We should all have been aware for years that almost every state, until very recently, had loopholes for teenagers to get married. Some states had no limits on the age – seriously – while others raised it from 12 years old (with parental or court permission) to 16. Former Senator Roy Moore of Alabama admitted to regularly dating teenagers under 18 when he was a lawyer in practice in his 30’s. According to www.childusa.org, “Between 2000 and 2018, almost 300,000 children were married in the United States alone, with approximately 30,000 to 60,000 of those marriages occurring at a spousal age difference that should have been considered a sex crime.” In the developing world, it is far worse; in many countries, “One in three girls is married before reaching age 18 and one in nine is married under the age of 15.” (www.humantrafficking.org). So, while most Americans think we oppose this perverse practice, it turns out that this is not true.
Then I saw this: an article about Missouri State Representative Mike Moon defending child marriage, saying he, “knows kids who got married at 12 who are still married.” Mike Moon, GOP Missouri Lawmaker, Defends Child’s Right to Get Married (businessinsider.com). Then there’s Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra who blocked a bill that would have banned child marriage from being voted on in her state. A Republican and a Democrat thousands of miles apart, working to keep the rape of children legal. One of the biggest roadblocks to getting rid of this heinous practice is the fact that each state, to a large extent, controls marriage in their localities. It would take a case like the one the Supreme Court refused to hear about same-sex marriage to stop these crimes. That doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.
In my reading and experience, most of the cases of child marriage I have seen happen among “religious” people, and usually between a young girl and an adult man. The “christians” who do this point to Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus, believing that Joseph was much older than Mary (which might have been true). Times have changed; in fact, when I do classes about morals and ethics, the only thing everyone can agree on that is wrong is pedophilia. And yet, here we are; a nation that sanctions the rape of children. In fact, by 2020, only Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware banned the practice. Since then, 4 more have joined them. You do the math; 43 states (and D.C), allow exceptions for marriage under 18. Are you as disgusted as I am?
Where are the moral people of our country on this? Why aren’t our elected leaders protecting children? All this talk about protecting life, and yet a child can be married in 86% of the country. It’s repulsive – we are repulsive. Until we make this 100% illegal, we can’t claim we are a moral and safe place for children. And remember this; the only time Jesus hints at approving of the death penalty is in Luke 17. “It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” That should mean something.
Prayer – Holy God, do not forgive our abuse of children in the country. Inspire people in states that allow these crimes to go on to change them. Amen.
Today’s art is from the Village Underground project in the UK called “I am somebody”.