and families. We cannot defeat those who seek to destroy the family if our own families are not strong and vibrant. Second, we are increasing our efforts to educate individuals on the importance of the family so that they can be strong advocates for the family in their own communities.
Advocacy:
Equally important to educating on issues relating to the family is advocating for family-sustaining public policy at the local, national, and international levels. The policies established by governments at all levels of society, from the local school board to the United Nations, have an impact on you, your family, and the future of all families. We cannot win the cultural battle in defense of the family if we cannot put in place the legal and social structures that support and encourage healthy families.
No government can adequately replace the family as the fundamental unit of society. The family, led by a married husband and wife, is ideally designed to provide the best possible outcome for its members. While not every family can maintain the ideal structure, it must be upheld as a worthy ideal. It must not be undermined by government policy or relaxed cultural expectations.
UFI’s Unique Role
UFI stands as the primary non-sectarian, social science-based organization with an international presence. Our organization is making an effort to unite advocates for the family and provide them with the research, science, and support necessary to defend the family against those that oppose it. UFI is working to build an international presence that will be a united front for the family across the globe. New President, Michael Duff, is advancing this effort with a new vision for UFI that will allow us to better impact and guide family policy around the world.
Support UFI
None of these efforts will be inexpensive or easy. We need your financial support. With the end of the year rapidly approaching, we ask that you look at your finances and find an amount you can afford to donate to securing a bright future for your family.
We understand that these are hard economic times. If you can help out with a gift of $35, $50, or $100, we appreciate it more than you realize. If however, you can help us with as much as $250, $500, or even $1000, we will be able to do just that much more in the days and weeks ahead.
If you cannot afford to donate, we ask for your volunteer support. If you have the time and the resources, there is always work to be done.
Right now, we need help from:
Research assistants: As a research assistant, you would work to educate yourself and others on the issues impacting the family through in-depth research on a specific topic. It is an opportunity to become an expert while advancing the cause. This is work you can do from home and in your spare time.
Bloggers: We need volunteers who love to follow the news and share it with others. As a blogger you would follow the news, write on pressing issues and engage others in valuable discourse. This is also work you can do from home.
Chapter leadership: Our local chapters are a key to UFI’s success. But these chapters cannot succeed without dedicated leadership. As a chapter leader you would organize events, support local education efforts and advocate pro-family policy in your local government.
We at UFI are truly engaged in a battle to defend that which is most important. Please take a few minutes this holiday season to see what you can do to support United Families International.