Contact: Wesley Strackbein, Vision Forum Ministries, 210-340-5250 ext 222, wesley@visionforum.org 

BRANSON, Mo., March 27, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- As the world pauses this April to remember the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, one group will gather to celebrate the sacrifice of the men and boys on board the ship who gave their lives so women and children might live. Titanic 100: An International Centennial Event will be held on April 13-15 in Branson, Missouri, and is unique as an anniversary commemoration in focusing on the Christian doctrine of "women and children first" that was displayed in the midst of Titanic's tragic sinking.

Sponsored by Vision Forum Ministries and the Christian Boy's and Men's Titanic Society, Titanic 100 will feature living history presentations, dramatic performances, live music of the 1912 era, stirring messages, costume events, an anniversary banquet riverboat cruise, and an interactive journey through the largest Titanic museum in the world.

"Next to Noah's Ark, no other ship in history has captured the imagination of more people than the R.M.S. Titanic," noted Doug Phillips, President of Vision Forum and Founder of the Christian Boy's and Men's Titanic Society. "Yet most people today 'miss the boat' when it comes to understanding the most important legacy from Titanic: the heroic examples of manly sacrifice displayed during the ship's demise, as men and boys stepped aside to let women and children board the ship's handful of lifeboats.

"Regrettably, popular books and films such as James Cameron's box-office smash have portrayed a false image of Marxist class-warfare as Titanic foundered, with the rich seeking to bribe their way to freedom, the poor deliberately prevented from reaching safety, and the nobility of Christian sacrifice minimized and ridiculed," Phillips observed. "Such depictions are historical nonsense."

"Titanic 100 is an international event designed to set the record straight by celebrating the true legacy of the men of Titanic who gave their lives for women and children."

The Titanic 100 will feature a wide range of exciting activities for the whole family, including a live play and musical performances at the Lawrence Welk Theatre, an Edwardian Ladies Tea hosted on the Chateau on the Lake, exclusive tours of the world's largest Titanic attraction, a special film screening of A Night to Remember, a Gala Banquet and Celebration on board the Branson Belle, and the opportunity to engage with reenactors who will bring to life the passengers and crew who were on Titanic's maiden voyage.

"The Titanic 100 will be a joyous, uplifting family event," Phillips remarked. "Every element of the celebration is designed to inspire families to remember the heroism of the past and to embrace a fundamental principle of Christian civilization -- that women and children are to be honored and protected."

"In a day when men shirk sacrifice and we send our women into combat, the doctrine and legacy of 'women and children first' has been all but been abandoned -- and it's high time we remember and reclaim this foundational principle," continued Phillips. "It's our prayer that the Titanic 100 will encourage many to do just this."

Doug Phillips founded the Christian Boy's and Men's Titanic Society in 1997, and each year the society hosts a gathering on the anniversary of Titanic's sinking to commemorate the legacy of male chivalry demonstrated on board the ship when the great ocean liner foundered. The society stands for the proposition that the strong must sacrifice for the weak, that greater love has no man than he lay down his life for another, and that the doctrine of "women and children first" must be preserved.

"Titanic's sinking marked the darkest and brightest night in maritime history," Phillips commented. "Though more than 1,500 people died in this international tragedy, the Darwinian notion of the 'survival of the fittest' was rejected in favor of the age-old Christian doctrine that the 'strong sacrifice for the weak.' No event in modern history has done more to remind the world of this important bedrock of Western culture, and we hope that many will join us at the Titanic 100 as we showcase this legacy."

To learn more about or to register for the Titanic 100, visit: www.visionforumministries.org/events/cbmts/013

To interview Doug Phillips about the Titanic 100 Celebration, contact Wesley Strackbein by e-mail at wesley@visionforum.org or by phone at (210) 340-5250, ext. 222.