Survey
Finds World-wide
Support for the Family |
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The
World Congress on the Family held this past November in
Geneva, Switzerland, opened with encouraging news. An
international survey found that the overwhelming majority
of adults around the world agree that the natural family,
based on the lawful marriage of a man and a woman, is
the fundamental unit of society. People of all cultures
affirm that a lasting marriage between a husband and wife
and the raising of children are keys to family happiness.
These
were the findings of a major international survey by Wirthlin
Worldwide. Surprisingly, given the push in many
nations to re-define marriage and family, this survey
was one of the first research investigations evaluating
world opinion about the importance of marriage, family,
and children, and their roles in different cultures.
Interviews
were conducted with a total of 2,893 individual adults,
living in 19 different nations, representing five regions
of the world: Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East/Africa
and the United States. While many assumed that varying
cultures, religions, and socio-economic factors impact
the importance placed on family and children, this study
shows that there is a strong cross-cultural agreement
on the importance of the natural family.
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The
survey found that vast majority of people (78% world-wide)
agree that "a family created through lawful marriage
is the fundamental unit of society".
84% of the respondents agreed with the definition
of marriage as between one man and one woman.
The survey results lent further credibility to the
work of family organisations around the world to challenge
the attempts of vocal special interest groups to re-define
marriage and the family.
The
World Congress of the Family was a gathering of delegates
from around the world including Jewish, Muslim, Mormon,
Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reform, Evangelical
and even agnostic people, who shared a common concern
with respect to attempts of many governments, including
the United Nations, to undermine marriage, family and
parental rights.
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The
First World Congress of the Family held in 1998 endorsed
the importance and definition of the natural family
as "the fundamental unit of society, inscribed
in human nature, and centred around the voluntary
union of a man and a woman in a life long covenant
of marriage."
The
international survey results powerfully re-affirm
the World Congress position with respect to marriage
and family. There is clearly a cultural, religious
and social consensus on the family.
This exposes the distortions of the mainstream
media and cultural elites that portray these views
as narrowly held only by the right wing religious
fringe.
This also explains why radical anti-family
groups routinely circumvent democratic process in
order to try and force their agenda.
The
Canadian delegation of several dozen people from across
the nation included leaders from most of Canada's family
organisations including Canada Family Action Coalition
President, CFAC Staff. Youth Making A Difference (youth
wing of CFAC) representatives also attended the conference
to develop a strategy for an international pro-family
youth network.
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View
the Complete Results of the World Congress of Families'
Special Report
This
file is an Adobe Acrobat file (PDF format).
Click on the button
to the left to download the free Adobe
Acrobat Viewer.
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