Meet the Australian Family Association

Sunday 14th March, 1500 AEDST

The Australian Family Association has called a teenage couple’s plans for a commitment ceremony early next month ‘deplorable’.

The two teens, Jenni Birch (16) and Alex Stewart-Pole (19), of Brisbane, plan to be handfasted in a traditional Pagan ceremony. Their hands will be bound together with cord as they vow to be true to each other for a year and a day in front of friends and family. Jenni’s mother, Pagan priestess Sue Birch, will officiate at the ceremony.

Paganism is a nature worshipping pre-Christian belief ranked as the seventh largest religion in the US. Around 30,000 Australians identified as following a Pagan or nature-based faith in the 2006 Census.

But with no discernible trace of irony, the Australian Family Association’s John Morrissey said today: "If such mock weddings lead to consummation and some status as a common law wedding, there is something wrong," he said.

9th March 2010, 1500 AEDST

Christian Democrat Party leader and anti-pagan campaigner Reverend Fred Nile is out to destroy a teenage couple’s plans to be joined in a Pagan handfasting ceremony.

He was quoted today as saying: ”(Handfasting) can’t be in any way acknowledged by the state and should not be listed as a genuine wedding. Our party will do what it can to stop pagan weddings and witchcraft or Wicca activities.’’

The Pagan Awareness Network Incorporated (PAN Inc) is a not-for-profit educational association with members Australia-wide. It is run by a management committee whose members are drawn from a broad cross-section of the Pagan community. The Association is incorporated in the state of New South Wales, with sub-committees in other states of Australia. It has no formal ties with any religious body, but works in a proactive fashion, both within the Pagan community and as a point of contact for the public, including government and media organisations.

PAN Inc aims to continue as the Australian Pagan community’s most effective networking and educational body.

The Pagan Awareness Network Inc (PAN Inc) aims to:

• Correct misinformation, raise awareness and educate the general public about Paganism and associated beliefs and practises in order to achieve religious tolerance
• Foster the growth of the Pagan community through service

When you join PAN you are helping us to continue to provide help and services to the Pagan community. You will receive:

• a regular newsletter mailed to you.
• a membership card entitling you to discounts at selected PAN friendly businesses.
• and an annual magazine.

Your membership goes towards helping us advocate for the Pagan community in the media, support events, groups and initiatives around the country. See this article for more information on what a difference your membership dollar makes.

This guide has been prepared for journalists, media industry professionals, government and the public requiring fast and reliable information on Wicca, Witchcraft and other Pagan religions in Australia.