137 – relationships and family
How should relationships and families be integrated into the community?
The community, while sharing similarities with monastic orders has far more in common with a campus university or kibbutz. A working collaborative commune in which people will invariably fall in love, have families and of course disputes. Evidently, there should be no restrictions on what kind of relationships are formed nor should there be any discrimination against any kind of sexual preference of any consenting community members. Children and co-habitation should also be permitted and there should be at no point the feeling that community enforces an ideal state of on the family or relationship model (unless of course there are signs of abuse).
If someone wants to join the community who already has a family and potentially with a wife or spouse who is outside the community there should be some deliberation of the entrance committe.
