Friday, October 26, 2012

The definition or Rape, redone

As one respondent to my recent philosophical expansion of the concept of rape pointed out, the Church does indeed have a very good definition in the CCC, paragraph 2356:

2356 Rape is the forcible violation of the sexual intimacy of another person. It does injury to justice and charity. Rape deeply wounds the respect, freedom, and physical and moral integrity to which every person has a right. It causes grave damage that can mark the victim for life. It is always an intrinsically evil act. Graver still is the rape of children committed by parents (incest) or those responsible for the education of the children entrusted to them.


My previous definition doesn't use "violate sexual intimacy", but that is indeed what I am talking about when I refer to using another person for sexual pleasure without regard to their well being.

True love, true sexual intimacy, is indeed violated with contraception when it blocks the procreation of new life for which the sexual act is intended. Likewise, same sex violates the sexual intimacy of the individual by enabling sexual release without procreation. And of course- sexual intimacy- in the fullness of Church teaching, is restricted to marriage of the lifelong heterosexual monogamy style.

So no, my definition does not violate 2356 of the Catechism. It just explains it in simpler terms.

I would point out that the clergy sexual abuse scandal, is always in violation of this teaching, and is in fact the same crime.
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