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Should Child Marriages be Banned Worldwide?

PureX

PureX

Veteran Member
Mike.Hester said:
Just recently a law allowing child marriage (at Puberty) to be legalized in Somalia has come under world scrutiny. The Religion of peace has been very silent with only international political groups reminding the Somalian Government of previous international agreements to preventing child marriages. Somalia is not the only country which acquiesce in child marriages. Should there be a worldwide ban on such a practice?
Bill endorsing child marriages in Somalia roundly condemned
Click to expand...
If the first world wants to impose it's values on the third world, I think it should be willing to share it's advantages with them in terms of social systems. We love to tell the third world how they should live, but we won't lift a finger to help them achieve the change. In fact, we do just the opposite. We exploit their ignorance for our own gain at every turn.

Not exactly the moral high road, is it?
 
oldbadger

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
Tambourine said:
Children have rights, yes. Which is primarily the reason why I do not think parents should be allowed to make an end run around ages of consent by effectively designating their child as partner to a grown adult for the purpose of a sexual relationship.

Do you disagree?
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The above was sent to another.

A work colleague told me that he met his bride on their wedding day. She was 16 years old, he was 19. When they eventually found themselves to be alone together they talked about how things had turned out for them. They decided that they had as.much chance as any couple. They are still together 30 years later. My colleague flew to Pakistan over twenty years ago and arranged a marriage for his daughter with a young man and when she reached 16 yes this young couple met and married.
As far as I know they are still married. No probs.

The only time when the law should act fast and sure is in the case of either girl or boy saying 'No!'. In the UK we are doing much more now to protect from honour attacks and murders.

Different cultures should be left alone as far as possible.
 
Heyo

Heyo

Veteran Member
Secret Chief said:
In some states minors cannot legally divorce to leave their spouse, or enter a shelter to escape abuse...
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And that, exactly, is the big problem.
Someone who is deemed not major enough to legally stand on their own feet, should not be deemed major enough to enter into a contract that has so wide ranging consequences as a marriage.
 
oldbadger

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
PureX said:
If the first world wants to impose it's values on the third world, I think it should be willing to share it's advantages with them in terms of social systems. We love to tell the third world how they should live, but we won't lift a finger to help them achieve the change. In fact, we do just the opposite. We exploit their ignorance for our own gain at every turn.

Not exactly the moral high road, is it?
Click to expand...
For sure.
Too many folks point fingers to other cultures and decide that they know how things should happen, and then wander onwards, pointing to right and left as they go, deciding for others yet again.

Teenaged kids need to be protected from coercion and threats while being given the chance to decide for themselves. And while kids can make mistakes just look at the adult marriage mess- up stats.
 
icehorse

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
InvestigateTruth said:
Ok, what about child having boyfriend or girlfriend? Should that be banned as well?

What is a child marriage?
If two 15 years old want to marry, should that be banned? What about if two 15 years old, want to become boyfriend, girlfriend? Why child marriage is worse than child boyfriend?
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There are at least two distinct situations one could infer from the OP:

1 - When a young (probably girl), is forced - without her consent - to marry an older person (usually man).
2 - When two young people want to marry each other.

I'm pretty sure the OP was focused on the first?
 
Secret Chief

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
PruePhillip said:
You one of those who support "gay marriage"? If so, for how long? 20 years ago
few people supported "gay marriage."
You support "reform" to euthanasia to open it to anybody? Five years ago nearly
everyone said it wouldn't take that step. 20 years ago few supported even restricted
euthanasia.
You support chemical castration or surgery for children who claim to be "transgender"?
Five years ago the very idea was anathema to most people.
You believe the term 'male' and 'female' should be removed from birth certificates? Three
years ago this was impossible.

Read my profile below. Morals are no long a religious thing but political.
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You said "fashion."
When did murder become a whim of fashion?
When did rape become a whim of fashion?
When did torture become a whim of fashion?
When did burglary become a whim of fashion?
 
Heyo

Heyo

Veteran Member
oldbadger said:
For sure.
Too many folks point fingers to other cultures and decide that they know how things should happen, and then wander onwards, pointing to right and left as they go, deciding for others yet again.

Teenaged kids need to be protected from coercion and threats while being given the chance to decide for themselves. And while kids can make mistakes just look at the adult marriage mess- up stats.
Click to expand...
"There are higher divorce rates among women who were between 15 and 20 years old when they first tied the knot, according to Bureau of Labor figures and data from the American Community Survey, analyzed by University of Maryland sociologist Philip N. Cohen. On average, those marriages—known in the vernacular as “starter marriages”—last between 1 and 10 years." from This Chart Tells You How Likely You Are to Get Divorced
 
robocop (actually)

robocop (actually)

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Mike.Hester said:
Just recently a law allowing child marriage (at Puberty) to be legalized in Somalia has come under world scrutiny. The Religion of peace has been very silent with only international political groups reminding the Somalian Government of previous international agreements to preventing child marriages. Somalia is not the only country which acquiesce in child marriages. Should there be a worldwide ban on such a practice?
Bill endorsing child marriages in Somalia roundly condemned
Click to expand...
Maybe governing bodies shouldn't make huge decisions when they lack their own integrity. Why don't we leave the decision more locally?
 
Mock Turtle

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
oldbadger said:
OK. Under 18.
Our kids 16-18 can marry quite legally with all parental consent.

We have a recent law 2014 which outlaws any marriages under that age. Any kind of sex is unlawful under that age.

Trouble is, a significant % of children in their early teens have sexual experience.
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I believe the figure for girls is 25% or more of 16-year-olds having had sex already, and I don't think this has varied much over the last several decades.
 
Mock Turtle

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
As mentioned earlier in the thread, I think one of the issues is the giving of responsibility to decide to the parents, such that why not remove all child rights and let the parents decide for them. But of course we don't do this, perhaps because we do see children as individuals and not just as the property of their parents. Most parents will only want what is best for their children but many might not. Which is what happens in some countries where children are married very young despite being illegal in most cases - and damaged by such.
 
InvestigateTruth

InvestigateTruth

Well-Known Member
icehorse said:
There are at least two distinct situations one could infer from the OP:

1 - When a young (probably girl), is forced - without her consent - to marry an older person (usually man).
2 - When two young people want to marry each other.

I'm pretty sure the OP was focused on the first?
Click to expand...
Ok, but forcing to marry another person, or forcing to have a relation with someone else, is wrong at any age, not just for when one is much younger than the other. A person who is still a child, should not be allowed to have a relation or marriage even if he/she is willing so. The question is then, what age, is the age that one can marry.
The problem I see is, many people think, it is ok to have a boyfriend when one is 14, but it is not ok to marry at 14. If 14 is too young, it is wrong to have a boyfriend or marry at this age.
 
Saint Frankenstein

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
InvestigateTruth said:
Ok, but forcing to marry another person, or forcing to have a relation with someone else, is wrong at any age, not just for when one is much younger than the other. A person who is still a child, should not be allowed to have a relation or marriage even if he/she is willing so. The question is then, what age, is the age that one can marry.
The problem I see is, many people think, it is ok to have a boyfriend when one is 14, but it is not ok to marry at 14. If 14 is too young, it is wrong to have a boyfriend or marry at this age.
Click to expand...
There's a huge difference between a couple of kids courting each other and dating, and people getting married . Teen romances aren't as serious and are mostly about exploration and growth as opposed to lifelong commitment and responsibilities. It's like learning to swim or to ride a bike. You have to start somewhere.

Also, the people involved are peers, not an adult marrying a child as is usually the case in child marriages.
 
Heyo

Heyo

Veteran Member
InvestigateTruth said:
Ok, but forcing to marry another person, or forcing to have a relation with someone else, is wrong at any age, not just for when one is much younger than the other. A person who is still a child, should not be allowed to have a relation or marriage even if he/she is willing so. The question is then, what age, is the age that one can marry.
The problem I see is, many people think, it is ok to have a boyfriend when one is 14, but it is not ok to marry at 14. If 14 is too young, it is wrong to have a boyfriend or marry at this age.
Click to expand...
Having a girl/boyfriend doesn't come with legal strings attached.
 
Mock Turtle

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
InvestigateTruth said:
Ok, but forcing to marry another person, or forcing to have a relation with someone else, is wrong at any age, not just for when one is much younger than the other. A person who is still a child, should not be allowed to have a relation or marriage even if he/she is willing so. The question is then, what age, is the age that one can marry.
The problem I see is, many people think, it is ok to have a boyfriend when one is 14, but it is not ok to marry at 14. If 14 is too young, it is wrong to have a boyfriend or marry at this age.
Click to expand...

To add to this, which I have mentioned before in some other thread, we have the position in the UK where doctors are seemingly allowed to prescribe the pill to 14-year-olds, of course knowing they are having sex, and yet will not be prosecuted for such - because it is in the interests of the child and pregnancy is a worse option.
 
InvestigateTruth

InvestigateTruth

Well-Known Member
Saint Frankenstein said:
There's a huge difference between a couple of kids courting each other and dating, and people getting married . Teen romances aren't as serious and are mostly about exploration and growth as opposed to lifelong commitment and responsibilities. It's like learning to swim or to ride a bike. You have to start somewhere.

Also, the people involved are peers, not an adult marrying a child as is usually the case in child marriages.
Click to expand...
So, the only reason teen should not marry, is because they are not ready to take responsibility? Responsibility for what? For having kids? But they can use pills or condoms to prevent pregnancy. You know, many teens get pregnant without marriage. So, getting married is not equal to have kids.

teen romances is different than getting involved in sexual relationships.
Why does romance have to include sex?
 
Saint Frankenstein

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
InvestigateTruth said:
So, the only reason teen should not marry, is because they are not ready to take responsibility? Responsibility for what? For having kids? But they can use pills or condoms to prevent pregnancy. You know, many teens get pregnant without marriage. So, getting married is not equal to have kids.

teen romances is different than getting involved in sexual relationships.
Why does romance have to include sex?
Click to expand...
I didn't say anything about sex. Not all teens who date have sex. Also, you can be mature enough to have sex but not mature enough for marriage.
 
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