Why Yes, Rape is a Big Deal

The Situation

A judge in Montana recently gave a man a 30 day jail sentence for raping a 14 year old girl.  The Blaze reports:

"A former high school teacher in Montana will only serve 30 days in jail, despite being convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl who later committed suicide. 

The sentence was handed down on Monday by Judge G. Todd Baugh to Stacey Dean Rambold, 54, who admitted to having sexual relations with Cherice Morales, a then 14-year-old student. 

Baugh reportedly sentenced Rambold to 15 years in prison for nonconsensual sexual intercourse, but suspended all except 31 days. The judge then gave the former teacher credit for one day served, reducing his total jail sentence to just 30 days." ...Full Article Here

The Reaction

Every person who hears the story is outraged by the judge's decision.  How on earth is it possible for a judge to treat a raping, adultering pedophile who caused suicide so flippantly?!?!

I agree with everyone.  I find this situation repulsive and the decision heinous.

However, I also have to admit that I am surprised that everyone shares my outrage.  Given our society's norms, isn't this expected to happen?  Given our culture's values, shouldn't we expect people behave this way in the future?


The Question

We live in a "modern" culture that champions casual sex.  "Sex is no big deal."

From the time we are in kindergarten we are taught we can't control ourselves when it comes to sex.  Television is flooded with casual sex between strangers.   And ads use sex to sell.  Sex is everywhere.  Sex is no big deal.

Taking this position, I am forced to ask the following question:

If sex is no big deal, then why is rape a big deal?

Logically, if sex is no big deal, then rape is just forcing something that is no big deal.  Where's the problem?

And while some may find this reasoning outlandish, many proponents of the secular progressive movement are already advocating exactly this position!

Earlier this year CNN reporters sympathized for the poor rapists who gang-banged an unconscious girl at a high school party and then bragged about it online.  Just this past week, Richard Dawkins suggested that mild pedophilia is not that bad.  And even this story we are discussing, this mockery of justice, this 30 day sentence for rape, is not being picked up by mainstream media.

So can you really fault these "leaders" for taking the hookup culture to its logical end?  Rape is more akin to a prank than a crime, right?


The Answer

Wrong.

Far from being "no big deal", sex is, in fact, holy.  Sex is not solely a physical act, it is spiritual, touching the innermost being of a person. (CCC 2361) It is a is gift given to man by God Himself. (CCC 2362)

Further human life has inherent value (CCC 2258) and human dignity is sacred (CCC 1929). Each one of us is loved infinitely by an infinite God.  And any act that treats a human being as a means, rather than an ends, is contrary to the will of God.  Thus rape, using a human as a means to your own pleasure, is evil.

So yes, rape is a big deal because sex is a big deal. 

Rape is a horrendous sin because sex is a holy gift.

Rape is a terrible evil because human dignity is sacred. 

Keep Pursuing

Additional Materials

Here is a horrifying story of a second person traumatized by pedophilia and her opinion on this case:

http://www.xojane.com/issues/stacey-rambold-cherice-morales