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The meaning of the term-of-art natural born Citizen is only in dispute, because people have chosen to dispute it.

First, there are rules when construing the Constitution, and one is that every word have a purpose. You can not interpret any part of the Constitution such as to give any other part no meaning. So, immediately you can see that those who say natural born Citizen is the same as Citizen at birth, are wrong. In that definition the word natural is ignored.

So, what does natural born Citizen mean? The first thing to understand is that there are two basic forms of law, 'positive', and 'natural'. Positive law is every man made law, form your local ordinance's to the Constitution. Natural law is the law that exists even without positive law. It is often referred to as the law of nature or the divine. Positive law takes precedence over natural law.

So with that in mind, what does the term natural born Citizen mean? Simple, it means a Citizen at birth, according to natural law. Who is a Citizen according to natural law? Anyone who does not require positive law.

Many law have been written that describes who shall be Citizens. If you would not be a Citizen had that law not been written, then you are not natural born. There were Citizens before the 14th amendment. There would be Citizens without the Immigration and Nationality Act (unfortunately that does not include Cruz), and there would be Citizens without any law declaring them. We know this because the Constitution says they exist - the natural born Citizens.

Who are these persons? The are the children of Citizens born in the country of their Citizen parents. Their Citizenship can not be denied, and needs not be legislated.