Contact: Don Feder, World Congress of Families, 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com; The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society, 815-964-5819, media@worldcongress.org

LONDON, Jan. 29, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- A first parliamentary vote on the government's bill to change the definition of marriage in the United Kingdom could come as early as February 5.  Christian Concern, a World Congress of Families Partner, leads a coalition opposed to the measure that would deny children their most basic human and legal rights to have a mother and a father.

In June, 2012, the Coalition for Marriage delivered over half-a-million signatures on a petition to maintain natural marriage as the union of a man and a woman to 10 Downing Street.

On May 23, 2012, Christian Concern's symposium, "One Man, One Woman -- making the case for marriage," was banned from the London Law Society and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (a government venue): see news coverage in the "Telegraph" and "Economist".  The symposium, which was also a World Congress of Families Regional Event and addressed by Communications Director Don Feder, was held at the Westminster Hotel to an overflow audience.

The UK marriage coalition is calling for a National Day of Prayer for Marriage on February 3. It cautions opponents that February 5 will be merely the first opportunity for MPs to debate and vote on the Bill. "We don't need an outright win at this stage -- so don't worry if the Bill passes the first hurdle -- but it is important that as many MPs as possible vote 'no,'" which will "put added pressure on the Government to drop its plans to redefine marriage."  The redefinition of natural marriage and the "natural family" would deny the basic needs and human rights of children to have a mother and a father in violation of the Article 16(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  The UDHR, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, states that, "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state."

The Catholic Church in Britain is also mobilizing against the attempt of the Cameron Government to undercut marriage.  Last Sunday, the Church distributed over 1 million postcards at masses for Catholics to sign and send to their MPs, asking for a no vote.  More than 1,000 priests have signed a letter warning that redefining marriage could result in religious persecution, including Catholics being excluded from certain jobs, based on deeply held beliefs.

On Wednesday, January 30, Christian Concern will hold a debate on therapy for unwanted same-sex attraction in Committee Room 11 of the Houses of Parliament. Many professional bodies seek to ban such therapy. Click here for more details.

Upwards of one million people of all backgrounds marched for marriage in Paris on January 13. World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs declared: "We are proud to stand in solidarity with Christian Concern, our UK Partner, and other defenders of natural marriage in Britain. In the United States, Mexico and Australia, our Partners are in the forefront of defending marriage from those who would deny children their fundamental human and legal rights to have a mother and a father and undermine this divinely ordained institution of marriage."

Jacobs noted that "In September, WCF Partners Australian Family Association, Endeavour Forum and Dads4Kids helped to defeat 'same-sex marriage' in votes in both houses of the Australian Federal Parliament. Marriage will be among the topics discussed at World Congress of Families VII in Sydney, May 15-18, 2013."

Join us for  World Congress of Families VIII: "Happy Families, Healthy Economy: A New Vision for National Prosperity and Social Progress:" which will bring together thousands of global leaders, scholars and activists in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013 to encourage and defend the natural family.  To register for WCF VII, click here or visit, www.worldcongress.com.au.

Click here for more information on World Congress of Families. To schedule an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337 or dfeder@rcn.com.

For more information about World Congress of Families, visit www.worldcongress.org To arrange an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337 or dfeder@rcn.com.

The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society (www.profam.org) is located in Rockford, Illinois and is an independent, non-profit research and education center that provides sound scholarship and effective strategies to affirm and defend the natural family, thus renewing a stable and free society.  The Howard Center is the publisher of the journal, "The Family In America" and is also the organizer of the World Congress of Families (WCF) project which is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and inter-faith people of goodwill from more than 80 countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).  The WCF was founded in 1997 by Dr. Allan Carlson, President of The Howard Center.  To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families -- Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004), Warsaw, Poland (2007) and Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009).  World Congress of Families VI was held in Madrid, Spain in May 25-27, 2012.  World Congress of Families VII  will be held in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013, www.wcfsydney2013.org.au.