That is simply appalling to our Western standards and shows how backward those countries are!! 
Im surprised you think like that Lizzie...always had you down as a voice of reason. 
Whilst i think its wrong that a child should be forced too marry someone old enough too be her grandad i dont feel ""those countries"" are by any means backwards.
And lets be honest are we really in any position too judge (as a nation i mean) as are western standards certainly ain't nothing too Bragg about...Just take any Friday/Saturday night when girls/women are walking around town/city centres wearing virtually nothing drunk too the point they will have sex with complete strangers...urinate on the pavement (or simply pee themselves there so out of control)...blokes starting fights due too thinking they can take the world on after a lager shandy...a society that's happy too let its government ruin its economy...allow a huge influx of foreigners as well as illegal immigrants yet make honest Visa applications horrendously expensive and incredibly difficult too gain...a country where girls as young as 12 are having babies and sexually transmitted diseases are growing rapidly due too promiscuity and a complete disregard for sex education...should i mention the Ferrel kids who after being neglected by ma and pa benefit cheating scum prowl the streets with no respect for there fellow human beings and most certainly none for the laws of this country or the police.
I really dont feel we as a nation have the right too judge others for simply doing things differently too us.
Hmmm yeah we have real high standards. 
Not having a pop in any way shape or form Lizzie just simply voicing an opinion. 
I did not really want to enter into strong political debate this side of Christmas, but........................
Sorry my comment upset you Stuart, and maybe it was a bit knee jerk to the idea of a 58 year old man being legally married to an 8 year old girl; sorry but that just makes me feel sick. This is in a country like Saudi where no democracy exists and human rights for women especially are very poor. When children are in danger of
legal abuse that is a very real problem, although western societies have much work to do in protecting children from
illegal abuse.
That is what I meant by "backward countries"; our standards are by no means at a level that are 'perfect', and all the time we are human beings trying to live together in a state that attempts to control the natural desires of mankind, so that is I'm afraid how it will always be
. Indeed I believe Hobbes was right in his assessment of the human race.
However we do not carry out barbaric punishments on people who break the law; we do not allow forced marriages; we do not treat women as second class citizens; we have a democracy; universal male and female suffrage exists; individuals have human and legal rights, which basically means you, me and all our citizens do have many freedoms of speech and action not open to many parts of the world, even if sometimes you believe it is all going the other way!
Once our country failed to give its citizens these rights up to the start of the twentieth century, but our western liberal democratic social society has moved on, and now it does as fully as it can, given our circumstances, but leaving many Eastern countries "backward" in that respect, but I accept not totally worse off in other respects. Countries that fall into that bracket include Saudi, Pakistan, China, Turkey (sorry Cem, but human rights issues are still affecting your country's entry into the EU!!)
However due to the actions of "Islamic" extremists (note: just as we once had religious extremists!!) our liberal democracy that holds personal liberty and freedom in high value is now severely under threat as "security" must be the new priority for western states, at the expense of the aforementioned values.
This is a threat to us all, and actually the marriage of an 8 year old to a 58 year old is only a small factor in the overall situation which I for one will not hesitate to speak of and yes apply western standards that has given us a life unimaginable to our forebears in previous centuries, which I am proud of and will defend whilst always seeking improvement, but that still gives us a certain amount of personal freedom and liberty, which some use to get rat arsed on a Saturday night!!
I accept that too much 'freedom' resulting in indiscipline may well be a threat in itself to our society, and we do have to be aware of these internal dangers that could further erode our precious, hard won, liberal society so we must never become complacent and look down our noses at others.
But elsewhere in the world there are societies who do not enjoy such privileges which should sadden us all and give us good reason to protect and extend the values we take all too easily for granted because we have the freedom in Britain to do so! My opinion yes, but like everyone else in this country I am free to give it
.
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Topic: 8 yr old girl wants a divorce (Read 3577 times)