Child Brides? Parents selling their children? Is there a law that can stop all of this?

Question

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20781129/site/newsweek/

Even though it was a hoax, men really DID respond...
OPINIONS???
SUGGESTIONS???

Joan,
I think you understood where I was coming from on this. By no means was I trying to step on "cultural" toes. but none of these men were looking for a "dowry" or going by a tradition of their culture.

Answer 1

Many western countries are setting up laws to prevent such selling and forced marriages, however the procedure is cumbersome because there's alot of people who argue this is interfering with another group's culture, that this is the way they live.

Although I can see the point of this argument, my way of thinking is that you have to look at the bigger picture. If people are getting harmed and injured because of this cultural practice, it's got to stop - STUFF cultural beliefs.

To me, this includes forced marriages, honour killings and female genital mutilation.

Answer 2

In some cultures/religions this is the norm. The parents pick the bride and groom in advance, even several years in advance of when they will actually live together as husband and wife. This tradition is seen even in biblical times. The virgin Mary was around 12 or 13 and living the life of a Vestal Virgin. By tradition it is known that Vestal Virgins lived at the temple and were given in marriage at the age of puberty. She was betrothed to Joseph who was much older when the Angel of the Lord declared unto her that she would be the mother of the Christ Child. Until the early 1900s brides were often married at puberty. Jerry Lee Lewis' first wife was only 14. Elvis Presley married a 16 yr. old. Not that it is right or wrong, but do you think any law is going to stop a culture from doing what it has always done over the centuries? The selling is considered a dowry. A college educated friend of mine had a dowry and her fiance and his parents had to barter for what she was worth according to old Vietnamese traditions. (I told her I didn't think she was worth more than a cow, pig and chicken). He paid $5,000 to marry her. Her widowed mother took the money and followed them when they moved out of state. He bought more than a bride I think. The only laws that might apply would have to do with selling children for sex which is a predatory offense like child prostitution.

Answer 3

Well, less than 100 years ago, 13 year olds were married and arrainged marriages wee commonly taking place. My paternal grandparents were that way (g-mother was 13) and theirs lated over 70 years. In Jesus' time this was not only common, but almost all marriages were arrainged as well as 12-14 year olds marrying. Where in the Bible does it call this a sin? Where in the Bible does it talk about teens? It doesn't because when the child began puberty, they became adults.

In our modern culture, 18 is grown up but 21 is adulthood. In Jewish culture, puberty was adulthood, then you had somethings that required you to be 25, some 30, others 33. Mary, the mother of Jesus was most likely 13 years old but God chose her to be the mother of Jesus. Was this something that 13 year olds today could do?

The Bible and God do not change. If God allowed it then, then why do we say it is wrong now? If it was good enough for Jesus, then why is it not good for us today?

Answer 4

Even though it was accepted 100 years or so ago and in biblical times doesn't make it right today! It was also accepted a 100 years ago to segregate minorities, ok to beat your children, to use kids as young as 5 for labor work in the minds or fields and so on. We learned the hard way that just because it was accepted doesn't mean it was right.
The scary part in all of this is some of your answers. If it were their child that was displayed for marriage at 15 and grown men wanted them, would they still feel that because it was accepted in biblical times it's ok now?

Answer 5

statuatory rape. child sexual abuse and so on. this is sickening. maybe a petition, its working with the Jena Six.