~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ !!!FREE ENTRANCE TO SAFE-IT!!! Subtle Attacks against the Family Explained Introductory Training ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Write a LETTER TO THE EDITOR of any widely circulated newspaper or magazine in English or Filipino, wherein you tackle any SAFE-related topic that appears in the NEWS SECTION of the newspaper (either on page one or the inside pages), or in its OPINION SECTION (including the editorial write-up, opinion columns, editorial cartoons, other persons' Letters to the Editor, etc.). DO NOT mention SAFE in your letter. * Once your letter is published, YOU WIN A FREE ENTRANCE to SAFE-IT for yourself or for a person whom you wish to invite to SAFE!!! * Who may join: graduates of SAFE-IT or of at least one SPE module (SAFE Program for Educators). * Hurry! This offer is valid until further notice. Please inform your friends who have attended SAFE-IT or SPE of this very special promo! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAFE-IT SEMINAR SCHEDULES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * SAFE-IT seminars are held almost monthly at St. Joseph Retreat House, in Sampaloc, Manila. Live-out Seminar fee is around P 1,300 per person (please check actual rate). Additional SAFE-IT seminars are held periodically at St. Michael Retreat House in Antipolo, and in other dioceses nationwide (live-in or live-out). Seminar fee varies. * For more information, contact: SAFECel: 0917-896-7201 SAFEmail: safeseminar@yahoo.com SAFEweb: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAFE-IT OVERVIEW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "We must not lose sight of the fact that the immediate and perhaps most important arena of lay witness to Christian faith is marriage and the family." -Pope John Paul II to Filipino Bishops on 'ad limina' in Rome, 2003 SAFE empowers Diocesan Lay Leaders from all sectors to meet the challenges faced by the Filipino family today. SAFE is a response to the January 2001 National Pastoral Consultation on Church Renewal's call to include family & life among the Church's pastoral priorities, & continues in the spirit of the Fourth World Meeting of Families of January 2003. SAFE, offered under the auspices of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family & Life, draws inspiration from the Pastoral Letter issued by His Eminence, Jaime L. Card. Sin, entitled Subtle Attacks against Family & Life (on July 9, 2001). Topics (2 days): 1. Demography and the Family: The Myth of Overpopulation Reveals the real state of world population: population below replacement level in 100 countries & the Philippine population within 10 yrs; the reality of falling fertility rates in the Philippines in contrast to the propaganda of overpopulation; consequences of low fertility rate on market, labor, & pension; double loss of Philippine population through decreasing births and recruitment of Filipino professionals to fill up the missing labor force in other countries; incentives in Canada, Italy, Australia, Singapore, Japan, and other countries for couples to increase their number of children; Kissinger's NSSM 200: Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for US Security & Overseas Interests (1974) as the basis for imposing aggressive population control programs; the controversial bills seeking to curb Philippine population; etc. 2. The Truth & Meaning of Human Sexuality Sexuality in its proper perspective; the body & its purpose; the biological and non-biological aspects of sexuality; the twin aspects of biological sexuality and the consequences of separating these two; non-biological or relational sexuality as a lasting expression of love; man & woman as complements and endowed with equal personal dignity; conjugal love as the merger of the human and the divine; sexuality & the family; marriage and same-sex unions; love as the fundamental vocation of every person; chastity, abstinence and fidelity as an expression of love; etc. 3. New Age and the Christless Spirituality The idea of a "New Age" based on astrology; the end of the Age of Pisces (Christ) and the beginning of the Age of Aquarius which would have its own savior; the rise and development of a self-centered spirituality; the God in me replaces the God in heaven; the idea of God as a cosmic energy or force replacing the idea of a loving, personal God who loves us and desires our salvation; relativism & license in the name of maturity & self-discovery; some practices associated with New Age; etc. 4. Sex Education: An Attack against the Family The proper approach to sex education based on family values; the sex education curriculum patterned after utilitarian and materialistic values; how sex ed is designed to weaken parental authority and guidance; biological sex education in schools that fosters promiscuity through moral and sexual desensitization from the earliest levels; sex education & the development of a contraceptive mentality; anti-family attitudes; the real motives behind sex ed; International Planned Parenthood Federation; etc. 5. Pornography and Violence in Mass Media The different forms of mass media and their proper function in society; the extent and scope of media influence today; the rise of entertainment in media and the battle for profits; the use of sex and sexual imagery to capture the audience; the phenomenon of media as replacement to the authority in society and in the home; the hidden messages in media and advertisements; the values promoted in media and ads; the effects of pornography on the individual, on the family, and in the community; the effects of violence in entertainment; etc. 6. Reproductive Health and the Gospel of Life Responsible parenthood; the critical difference in defining the beginning of life; the global agenda for "reproductive health" as an anti-life campaign; the drive to make abortion a reproductive right; effects of abortion on the woman's physical and psychological health; contraceptive methods and abortifacients; cancer & infection risks of abortion & contraception; 15% condom failure leading to the spread of AIDS and venereal diseases; contraception and abortion as a consequence of promiscuity, sex outside of marriage, hedonistic lifestyles; natural methods near 100% effective; abstinence as an expression of love and marital growth; etc. 7. God's Plan for Marriage and the Family The nature of marriage; fidelity, permanence and openness to life as the lasting foundations of marriage; the spouses as ministers of the sacrament and their vocation to conjugal love; the importance of preparation for marriage; the need for on-going formation of spouses; the redemption of man being coursed through the family; the family as the domestic church; the family as the organizational model of the Church; marriage and celibacy in the service of the Church; the sincere "language" of marital intimacy in God's plan; etc