Consent?

[SoliDeoGloria]

When it comes to sexuality, it has been said that there are two basic belief groups. Those who believe that sexuality is a matter of two censenting adults and no more and those who believe that sexuality should be practiced in the bounds of marriage. While there are many disagreements between the two groups, the one subject that both groups generally agree with is that rape is wrong.

At one time the Supreme Court of the U.S. considered allowing rape to be a capital offense and allowing states to execute people for it. While the court agreed that rape was a horrendous crime against another human being, they didn't allow it to become a capital offense. Even still, a person convicted of sexually violating another is punished quite harshly although I am sure many victoms rights advocates would disagree and for good reason. In Iowa, all sexual offenders must go thorugh many treatment programs and then before being considered for relaease, they are considered for civil commitment for an undetermined amount of time. Even if they are lucky enough to be released they must register with the local authorities and be put on a sexual predators list for at least ten years among other things.

Victoms of sexual crimes suffer lifelong damage ranging from serious mental disorders to drug abuse to suicide. If sex were merely an issue of consent, why is it that there are many crimes that are a violation of one's consent that can be considered misdemeanors? Studies have shown that victoms of sexual crimes suffer much more than victoms of a vast majority of other crimes that could be catagorized as a violation of one's consent, even physically violent crimes. Could there be much more than an issue of consent here?

Sincerely,
SoliDeoGloria

 

[michel]

I am not sure exactly what you are looking for here, but sex is one of the greatest 'Taboos' and is part of the very essence of our psyche.

For that reason alone, a crime of sex where consent has been violated immediately takes on something that is unique to that type of crime...........

If you think about it, when people have been burgled, one of the most emotive effects is the feeling of personal 'violation'- some people carry the mental scars for a long long time.

 

[fromthe heart]

Hi... I will say one thing...if it were a victim making the laws they would all be so much different.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I believe sex is ok as long as the two people are ok with it. I dont use the term adult, because in some states the legal age to have sex is 16 or 17, younger than an adult. If the people are drunk, they really cant be consinting in the legal definition.

 

[Sunstone]

Well, I agree that rape is about more than merely the violation of a person's right to consent. It is a horrendous crime that can have devastating consequences to the victum.

 

[Isabella Lecour]

Victoms of sexual crimes suffer lifelong damage ranging from serious mental disorders to drug abuse to suicide. If sex were merely an issue of consent, why is it that there are many crimes that are a violation of one's consent that can be considered misdemeanors? Studies have shown that victoms of sexual crimes suffer much more than victoms of a vast majority of other crimes that could be catagorized as a violation of one's consent, even physically violent crimes. Could there be much more than an issue of consent here?

I am one of those who belive that consenting partners having sex is fine. I am also a surviver of sexual abuse. I also agree that rape is a crime, a crime without an equal. So is the sex issue merely an issue of consent? No is my knee-jerk reaction. For me to even answer why? I'm left fumbling with half formed spiritual ideas and even vaguer thoughts. I'll give it a try. Rape touches something more than concent. It violates a person's right to say no, and it shows a total disregard for that person. To me, it's the most evil action that one to do to another. Children often have no concept of concent when dealing with adults, so any adult who rapes a child, ignores the concent issue, and touches that persons "soul" and does great harm. For me I see half of my idenity tied to my sexuality and to have been hurt in the "soul" of my womanhood, half of who I am has been hurt beyond measure. It's a hurt that's never forgotten and it can over shadow every sexual experience thereafter. Rape hurts more than one person even when only one person was raped. Rape hurts the "target" and each following consenting partner.

I'm not sure if my ideas are at all clear. Perhaps someone can make sense of them.

Isabella

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

Great Responses!!! I must confess that I got the original idea from an article I read a couple of years ago and decided to try it out here.

The intended message of the article was that if there is more to sexual relations than mere consent proven by the fact that rape (a sexual crime) violates more than one's consent, than shouldn't there be more to deciding whether one should engage in sexual relations with another person than consent for the sake of protecting one from harm? Take for instance, most people (if not all) can remember their first encounter with sexual relations with another person. Whether or not that first encounter was enjoyable or not can effect their view of sexual relations for the rest of their life. Now, the article I read was out of a Christian Apologetics magazine so ofcourse, their solution to this issue was that the best way of protecting someone from harm is abstanance until one gets married. I'll leave it at that.

Sincerely,
SoliDeoGloria

 

[michel]

Isabella, I am so sorry to hrear that you are a victim; I can only hope and pray that you have laid it to rest. I don't even think that a man can 'understand' the feelings of a woman who has been violated.


There is another point though; there are numerous crimes of rape that take place each day, throughout the world - between married couples; those are rarely talked about.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

There is another point though; there are numerous crimes of rape that take place each day, throughout the world - between married couples; those are rarely talked about.

Until recent years ( i forget the actual year) Forced sex in marriage was not legally rape.
Now it is one of the most common rapes.
Before that it was a man's Right to have sex with his wife with or with out consent.
One law we got right.
Terry
____________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

There is another point though; there are numerous crimes of rape that take place each day, throughout the world - between married couples; those are rarely talked about....

Until recent years ( i forget the actual year) Forced sex in marriage was not legally rape.
Now it is one of the most common rapes.
Before that it was a man's Right to have sex with his wife with or with out consent.
One law we got right.

Those are indeed valid points. To that I would like to add that it does not happen in all marriages. I would be suprised to find out if it happened in half. Even the article I read did not state that marriage was the only way of avoiding getting hurt while engaging in sexual relations, it just stated that it was the best. On top of that, rape is not the only way one can get hurt sexually in a marriage. Adultry can change a persons perspective of sexual relations also. With that being noted, should we just "throw the baby out with the bath water"? I personally say no. Christianity is not the only religion that places great emphasis on marriages and for good reasons.

Sincerely,
SoliDeoGloria

 

[Firecat89]

Is rape within a marriage and rape outside of a marriage treated the same in the law's eyes?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Is rape within a marriage and rape outside of a marriage treated the same in the law's eyes?

Rape, by definition, is forcing someone to have sexual intercourse. If it was inside marriage, it would still be considered rape.