IMMEDIATE 10.00 am 2nd September 2005
Prime Minister Tony Blair's speech on crime, anti-social behaviour and parenting is condemned today as 'divorced from reality' by Christian Voice.
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today:
"Until the Government starts to repair family life in the UK, the problems will continue to get worse. Crime and anti-social behaviour have a direct link to the destabilising of the traditional family unit. In particular, it is the absence of their natural father in the lives of around half the children growing up today which means a generation of kids have no idea of right and wrong and no internal restraints.
"Part of the problem is the way the Government is encouraging promiscuity instead of chastity among teenagers. That, coupled with an obsession with sex in what passes for our culture, has raised illegitimacy levels to the present unsustainable levels.
"Secondly, no fault divorce means either party to a marriage can break the solemn vows of their wedding day with impunity. The single most effective thing the Government could do to bring down anti-social behaviour would be to make the granting of a divorce dependent on proving adultery, cruelty or desertion, and for all property and children from the marriage to go to the innocent party.
"For a guilty party to walk off with everything is an affront to Godly justice, and sows contempt of the entire judicial system.
"Obviously the Government should support married families and discourage the alternatives through the tax and benefit system. But family law needs a simple, radical, legislative change as a priority. Ending the injustice of no-fault divorce could more than halve the divorce rate overnight. The Government won't do that and so none of its ideas will work. Tony Blair is in denial if he believes that he can bring down crime while still allowing Britain's family base to crumble away. In a very real sense, he is totally divorced from reality."
ENDS
