Which is more immoral?

[JohnFKennedy]

To those who say that the first is immoral, could they explain why?

It appears to me that everyone presupposes in the case of the first that the twenty year-old is some sort of gold-digger which is not mentioned anywhere in the poll.

Why is it so immoral? There could be love in both circumstances presented or there could not be, if there is, why are either immoral?

[JohnFKennedy]

Yes, it's anti-equality. Marriage is about the equality of two partners, such things cannot happen with a gross age discrepancy as the one suggested.

How do you decide what the maximum moral age difference is? A difference of twenty years (or whatever else) is moral, but twenty years and one day is not?

It's a %, not an age of course. An 80 year old has a lot more in common with a 100 year old than an 20 year old and a 40 year old. The former is acceptable, while the ladder is not.

Okay, so a 50% age difference (or whatever else) is acceptable, but 50.1% is not?

Theoretically, everyone would be able to get married. I don't really like age barriers either, which is why I'm against many minimum ages, but I think the %'s are fine, because you can always qualify if you live long enough.

Why should they be forced to wait before entering marriage if they are in love? There are certain perks that they get with marriage that they don't get from being a co-habiting couple. Why should they have to wait for these because you think one is far too old for the other?

[JohnFKennedy]

Yes, it's anti-equality. Marriage is about the equality of two partners, such things cannot happen with a gross age discrepancy as the one suggested.

How do you decide what the maximum moral age difference is? A difference of twenty years (or whatever else) is moral, but twenty years and one day is not?

It's a %, not an age of course. An 80 year old has a lot more in common with a 100 year old than an 20 year old and a 40 year old. The former is acceptable, while the ladder is not.

Okay, so a 50% age difference (or whatever else) is acceptable, but 50.1% is not?

Theoretically, everyone would be able to get married. I don't really like age barriers either, which is why I'm against many minimum ages, but I think the %'s are fine, because you can always qualify if you live long enough.

Why should they be forced to wait before entering marriage if they are in love? There are certain perks that they get with marriage that they don't get from being a co-habiting couple. Why should they have to wait for these because you think one is far too old for the other?

Maturity. Time is needed for maturity to grow. Plus, the whole reason I believe this, is as I mentioned, is that I believe such relationships to be unequal. Once you reach a certain percentage of another's age, then you can be considered at least equaler.

Love, maturity, and relationships can't be calculated with mathematical formulae.

Then why do we have an age of consent? Minimum ages for marriages? There is nothing decent about an 80 year old                                      and a 20 year old marrying.

There we are then, we already have regulation; a minimum wage for marriage. At that minimum age the law considers them mature enough to marry - why does it matter how old the person they choose to marry is?

[JohnFKennedy]

Yes, it's anti-equality. Marriage is about the equality of two partners, such things cannot happen with a gross age discrepancy as the one suggested.

How do you decide what the maximum moral age difference is? A difference of twenty years (or whatever else) is moral, but twenty years and one day is not?

It's a %, not an age of course. An 80 year old has a lot more in common with a 100 year old than an 20 year old and a 40 year old. The former is acceptable, while the ladder is not.

Okay, so a 50% age difference (or whatever else) is acceptable, but 50.1% is not?

Theoretically, everyone would be able to get married. I don't really like age barriers either, which is why I'm against many minimum ages, but I think the %'s are fine, because you can always qualify if you live long enough.

Why should they be forced to wait before entering marriage if they are in love? There are certain perks that they get with marriage that they don't get from being a co-habiting couple. Why should they have to wait for these because you think one is far too old for the other?

Maturity. Time is needed for maturity to grow. Plus, the whole reason I believe this, is as I mentioned, is that I believe such relationships to be unequal. Once you reach a certain percentage of another's age, then you can be considered at least equaler.

Love, maturity, and relationships can't be calculated with mathematical formulae.

Then why do we have an age of consent? Minimum ages for marriages? There is nothing decent about an 80 year old                                      and a 20 year old marrying.

There we are then, we already have regulation; a minimum wage for marriage. At that minimum age the law considers them mature enough to marry - why does it matter how old the person they choose to marry is?

For the same reason there is a minumum age for marriage.

What? Lack of maturity? Well first of all people mature at very different ages, many people are incredibly immature despite being well into adulthood. Should people be required to take some sort of maturity test before marriage?

The minimum age for marriage is all about maturity, no? Well if these people have already reached that age then society already deems them mature enough to choose to marry whomsoever they want, provided that person is also above the minimum age for marriage. Why does the age of the other person matter? If they have already reached the current minimum age, they are both considered suitably mature by society to take responsibility for themselves and decide who they want to marry and when they want to do so. Why does the government have the right to further step in and say "okay, you can get married, but not to them as we think they are too old for you". Would the government further be allowed to judge people based on character, decide whether or not one person was good enough for another? Why is age important?

Why is it up to the state to regulate what people do in regards to their relationships with others?

[JohnFKennedy]

I disagree. You dont turn 18 and stop gaining maturity. Maturity is something that increases as you get older, no matter how old you are, but because the rate slows down as you get older, a percentage is needed.

He never said you didn't stop gaining maturity, only that at 18 you are 'mature enough' to decide who you want to marry.

I disagree. Not if you're picking someone who is 80 years old.

Are you mature enough to decide to have sexual relations with someone who is 80 years old?

As far as I see it, lots of people aren't particularly mature at eighteen, but that doesn't mean we deny them their rights because we don't think they are suitably mature for an eighteen year old. Why should we stop someone who is mature and say nineteen from marrying an eighty year old when two people who are immature and eighteen are perfectly allowed to marry each other?