An answer
Submitted by Heather on April 14 1999 at 15:01:17
In reply to A Question, please Submitted by Triple Q on April 14 1999 at 14:47:51
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We don't live in ancient Israel. :) Honestly, Triple Q, I would have thought you of all people would get the societal factor in this. Sure, twelve-year-old Jewish females - and twelve-year-old Roman females - were women and could get married. And a fourteen-year-old Roman male (I'm not sure about the Jewish ones) was a man, with full sexual rights (though property rights came later). Fourteen-year-old Roman men also went to war. Things are a tad bit different now. This isn't to say that today's societal rules were handed down from on high; it's just that you can't dump societal rules about sexuality onto a society where all other societal rules aren't set up to receive them. If you want a society where fourteen-year-olds are men, you have to train them to take on all the responsibilities of manhood at that age. I'm afraid that the training for today's Bar Mitzvah just isn't enough. Heather |