The Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society believes the
natural family is the fundamental unit of society; that it is the
basis of all healthy and progressive civilizations.
The best definition of the natural family we know of (we
helped to craft it) comes from the second World
Congress of Families gathering.
"The natural family is a man and
woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the
purposes of:
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the
continuation of the human species,
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the
rearing of children,
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the
regulation of sexuality,
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the
provision of mutual support and protection,
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the
creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
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the
maintenance of bonds between the generations."
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Our use of the term "natural family" is significant in
many respects.
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First, the
term signifies a natural order to family structures that
is common across cultures, historical, and
overwhelmingly self-evident.
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Second, the
term signifies a wholly defensible expression.
"Natural" is not "nuclear," which
would limit its scope, nor is it
"traditional," which would burden its utility
in public discourse. It is what it is, a totally
self-evident expression.
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Third, the
term "natural" precludes incompatible
constructs of the family as well as incompatible
behaviors among its members.
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Fourth, the
"natural family" is a positive expression. It
does not require a discussion of negative
incompatibilities to define itself.
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