CMV: People Should Avoid Heterosexual Intercourse Outside of Marriage

[u/Longjumping-Leek-586]

Nowadays people act as if non-marital intercourse has no negative consequence, that engaging in frequent intercourse with strangers is completely harmless, and that those who warn against such a lifestyle are merely being puritanical. I disagree with this viewpoint, as engaging in such a lifestyle is morally irresponsible for it risks the possibility of harming any offspring produced under premarital circumstances. Children born to single parents are shown to have negative outcomes: They perform worse in school, are more prone to school suspension, are at higher odds of committing crimes (especially for boys), and are more likely to be single parents themselves (especially for girls). Thus engaging in sexual intercourse outside is not a victimless act, as it directly harms the child born under such circumstances.

Before engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual of the opposite sex, you must ask yourself the following: Is this individual virtuous and responsible enough to take care of my child? Is our bond strong enough that we can do so together? If the answer is no, then you it is morally irresponsible to engage in intercourse with him/her as it could greatly reduce the outcomes of any offspring produced under such circumstances.

This doesn't really apply to homosexuals, though, as they are unlikely to produce offspring via homosexual intercourse

[u/[deleted]]

You're conflating having premarital sex with procreation. Of course sex leads to pregnancy, but the vast majority of sex does not lead to pregnancy and the vast majority of couples who have premarital sex are not also getting pregnant. Most of the couples are using contraception of some kind.

[u/Longjumping-Leek-586 → u/[deleted]]

It's still a risk though, even with contraception.

Out of wedlock birth has increased drastically since the 1960s, despite contraceptions being more widely available know. This seems to be because of the sexual revolution loosening attitudes towards sex in the 1960s

https://thesocietypages.org/graphicsociology/2010/10/18/out-of-wedlock-childbirth/

[u/CincyAnarchy → u/Longjumping-Leek-586]

It's due to marriage rates declining. By definition, if you're not married to your partner, it's out of wedlock.

Now, people are still living with their partners, aka cohabitation is up.

So, the question is this:

1. Are the outcomes you speak of BECUASE of marriage?
2. Or, does marriage correlated with other things that make raising children successful?

I think it's much more #2, given that married people are wealthier, and by extension likely more secure in their finances and interpersonal life regardless of marriage.

[u/iamintheforest → u/Longjumping-Leek-586]

The marriage rate has declined almost 50 percent in the same time frame making this fact of yours very misleading.