The Australian Family Association (AFA) is a conservative political organisation with the aim of supporting and strengthening traditional family values

Family values

Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....

. It was founded in 1980 by the National Civic Council

National Civic Council (NCC)

The National Civic Council is a grassroots Australian political movement, although sometimes referred to as a think tank.The NCC develops and promotes policy based on its ‘five primacies’ of the integrity of human life, support for the family unit, decentralism, patriotism , and Judeo-Christian...

's then president, B. A. Santamaria

B. A. Santamaria

Bartholomew Augustine "B. A." Santamaria, otherwise 'Bob' , was an Australian political activist and journalist and one of the most influential political figures in 20th century Australian history...

, to "promote the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society".

Beliefs

According to its stated objectives, the AFA aims "to cultivate within society an appreciation that the integrity and wellbeing of the family is essential to the stability, morale, security and prosperity of the Australian nation". It defines a family as being "composed of father, mother and children". It also lobbies on issues related to its central purpose, such as the definition of marriage

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

, abortion

Abortion

Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...

, media standards and classification, cloning

Cloning

Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...

, pornography

Pornography

Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...

 and illicit drug

Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...

 use.

Objectives

The objectives for which the Australian Family Association is established are:

1. to cultivate within society an appreciation that the integrity and well being of the family is essential to the stability, morale, security and prosperity of the Australian nation.
2. to analyze laws and policies for their effect on the family and to formulate and promote corrective measures as necessary.
3. by means of conferences, seminars and the active involvement of individuals and groups, to create public awareness of the fundamental importance of the family unit.
4. to facilitate research and act as a resource centre for the effective pursuit of the Association's objectives.
5. to promote and encourage the development of services to assist families in difficulties.
6. to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives.

Founder and patrons

The Association was founded by B.A. Santamaria, a prominent Melbourne Catholic activist. Current and former patrons of the organisation include former Governor-General Michael Jeffery

Michael Jeffery

Major General Philip Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC was the 24th Governor-General of Australia , the first Australian career soldier to be appointed governor-general...

, the late Kim Edward Beazley

Kim Edward Beazley

Kim Edward Beazley, AO , known as Kim Beazley during his career, Australian politician, was Minister for Education in the government of Gough Whitlam and a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years, from 1945 to 1977.Beazley, the youngest of seven children, was born in...

, Professor Rupert Goodman, Prof. Jerzy Zubrzycki

Jerzy Zubrzycki

Prof. Jerzy B. Zubrzycki AO CBE was a Polish-born Australian sociologist, widely regarded as the "Father of Australian Multiculturalism". He was a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.-External links:*...

, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and renowned Australian war veteran Major General W.B. "Digger" James.

Controversy and criticism

The organisation has been criticised for protesting against films they have not even viewed.

At an anti same-sex marriage rally the AFA co-organised, guest speakers stated gay marriage should be "laughed at and ridiculed" and associated gay marriage with paedophilia. Mental health psychologist Paul Martin said such comments would be psychologically damaging to young gay people, stating "the last thing they need to hear are these kinds of offensive comments from people who purport to represent 'family values'."

External links

• Official site
• Unbelief.org - A critical perspective