Family

The Changing Definition of Parenthood
Parenthood seems to be a pretty straight forward concept—a man and a woman come together in marriage to form the stable family unit in which they will raise the children begat from their union. Not so anymore. Attorney Mary Summa looks at the dramatic changes in society, technology, and law that have turned the concept of parenthood topsy-turvy into an institution no longer predicated on the needs of children, but rather on the desires of adults, much to the detriment of children. more

The Case For Marriage
Attorney Anthony Biller provides a masterful civil and legal defense for the Marriage Protection Amendment before North Carolinians on May 8. more

Ten Reasons For Marriage
Alysse ElHage clearly and concisely lays out the top ten reasons North Carolinians should vote for the Marriage Protection Amendment on May 8. more

The Gold Standard
The marriage between one man and one woman is the absolute ‘gold standard’ when it comes to human relationships. There is no alternative that provides as successful a foundation for children, adults, and society, and that is in direct congruence with God’s intentional design. For this reason, society recognizes the definite importance of not just protecting, but promoting this most basic and valuable institution. (Winter 2012)

How to Cook a Frog
The deceptive Hollywood culture has infiltrated the perception of marriage and family. Kami Mueller talks about the dire effects of poor programming on families, and presents examples of positive redeeming media. (Winter 2012)

True Love Does Wait
In a succinct look at the correlation of marriage and sex, Paula Rinehart discusses the benefits of delaying sex until marriage. (Winter 2012)

Eroding Boundaries
College students face one of the most treacherous environments for keeping and nurturing a strong moral life. William Roach outlines the historical and intellectual reasons for this scenario and offers suggestions for pastors and parents to help stem its tide. (Summer 2011)

The Progress of Truth
As thousands of Christians have strengthened their knowledge of Biblical worldview through The Truth Project in North Carolina over the last several years, Kami Mueller explores the project's vital importance. (Summer 2011)

Marriage & Economic Well-Being
The benefits of marriage extend beyond merely the development and happiness of children and adults. Dr. Pat Fagan's research demonstrates why marriage is good for the economic well-being of families and society. (Summer 2011)

Love and Economics
Economist Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse emphasizes that fiscal issues cannot supercede the important role the preservation of the family has in facilitating a conservative government. (Spring 2011)

Why Gender Matters To Parenting
Responding to a devaluation of the important differences mothers and fathers have in raising children, Alysse ElHage lays out the compelling case for why children need one of each. (Spring 2011)

Parental Rights
Attorney Mary Summa chronicles the disturbing trend of legislative action across both the nation and state of eroding parents' rights to raise their children as they deem fit, despite numerous court rulings upholding this fundamental right of parents. Her piece uncovers some of the most blatant as well as the most hidden of these attempts, in order to make North Carolina parents aware of their rights and the attacks being waged against them. (Spring 2011)

Monogamy Versus Polyamory
Dr. Patrick Fagan compares the benefits brought to society by monogamous married relationships in an effort to stem the societal acceptance of serial unattached sexual encounters. (Winter 2011)

Broken Families, Splintered Lives
Alysse ElHage highlights the lifelong negative consequences of divorce on children, and shows why children have the greatest stake in the outcome of their parent’s marriage, and suffer the most harm when it ends. (Fall 2010)

Squeezing Families
How Expanding Government Undermines the Family
Economist Mark Steckbeck, Ph.D., explains how the increase in the size and scope of federal, state, and local governments has undermined the efficacy of the family and other social institutions, and resulted in ever increasing tax burdens on North Carolina families to finance such expansions of government power. (Fall 2010)

The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Family, and Community
In a condensed version of a new study released jointly by the Family Research Council and the North Carolina Family Policy Council, Patrick Fagan, Ph.D., provides an in-depth look at the effects of pornography on marriages, children, communities, and individual happiness. Dr. Fagan shows that pornography wreaks havoc on society by distorting the nature of conjugal relations and, thereby, altering sexual attitudes and behavior. (Winter 2010)

U.N.dermining the Family:
How Certain U.N. Conventions Undermine Family and Sovreignty
While social science has conclusively demonstrated that the married, two-parent family that worships weekly is the healthiest by every measure, Patrick Fagan and others argue that certain U.N. committees urge society, in the name of human rights, to undertake policies that drive it in the opposite, harmful direction. (July 2009)

Moms, Dads, and God
Brittany Farrell analyzes research from the Mapping America Project, which shows that two-parent families that worship regularly contribute more to society and have fewer problems. (July 2009)

Beyond the Family
In response to the criticism that many conservatives are “only two issue people,” Paul Brown shows how a healthy family affects a wide range of social issues. (May 2009)

Putting Adolescents at Risk
Dale O'Leary discusses the question of how one should treat adolescents who self-identify as gay or lesbian by examining the effects that promoting homosexuality has on youth. (May 2009)

Connecting the Dots of the Homosexual Agenda:
The Effort to Revolutionize Sexuality, Gender, and the Family
Alysee ElHage shows that seemingly unrelated issues relating to sexuality in society and government are actually interconnected and work together to further an expansive homosexual agenda. (May 2009)

Join the Revolution
Brittany Farrell, Courtney Gravley, Morgan Early, and Anna Beavon Gravely discuss the importance of maintaining a Christian worldview in college. (November 2008)

Consent or Coercion?
Thomas Atwood looks into the issue of adoption records and demonstrates how mandatory openness of adoption records could be harmful to the process of adoption. (July 2008)

The Price of Family Fragmentation
Alysse ElHage explores a new study that investigates the personal and financial impact of fragmented families on North Carolina. (July 2008)

Adoption Revival
David Bass reports on a renewed commitment within the evangelical Christian community to serve children in need of a loving home. (January 2008)

Motherhood and Work
More married mothers are choosing family over career. NCFPC Research Fellow, Alysse ElHage, explores the reasons why, and shows why highly educated women are choosing to make the full-time care of their children their first priority. (November 2007)

Why Families Matter
Strong Families are a good thing. Blackstone Fellow, Christina Sim discusses the value of families and why husbands and wives and mothers and fathers are so important to society. (September 2007)

Sexual Purity in a Hook-Up Culture
The Bible says that “among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity . . .because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Eph 5:3). At the same time, Hugh Hefner, founder of the Playboy Empire, has “tried to show there is another ethical way of enjoying sex without being married.” These are two views on sexual purity that are mutually exclusive. (July 2007)

Tax Policy, Marriage, and the Family
Families are having a tough go of it in North Carolina because of the high tax burden. In fact, this burden is one of the highest in the Southeast. The effects on the family produce some interesting results. (September 2006)

Why Families Matter: The Need for Husbands and Wives—Fathers and Mothers
Given the current attacks on traditional family values, it is now more important than ever to understand why the family works and how it benefits the culture. This paper surveys social science research to demonstrate that marriage is an intrinsic good and the essential basis for the family, which is the fundamental building block of society. (November 2005)

Living Together: How Cohabitation Undermines Marriage and the Family
A dangerous social trend is growing in prevalence and popularity in North Carolina and across the country. It’s called cohabitation, and in spite of the fact that it significantly lowers the chances for a successful marriage and raises the odds that children will spend at least part of their lives in poverty and be more vulnerable to abuse, more Americans are choosing to cohabit than ever before. This paper reviews how cohabitation negatively affects marriage and the family and explains why North Carolina’s law prohibiting cohabitation should remain the standard in this state. (June 2005)

Domestic Partner Benefits: Chipping Away at Marriage and the Traditional Family
To put it simply, the homosexual agenda stretches far beyond its current rallying cry for same-sex marriage and tolerance in the public square. It all comes down to the definition of family. This paper discusses the tool of "domestic partnerships" in the push by homosexuals to win acceptance, legitimization and celebration of their behavior. (October 2004)

Sexual Degradation: How Pornography Destroys the Family
Pornography is not “harmless adult entertainment” as the porn industry claims. Inside the world of pornography, sex is public, no relationship is sacred, and no one's body—not even a child's—is innocent. True, not everyone who views porn will become a sexual addict or a sexual predator. The most pernicious effects of pornography are more subtle, and result from the powerful influence it exerts over the hearts, minds and souls of individuals, and in the damage it does to intimate relationships. (July 2004)

Indecent Exposure: Protecting Families From Offensive Programming
The increasing amount of offensive programming on television and radio has left many parents feeling frustrated, and wondering what—if anything—can be done. As broadcasters continue to push the limits of decency, citizens need to understand the role of the FCC, the applicable laws, and the impact of media ownership, as well as the public's critical responsibility to help protect the airwaves from obscene and indecent content. (March 2004)

Parental Rights: Why they matter and how they're being ignored
Traditionally, there has been little doubt that the authority to determine what is in a childÅfs best interests lies with the parents; however, recent events indicate that this is not always considered to be the case. In the clamor to create policies to protect children, the important role of the parents is often overlooked or minimized. It should be the priority of every government policy that affects children to respect and guard the fundamental rights of parents. Once this foundation is recognized then the work of creating policies beneficial to children can be more reasonably approached. This paper will explore the legal and natural history of parental rights, the current trend away from them, and ways to reverse this trend. (October 2003)

Intolerant Tolerance: The Weapon of Moral Relativism
In today's culture the traditional understanding of tolerance has been redefined such that the advocates of a new morality are shutting out those who support traditional family values. The "new tolerance" is not simply a philosophical abstract that is being postulated in the halls of academic institutions, it is the worldview being pushed on society. This paper examines the "new tolerance" and how it is affecting families, schools and public policy. (December 2002)

Should Homosexuals Adopt?: Why adoption is not a homosexual "rights" issue
The movement to legitimize the homisexual lifestyle goes far beyond the push to get "same-sex marriage" legalized. Members of the homosexual community are fighting for more than just special classifications under the law—they are fighting to redefine the very meaning of family. The "right" to adopt should not be dirven by a desire to advance an agenda or to satisfy someone's personal desires to parent. Instead, the decision must be based on a careful determination of what is in the best interest of the child—which is to grow up in a home with a married mother and father. (August 2001)

Too Many Fatherless Children: Can mentoring make a difference?
In America today, over 22 million children are being raised in fatherless households. That means four out of every ten children go to bed at night in homes where their father does not live. In North Carolina, mother-only families total 27.2 percent. This paper examines the statistics, the problems and the practice of mentoring as a stop gap for fatherlessness. (June 1999)