Gemma tells us of Jeremy - and I reflect.

Assorted retorts from yahoo boards and elsewhere : On Misdefining Paedophilia · New blog on the kid : Gemma tells us of Jeremy - and I reflect.

Of course we knew it was illegal for us to be together, but we genuinely believed that if we stuck it out for a tricky few years, eventually we could return home and people would accept our relationship.

...

Do I regret my relationship with Jeremy? I can’t say I do, but I now recognise it for what it was: a dangerous infatuation. One that cost both of us dearly.

'I FLED THE COUNTRY WITH MY MATHS TEACHER – AND SPARKED AN INTERNATIONAL MANHUNT'
as told to JENNIFER SAVIN | JUN 1, 2017
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a9949676/schoolgirl-flees-to-france-with-teacher-2017-update/

Now both she and he have other "halves". He has a new girl friend, she a new boy friend, her age.

In a normal world, they would be married and walking behind the same perambulator, by now.

Why aren't they? Well, the relation was forbidden by fairly recent legislation in Britain. Back in 19th C. an age of consent was introduced at age 13 - famously paralleled by Rowling's no magic before 13. Reason? Girls under thirteen were groomed to be prostitutes to rich men, and they escaped and made the men escape by claiming voluntary relation. So, thirteen was introduced as minimal age of consent. It was raised a few times over since.

What does the Bible say?

I Tim 4: [1] Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils, [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy, and having their conscience seared, [3] Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, and by them that have known the truth. [4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving: [5] For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

That last goes, not just for meat, but also for marriage. Matromonial intercourse is sanctified by the sacrament of marriage.

God created boys and girls so, physically, it is possible to marry from around 14 / 12. He also posed no positive law against that marital age in the Bible. He also founded a Church which for centuries recognised 14 / 12 as the limit.

Now, the guys who forbade the kind of romance there was between Jeremy and Gemma to bear fruit in marriage are not exactly the same set as the vegan set. But both sets are modern, did not exist 150 years ago, and even 100 years ago, there was less intolerance in the older set forbidding marriage - and the vegan set is even younger. But some people are in both sets. I would say, Cosmopolitan involves many who both approve of the "no teen marriage" policy and are vegans - that is why Gemma was allowed to tell her story once she could say "I now recognise it for what it was: a dangerous infatuation."

Actually, there was an earlier version of this : the forbidding of marriage between Black and White in certain States of the US. To some such couples too, the girl would end up saying "I now recognise it for what it was: a dangerous infatuation."

St Paul does not absolutely say that both heresies will be held by exactly the same set - it could be two sets, as those I see. (I am not a vegan, btw, despite rumours).

The comment by Challoner says:

[3] "Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats": He speaks of the Gnostics, the Marcionites, the Eneratites, the Manicheans, and other ancient heretics, who absolutely condemned marriage, and the use of all kind of meat; because they pretended that all flesh was from an evil principle. Whereas the church of God, so far from condemning marriage, holds it a holy sacrament; and forbids it to none but such as by vow have chosen the better part: and prohibits not the use of any meats whatsoever in proper times and seasons; though she does not judge all kind of diet proper for days of fasting and penance.

If St Paul spoke of Gnostics, Marcionites, Eneratites and Manichaeans, the "last times" began 2000 years ago - but if he spoke ONLY of them, they ended fairly some time ago, like when Albigensian error was eradicated by the Inquisition. However, if he spoke of that and similar errors, both veganism and forbidding teen marriage is similar enough to each a part of the discipline of those heretics.

Also, it seems that some who belong to both sets, hold both errors, are also hankering back to Albigensians and similar.

Hans Georg Lundahl
Paris
Queen St. Radegond
13.VIII.2018