Unmarried Couples In Free Countries Can Sigh A Breath of Relief
Posted: Tuesday, January 05, 2010
by Abigail Richards
I sometimes take for granted just how lucky we are living in a free country. Today is not one of those days.
A headline in the BBC News made me shudder to think that couples would be treated in such a way.
The story? “ Fifty-two unmarried couples could face charges of sexual misconduct and jail terms after being caught in hotel rooms by Malaysia's Islamic morality police," BBC is reporting.
They could get a maximum penalty of two years in prison or a fine.
Can you imagine?
Being torn out of your hotel room in the early morning hours by police? Talk about fear and humiliation.
I remember in college being terrified that I would get caught with my boyfriend after hours in my dorm. Honestly, if I ever did get caught, it would be a warning or slap on the wrist.
I can't imagine being in a hotel you paid for and now looking at prison or a fine. Freedom is easy to take for granted when you are not faced with this type of individual privileges or rights being yanked from you in a second.
At first as a parent, I would say I was relieved that this type of restrictions applied. But even as a parent, I would not want my kid in prison because of this type of offense.
“ Under Malaysia's Islamic Sharia Law, couples who are not married to each other should not be in a secluded area or confined space, which could give rise to suspicion that they were engaged in immoral acts," BBC reporting.
Can you imagine if our country had these same kind of guidelines? I am sure disease and births would decrease, but at what expense?
I am one who will sleep a lot easier to night grateful to live in a country where personal freedoms exists.
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Abigail, I see your point here. Malaysia does go way too far in its efforts to enforce morality. However, here in the U.S., we have gone way too far in the other direction. Not only is sexual activity between unmarried couples legal here (as it should be), it's not looked down upon at all.There is no longer any shame associated with it. It's actually encouraged. Unmarried women, when they get pregnant, are actually proud to announce the fact they will soon be giving birth. Unmarried couples shacking up is also rampant and commonplace nowadays. One of our main cultural icons, Oprah Winfrey, does not try to disguise the fact that she is living in sin with a man she's not married to - and no one seems to hold it against her. Everyone is so afraid of being labeled as "judgmental." Frankly, it all makes me sick at my stomach. We need some kind of happy medium between the U.S. and Malaysia, in terms of morality.BTW, so many people seem indignant these days at all the reports of adultery, rape, child molestation, etc. in the news. Yet many of these same people see nothing wrong with sexual activity between unmarried couples. They are being disingenuous. A society can't pick and choose which kinds of immorality it wants and which kinds it doesn't want.God does not operate like Burger King. He will not allow us to have it our way. If we accept one kind of immorality, all the other kinds will naturally come with it. If we say, "Give us fornication and homosexuality", He will make sure we also get adultery, rape, child molestation, and all kinds of other sexual aberrations and offenses. We either choose to have a moral culture or an immoral one.What kind of loving God would "make sure we also get adultery, rape, child molestation"? That would be the action of a sick being, not a loving deity.Please don't try to enforce YOUR god and YOUR morality on me, or anyone else.
Oral sex between married partners in the privacy of their own home in still illegal in six states,in this country!This seems as much or even more repressive than crazed religious fundamentalist foreign countries.Thank you for an eye opening article!
A great article, and an eye-opener of the danger of letting religious prohibitions take priority over personal freedom and human rights.
It disturbs me that people look at things like this and say "Wow, I'm glad it's not happening in the free world!"News for ya...it is. Creationism is being taught in public schools in the United States. Australia and Britain are censoring their Internet connections. There's more, and it's getting worse. We're not so far away from having a morality police force ourselves. No, we're not there yet, but it's a very, very slippery slope that the religious right seems hellbent on plunging down headfirst.
Good article. I've traveled around this world a few times and even though we have are problems we still have it pretty good.
Thanks for all the comments! I knew this would aid in a lot of discussion. I agree that the morals in our country are very low at times, but I agree that morals are not something that can be legislated or enforced here. I think we have gone without it for too long and I am pretty sure the founding fathers did not agree that personal religious beliefs should be hindered or controlled by the government. I love the fact that we can debate our positions in this country and am thankful that I do not have to be judged by a human! Thanks again!
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