It's a philosophical stance. From Wiki:
Natural law, or the
law of nature (
Latin:
lex naturalis), is a system of law that is determined by nature, and so is universal.
[1] Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze
human nature both social and personal and deduce binding rules of moral behavior from it. Natural law is often compared with the
positive law of a given political community,
society, or
state.
[2] In legal theory, on the other hand, the interpretation of positive law requires some reference to natural law. On this understanding of natural law, natural law can be invoked to criticize judicial decisions about what the law says but not to criticize the best interpretation of the law itself. Some scholars use natural law synonymously with
natural justice or
natural right (Latin
ius naturale),
[3] while others distinguish between natural law and natural right.
[1]
Although natural law is often conflated with
common law, the two are distinct in that natural law is a view that certain rights or values are inherent in or universally cognizable by virtue of human reason or human nature, while common law is the legal tradition whereby certain rights or values are legally cognizable by virtue of judicial recognition or articulation.
[4] Natural law theories have, however, exercised a profound influence on the development of
English common law,
[5][
full citation needed] and have featured greatly in the
philosophies of
Thomas Aquinas,
Francisco Suárez,
Richard Hooker,
Thomas Hobbes,
Hugo Grotius,
Samuel von Pufendorf,
John Locke,
Francis Hutcheson,
Jean Jacques Burlamaqui, and
Emmerich de Vattel. Because of the intersection between natural law and
natural rights, it has been cited as a component in the
United States Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution of the United States, as well as in the
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Declarationism states that the founding of the United States is based on Natural law.
Natural law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Natural Law
Homosexuality (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
It's the main argument that Catholics use against homosexual sex acts. It basically says that all sexual acts that are not between a (married) man and woman and not open to procreation are contrary to the natural order and so are sinful. This thinking is the entire foundation of the Catholic Church's teachings on sexual morality. Needless to say, it's very flawed and outdated.
Refutations:
Natural Law Ethics, Homosexuality and Morality | Georges Alexandre (Alex) Lenferna - Academia.edu
Deconstructing Natural Law Ethics | Vox Nova
Natural Law | Queering the Church
Libertarian Jew: Refuting the "Homosexuality Is Unnatural" Argument
