Between the late 19th and early 20th century, Christians imposed their morality on others by...?

Question

...successfully campaigning to have the age of consent raised from 7-12 to 16-18.
http://www.binghamton.edu/womhist/teacher/aoc.htm
http://www.binghamton.edu/womhist/socm/doc8.htm

Questions:

1) Should the attitude of Christians have been, "While I would never have sex with a seven year old, I would never interfere with someone else's right to do so"?

2) What do you think the age of consent should be?

Answer 1

A Christian should always:
Submit yourselves therefore to God, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. -James 4:7.
I believe the age of consent should be 18, which corresponds to the time someone would graduate high school.
Oh, and you forgot Christians imposing their morality by actively opposing slavery, child labour, among other evils of the time.

Answer 2

Depends on what you mean by "impose." Most posters here are not reading your question carefully. As you suggest, we have no more tools to influence social norms than anyone else. If society has adopted some of those norms, there are only a few reasonable explanations. 1) American society already had a lot of these norms because that is who we once were, or 2) we were successful in persuading many non-Christians that these norms were good for everyone, or 3) there is a vast right-wing conspiracy manipulating everything from behind stained glass doors. #1 and #2 are far more likely than #3, but the paranoia here at R&S is too strong to overcome with calm logic. Oh well ...

Answer 3

The campaign to raise the age of consent was merely a movement to legally raise the age requirement to bring it to conform to what society at large already considered proper at that time. It was just making the written codified laws equal to what people already considered was right and proper.

We have many situations like that all of the time. Something where most decent people would not consider doing it, and most just assume that it must be illegal, until someone goes and checks the statutes and finds out that technically, according to the law, it's not prohibited. Then there is a movement to make the law conform to society's values. That's all this was about.

IMO, the age of consent should be equal to the age that someone is considered legally an adult.

Answer 4

Thank God they did that back then, when society seemed to have more morals. Who know what would have happened if it wasn't taken care of until now. People might try to say it is that child's right to have sex when they want. It gives me the creeps. I think it makes sense to have the age of consent changed to 18 when most teens will be finished with high school, like someone else mentioned. That way, if she finds she is pregnant, that child can raise her child and at least have some education under her belt.
The only problem is that the more you tell someone they can't do something, the harder that person will try to do it.

Answer 5

The age of consent in Japan and korea is 13. its funny how most people assume consent automatically refers to pedophilia, but this includes children having sex with each other, something we know happens today even with the restrictions in place.

I think there should be no age of consent but rather when it comes to sex and relationships consent would be dependent on mutual agreement between parents and children. if one says no then the answer is no. when it comes to other forms of consent like medical procedures drinking entering the military etc, it could be doen the same way.

conside these arbitrary tidbits: 1.a female child must get parental persmission to receive aspirin from a nurse, but the parents need NOT be notified if the girl decides she wants to get a potentially life threatening abortion! 2. an 18 year old can die for his country but cant have a beer until he is 21.


Consent laws dont protect anyone really. they are government bandaids that only serve to give people psychological peace of mind.

My idea probably sounds sick to some of you, however, the age limit is a cultural(religious) as well as moral consideration as can be attested to by the many different ages of consent across the globe. Mostly I believe it is still better to leave such considerations under the authority of families and not governments. In these cases governments can educate , influence and encourage citizens one way ofr the author , but mandating such arbitrary ages doesnt really deter deviance.

Parents have legal obligations regarding their wards to consider, therefore, responsibility for determining consent should be kept in their hands.

Answer 6

I'm a little unsure of your point here. You can certainly use this as an example of the good Christian imposed morality has done for society but if you are going to look back, then let's also go back a few hundred years more to the Spanish Inquisition and compare what impact Christian imposed morality had on the masses at that time.

Answer 7

No one has a "right" to have sex with a seven year old!

What is this silly trend to call everything a "right" that someone wants to do?

There was a moralistic reason for doing it, but ignoring the other, practical reasons for doing so, even more so today.

What right do you have to burden those legally responsible for a child/teenager with sexually transmitted diseases and a pregnancy?

Now, if the child and adult insist on divorcing the parents, GREAT! No more legal responsibility, let them pay their own way. I agree with that. After a generation of that with parents being smart enough to kick them out (which I will do with my own daughter with my wife's agreement, unless she wants to pay rent, and assuming we can tolerate the scum that did it with her), I suspect the number of teenagers willing to have premarital sex would drop quickly.

Remember, this is a teenager that doesn't care that they are putting their parents into legal and financial risk. They are "getting what they want" at their parent's expense.

They want adult rights. Let them divorce their parent's responsibility for them.

Answer 8

So for some reason, you think this justifies Christian behavior and makes them seem more moral? A 7 year old is a child. The age of consent is fine right where it is.

Answer 9

I'm an atheist. But 12yrs old is way too young. That is prepubescent! I really don't have a problem with 16 to 18. I do think that is appropriate.

Answer 10

I think 18 is where it should be unless for instance a 16 year old marries. That is awfully young but it does happen.