Virginia Democrats want to make it legal for unmarried people to have sex

Fox News ^ | 02/11/2020 | Caleb Parke

[Olog-hai]

Only married couples can have sex, according to a legal loophole still on the books in Virginia.

Democratic state legislators in the Virginia House of Delegates repealed the “crime of fornication” last week—in the state that has long used the slogan, “Virginia is for lovers” to attract tourists, Fox 40 reports.

Currently, fornication is a Class 4 misdemeanor and carries a fine up to $250.

“It’s a stupid law. It’s crazy,” Democratic delegate Mark Levine, who introduced H.B. 245, said. “No one should think they can be prosecuted for this common practice.” […]

“Now that the Democrats are in power, I’m thrilled to get it off the books,” Levine said. …

[Mariner]

“unlawful to God”

So, does that mean you would make it a crime again?

[CharlesWayneCT]

It wasn’t a “legal loophole”, it was an archaic law. We have lost the ability to communicate.

[CharlesWayneCT]

At one point, these laws were a way that a woman who was raped could still exact some sort of legal punishment against her attacker. If they could not prove a lack of consent, but could prove the act, they could always get the guy for adultery, and for sodomy.

One the supreme court struck down the sodomy and fornication laws, some states (including virginia) found they actually had a problem with their statutes, as one form of sexual abuse was no longer “criminal” — I think it was something about sex with minors.

[Olog-hai]

So godliness is archaic. I see.

[imardmd1]

In the absolute end, who is the judge?

[outofsalt]

If it’s only a class 4 misdemeanor, you’re doing it wrong.
!)

[CharlesWayneCT]

Moreso than it is a “loophole”, which was the point of the post, that the “journalist” used the wrong term to identify the law, which was now “archaic” because the supreme court already ruled it was unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable.

[Olog-hai]

That of course does not render something “archaic”. By that standard, abortion and sodomy bans are “archaic”.

[mumblypeg]

“If someone is involved in private consenting activities, who is going to report same to law enforcement for legal action to be taken?”

Um, the spouse of one or both of the cheaters?

[mumblypeg]

“What’s a class 4 fornication?”

Good question. I would think any self respecting fornicator would settle for no less than 1st class fornicatin’.

[Uncle Miltie]

Semi-auto rifles are also a quite “common practice”, and have the added benefit of a whole constitutional amendment.

[Mariner]

My bad. I thought it was a simple question.

I guess it’s one you chose not to answer.

[KC_Conspirator]

One of them

[Robert357]

“...“Currently, fornication is a Class 4 misdemeanor and carries a fine up to $250.”....”

Reminded of an old joke.

(1) Husband bails wife out of Parisian jail. He explains that the public sex they had in the park and were caught by the local police doing wasn't as financially bad as he thought. He was told that he had a choice of either pleading guilty to lewd conduct and a 400 Euro fine or paying 20 Euro’s for a prostitute license. (France now has strict anti-prostitution laws) As they left the jail, he told her she now had a new profession.

Seriously, that is still on the books?

[imardmd1]

My wish is that our culture would still be moral in nature, and in some enclaves it still my be. Too late for us to criminalize copulation out of wedlock, let alone even reproving it. Or eliminating the results of engaging in abortion so that one's mommy and daddy or one's husband never finds out.

I've already done the wrong thing, and I won't elaborate on that. But it has been many years that I have realized the benefits and blessings of not participating in sexual immorality at all. I've seen the cost of careless gratification of one's sexual desires, to both self, family, and society. Divorced in 1972, I cannot countenance even the remarriage adultery that permeates our culture.

So that's my answer. How about you? who do you think the ultimate judge of one's behavior is? Public opinion? You?

[Mariner]

“who do you think the ultimate judge of one’s behavior is?”

Ultimately God the father judges whether we have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus and whether we have endeavored to follow his law.

But I see nothing but folly in any attempt to implement Christian morality via the force of human law.

[imardmd1]

But I see nothing but folly in any attempt to implement Christian morality via the force of human law.

I can't agree with that. Our law once did reflect the Christian morality and normality behind it. Our whole law system had such basis, and the Declaration of Independence/Constitution had the substance of a Christian society. Our Founders expressed that in no uncertain terms.

The Holy Spirit, working through His loyal followers has restrained the Forces of Satan's earthly subjects, but the dam is cracking for lack of a plurality of Christian citizens to see their principles at least recognized and imitated by non-Christian citizens who see the benefit of them,

But I believe that soon the restraining force will be taken away when true believers are removed from the face of the earth and the full force of evil is poured out as never before. We ar seeing the beginning of that right now. To quote from the Bible:

"And now ye know what withholdeth^{suppresses evil} that he^{the antichrist} might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he^{The Holy Spirit} who now letteth^restrains will let^restrain, until he^{The Holy Spirit} be taken out of the way" (2 Thess. 2:6-7 KJV; explanatory superscripts added).

[daniel1212]

Many of these are not longer in force:

Massachusetts General Laws:

CRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES

TITLE I.

CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS

CHAPTER 272.

CRIMES AGAINST CHASTITY, MORALITY, DECENCY AND GOOD ORDER

Section 36: Blasphemy

Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously [without respect; in a disdainful manner] reproaching God, His creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

Section 38: Disturbance of assembly for worship

Whoever wilfully interrupts or disturbs an assembly of people met for worship of God shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

Section 14: Adultery

A married person who has sexual intercourse with a person not his spouse or an unmarried person who has sexual intercourse with a married person shall be guilty of adultery and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.

Section 15: Polygamy

Whoever, having a former husband or wife living, marries another person or continues to cohabit with a second husband or wife in the commonwealth shall be guilty of polygamy, and be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in jail for not more than two and one half years or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars; but this section shall not apply to a person whose husband or wife has continually remained beyond sea, or has voluntarily withdrawn from the other and remained absent, for seven consecutive years, the party marrying again not knowing the other to be living within that time, nor to a person who has been legally divorced from the bonds of matrimony.

PART IV.

Section 17: Incestuous marriage or sexual activities

Persons within degrees of consanguinity [related by blood] within which marriages are prohibited or declared by law to be incestuous and void, who intermarry or have sexual intercourse with each other, or who engage in sexual activities with each other, including but not limited to, oral or anal intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, or other penetration of a part of a person's body, or insertion of an object into the genital or anal opening of another person's body, or the manual manipulation of the genitalia of another person's body, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 20 years or in the house of correction for not more than 21/2 years.

Section 18: Fornication

Section 18. Whoever commits fornication shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three months or by a fine of not more than thirty dollars.

Section 34: Crime against nature

Whoever commits the abominable and detestable crime against nature, either with mankind or with a beast, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years.

Section 35: Unnatural and lascivious acts

Whoever commits any unnatural and lascivious act with another person shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in jail or the house of correction for not more than two and one half years.

Section 16: Open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior A man or woman, married or unmarried, who is guilty of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars.