Marriage and Family

The Family is the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society. Properly understood, “families” are formed only by ties of blood, marriage, or adoption, where “marriage” is a union of one man and one woman.

Fingal Witness believes, and social science has now clearly demonstrated, that children do best when raised by their own biological mother and father who are committed to one another in a lifelong marriage. Indeed, the data demonstrate that adults also thrive in this same family structure. Other forms of the family arise from rejection or ambivalence between the parents, before or after marriage. This may include ambivalence about marriage (cohabitation), or the rejection by one of the parents of the other, as is the case in divorce, remarried step families (where there is almost always a history of rejection for at least one of the spouses), single parenthood, or step-cohabiting parenthood.

We strongly support adoption, particularly as an alternative to abortion, single parenthood, or foster care. The purpose of adoption is not to provide children for adults who want them, but to provide families for children which give them the experience of secure married family life as much as possible. Adoption policy should therefore include a primary preference for placing children with a married mother and father as long as such are available.