Georgia Law on Marrying

Ever since her 13-year-old niece wed a 14-year-old boy last year, Sharon Cline has sent lawmakers a slew of letters begging them to change a Georgia law that allows children of any age to marry-- without parental consent-- as long as the bride is pregnant... Washington Times, 17 Nov. 2005

This is so wrong, and typical of what we've become that I initially didn't know where to begin.

Geared toward preventing out-of-wedlock births, the Georgia law dates back to at least the early 1960s. The early 1960s is a landmark in time that we can point. This is when we began to flaunt immorality. Disclaimer: Immorality is nothing new and was prevalent long before the 1960s but we became increasingly unashamed during that time period.

Some will say, this is why the law was created; because we were not open (progressive) enough to come-out in the open and be realistic. I disagree, what happened is that we tried to cover-up sin (with this law) by condoning it. Being realistic is calling sin what it is; sin. The idea that getting married, to avoid out-of-wedlock children, somehow helps the situation is ludicrous. What should have been stressed is that fornication (sex outside the marriage relationship between one man and one woman) was then and still is wrong. Getting married under false pretences is equally wrong. Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly. Marriage is a scared institution established by God and He sets the boundaries.

This brings us back to the awful circumstances in Georgia. The article goes on to state that a 37 year old woman, accursed of molestation, used this marriage loophole to marry a 15 year old boy days before her arrest. If I understand this correctly I must concede:

• that molestation is not molestation if marriage occurs after the molestation
• that pre-marital sex is expected, condoned and...
• that pregnancy trumps parental rights and responsibility

We look back and the 1960s and say, what were we thinking? Unfortunately, the same thing we are thinking today; that we know better than God. The rights of the molester is emphasized today, pre-marital sex is condoned and expected, out-of-wedlock pregnancy and abortion and common-place. We then, and now, don't have a foundation for right and wrong because we've pushed the truth aside. My initial shock went away as I realized there's nothing new under-the-sun; sinners do what comes naturally, they sin.

The question now is: What's the solution?

consider Christ

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