Which is more immoral?

[John Dibble]

Considering both involve consenting adults, I don't see either as immoral at all.

[John Dibble]

Considering both involve consenting adults, I don't see either as immoral at all.

The gay one said the "same age" Nowhere does it imply that they're "consenting adults".

I made an assumption considering that minors can't get married. You can argue that gays can't either, but the question implied they could. Anyways, I don't think it was meant to be implied that they could be children.

[John Dibble]

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.

[John Dibble]

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.

[John Dibble]

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.

Society doesn't - it's legal.

[John Dibble]

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?

An 18 year old is mature enough to marry another 18 year old, not an 80 year old.

How do you know?

[John Dibble]

Yeah, maturity ages change as you get older, and is why I think you should only marry within your range. However, we are getting off my belief that this is really about equality. A marriage of an 18 year old and an 80 year old is not equality.

exactly my point. Maturity does not come overnight like the law makes you think.

18 is the point where you become an adult in this country. It isn't exact since maturity varies for every individual, but we simply look at 'averages' and determine that people are usually mature enough at that point to make their own decisions regarding marriage. It isn't perfect, but it would be impossible and impractical to make some test in which everyone's maturity is measured.

BTW Earl, is it wrong for an immature 40 year old to marry a very mature 40 year old?

[John Dibble]

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Haha nice try Dibble. There's always going to be exceptions. Maturity is a fuzzy matter anyways, as I said it is more about equality.

Answer the question. You stated that an 18 year old isn't mature enough to marry an 80 year old - well now it's about 'equality' apparently. Which is it?

[John Dibble]

Yeah, maturity ages change as you get older, and is why I think you should only marry within your range. However, we are getting off my belief that this is really about equality. A marriage of an 18 year old and an 80 year old is not equality.

exactly my point. Maturity does not come overnight like the law makes you think.

18 is the point where you become an adult in this country. It isn't exact since maturity varies for every individual, but we simply look at 'averages' and determine that people are usually mature enough at that point to make their own decisions regarding marriage. It isn't perfect, but it would be impossible and impractical to make some test in which everyone's maturity is measured.

BTW Earl, is it wrong for an immature 40 year old to marry a very mature 40 year old?

Haha nice try Dibble. There's always going to be exceptions. Maturity is a fuzzy matter anyways, as I said it is more about equality.

What's to say that, if the people truly loved each other, they couldn't make the relationship equal?

It is impossible. Such a relationship could not be an equal one.

Why not?

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Haha nice try Dibble. There's always going to be exceptions. Maturity is a fuzzy matter anyways, as I said it is more about equality.
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Answer the question. You stated that an 18 year old isn't mature enough to marry an 80 year old - well now it's about 'equality' apparently. Which is it?
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It's both.
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For the third time, answer the question.

[John Dibble]

Because, the ages differ too much making it the opposite of eqaulity- ineqaulity

Out of curiousity, define 'equality' for this kind of thing.

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An 18 and 80 year old are technically the same on paper - they are both adult ages and are thereby equal under the law.

[John Dibble]

Because, the ages differ too much making it the opposite of eqaulity- ineqaulity

Out of curiousity, define 'equality' for this kind of thing.

Eqaulity means similar ages

Age doesn't make people equals.

What I'm getting from this is that you think you know what's best for grown adults better than they do.

[John Dibble]

Because, the ages differ too much making it the opposite of eqaulity- ineqaulity

Out of curiousity, define 'equality' for this kind of thing.

Eqaulity means similar ages

Age doesn't make people equals.

What I'm getting from this is that you think you know what's best for grown adults better than they do.

Don't we all?

No, I think that adults should be able to make their own decisions so long as they don't harm anyone else.

[John Dibble]

Because, the ages differ too much making it the opposite of eqaulity- ineqaulity

Out of curiousity, define 'equality' for this kind of thing.

Eqaulity means similar ages

Age doesn't make people equals.

What I'm getting from this is that you think you know what's best for grown adults better than they do.

Don't we all?

No, I think that adults should be able to make their own decisions so long as they don't harm anyone else.

I meant on other issues. For example, you think it's best for the adults to have the right to own guns.

They have the right to own guns, yes, but I can't say whether or not it's best for them - only they can determine that. Some people have perfectly valid reasons for not owning guns. So long as they don't try determining what's best for me by keeping me from owning one they can decide for themselves whether or not it's good for them.