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What is the correct age for sexual and marital consent for a girl?

Songbird

She rules her life like a bird in flight
I think there are many factors that could influence more strongly than the development of our frontal lobe. I mean, should people under the age of 25 be given little to no responsibility?

Many young couples are and have been capable to maintaining a life long relationship and many older couples have been terrible at maintaining relationships long term. It's difficult to pick any single criteria.

Oh, quite true, quite true. I don't think brain development alone should determine the age, just that it should be considered. I certainly don't think those under 25 should be forbidden from marrying or having responsibilities. I married at 20, had my first baby, bought a house, and worked full time at 23. I'm still married, still have that kid around somewhere, and still have a house. :D
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
Interesting.....however would 16 be a standard of biological/psychological maturity?

Would 18? Would 14? All these numbers have a great element of arbitrariness to them. That's the thing. Some people are mature enough to handle sex at 13. Others aren't even mature enough to handle it at 30.

One makes laws for a presumptive average of the populace. Sixteen seems like a reasonable age to presume that the average teenager is more or less capable and ready to have sex with some modicum of responsibility. I don't really know that we can do much better than that.
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
Would 18? Would 14? All these numbers have a great element of arbitrariness to them. That's the thing. Some people are mature enough to handle sex at 13. Others aren't even mature enough to handle it at 30.

One makes laws for a presumptive average of the populace. Sixteen seems like a reasonable age to presume that the average teenager is more or less capable and ready to have sex with some modicum of responsibility. I don't really know that we can do much better than that.

I understand that age is seemigly an arbitrary number but when looking at maturity I would ask if a 16 year old is responsible enough to drink? With teenage pregnancy being of the norm in the U.S. I don't know if I would say at least the median average of teenagers are responsible however you have a good point nonethless.
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
The reason why this thread focuses on girls and not boys is because girls are typically the ones courted. From proposals to weddings to giving birth it starts with the girl/woman. Culturally speaking, women are the ones "given" to the man in marriage and girls engage in premarital sex. Its easy to talk about boys but because girls sometimes take on more responsibilities than boys its easier to discuss the issue.
 

Surya Deva

Well-Known Member
I would go with the traditional scheme of life in Hinduism: The ages of 1-25 are for education, including self development, mind-body-soul training. It is a crucial period because at this age your ability to learn is at its best and it the formative stage of your personality. In this timeframe we should not even be thinking of sex. Then in the next quarter of life we should get married, have children, raise a family and contribute to society.

Of course I do not literally mean that you are enrolled into education the moment you are born. Typically, you stay with your parents to the age of 7 and focus on play. Then you enter the first stage of education from the age of 7 to 14. Then higher education from 14 to 22. In between 22-25 you will get married(typically arranged, but your consent to your possible partner is important).

The reason why we have such a corrupt society full of problems like teenage pregnancies, dysfunctional families, high divorce rates and drug abuse is because that crucial period of 1-25 in life of education and mind-body-soul training is missing. Such education produces noble, disciplined and mature people - who then go onto bring up noble, disciplined and mature children. Leading to a noble, disciplined and mature society.
 
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Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
I would go with the traditional scheme of life in Hinduism: The ages of 1-25 are for education, including self development, mind-body-soul training. It is a crucial period because at this age your ability to learn is at its best and it the formative stage of your personality. In this timeframe we should not even be thinking of sex. Then in the next quarter of life we should get married, have children, raise a family and contribute to society.

Of course I do not literally mean that you are enrolled into education the moment you are born. Typically, you stay with your parents to the age of 7 and focus on play. Then you enter the first stage of education from the age of 7 to 14. Then higher education from 14 to 22. In between 22-25 you will get married(typically arranged, but your consent to your possible partner is important).

The reason why we have such a corrupt society full of problems like teenage pregnancies, dysfunctional families, high divorce rates and drug abuse is because that crucial period of 1-25 in life life of education and mind-body-soul training. Such education produces noble, disciplined and mature people - who then go onto bring up noble, disciplined and mature children. Leading to a noble, disciplined and mature society.

Very interesting perspective.
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
I understand that age is seemigly an arbitrary number but when looking at maturity I would ask if a 16 year old is responsible enough to drink? With teenage pregnancy being of the norm in the U.S. I don't know if I would say at least the median average of teenagers are responsible however you have a good point nonethless.

Again, I think it depends on the individual. But overall, I don't know that sixteen-year-olds are particularly more or less responsible than eighteen-year-olds. I think we attribute maturity to eighteen-year-olds because our law says they are mature, and because we think of graduating high school as a de facto coming of age ritual. But objectively, I think the difference is minimal, if it even exists.
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
Again, I think it depends on the individual. But overall, I don't know that sixteen-year-olds are particularly more or less responsible than eighteen-year-olds. I think we attribute maturity to eighteen-year-olds because our law says they are mature, and because we think of graduating high school as a de facto coming of age ritual. But objectively, I think the difference is minimal, if it even exists.

Gotcha
 

Penumbra

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Ideally, it would be based on the person's development. Some people are capable of making well-thought-out decisions earlier than others.

Practically, the law should have some basic safeguard against taking advantage of young people, even if a few of them might be developed enough to make a reasonable decision before an age cut-off. Regardless of the age selected, there is going to be some arbitrary element to it.

I think 16 is a pretty decent age limit for sex, and probably 18 for marriage, and I agree with Autodidact's post about consent. A reasonable age limit should have varying degrees of enforcement, taking into account age gap and guardianship and so forth.

Society is full of arbitrary age limits, and some of them don't make sense when compared. One can drive a car at age 16 here, can join the military at 18 (and a bit earlier with parental consent), and can't vote until 21.
 

Reverend Rick

Frubal Whore
Premium Member
There are no absolutes. My Mother-in-law was married at 16 and has continued to be married for 50 years.

I do believe however, the longer a person waits, the better chance they will have to make the correct decision.

Age difference should be a bigger factor than age when you are young.

I really don't see too many self supporting teenagers. You should be responsible for yourself before you take on the responsibility for your children.

If you are bringing children into the world and depending on your parents to provide for them, then you are too young IMHO.
 

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
The reason why this thread focuses on girls and not boys is because girls are typically the ones courted. From proposals to weddings to giving birth it starts with the girl/woman. Culturally speaking, women are the ones "given" to the man in marriage and girls engage in premarital sex. Its easy to talk about boys but because girls sometimes take on more responsibilities than boys its easier to discuss the issue.

That is a very sexists responce.
and I do not believe it is true.
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
That is a very sexists responce.
and I do not believe it is true.

How is it sexist? In most cultures women are courted. In my cultures women are raised from adolescence to adulthood in how to be a mother. Why not focus on girls? Girls/women face so many social pressures as it is. You fail to attempt to show how its sexist. In a typical American wedding the man stands at the altar and the wife is walking down the aisle with her father, symbolizing him "giving his daughter to her husband." Again you fail to show how this is sexist.
 

no-body

Well-Known Member
You can't judge the past with today's eyes. Not to say this is an excuse or that it wasn't as wrong then as it was now, but to be objective you have to try to view things from every angle even ones you disagree with. You can't fully judge a person that is a product of his times (of course if Muhammad really was a messenger from God you would think God would tell him not to rape a child for purely political reasons, but I guess God knows best)
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
You can't judge the past with today's eyes. Not to say this is an excuse or that it wasn't as wrong then as it was now, but to be objective you have to try to view things from every angle even ones you disagree with. You can't fully judge a person that is a product of his times (of course if Muhammad really was a messenger from God you would think God would tell him not to rape a child for purely political reasons, but I guess God knows best)

What does this have to do with the OP?
 
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