Rape

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could anyone give a discourse on this subject?
More specifically, when someone rapes someone, are both in sin? Or is it that one should die defending ones body from such a sin? Sigh… any words anyone?
 
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speaker:
could anyone give a discourse on this subject?
More specifically, when someone rapes someone, are both in sin? Or is it that one should die defending ones body from such a sin? Sigh… any words anyone?
Click to expand...
Only the rapist is in sin. The victim surely is not.

James
 
Here’s what the Catechism has to say about Rape:

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.

CCC 2356

James
 
Hi, I’m not much of an authority on it but it seems to me the the sin is on the rapist not the raped. Rape is a action of hatered takin against another. It’s forced on the victim, the victim doesn’t want it. So, the sin isn’t the victims. But from there its on the victim whether they sin or not because of it . Do they build up a hatered, do they seek vengence, do they blame themselves for someone elses sin, do they deside to abort the possible child? About the only option I can see is forgive but still punish according to the law. Sorry cant do any better on this. Good luck.
 
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speaker:
could anyone give a discourse on this subject?
More specifically, when someone rapes someone, are both in sin? Or is it that one should die defending ones body from such a sin? Sigh… any words anyone?
Click to expand...
No dear. Both are NOT in sin. Only the one who perpetrates the evil by raping the victim. One should say no but you are not called to die because evil happens to you. God allows evil in the world, He does not cause it. From great tragedy comes great grace. If a person survives a rape, they will have a difficult time perhaps with forgiveness, but how sweet the grace when they can forgive. Justice tempered with Mercy is the greatest gift God gives us to overcome evil in the world.

I do not consider that I, as a 5 year old nor again at age 10 was in anyway responsible for the evil acts of two old men who molested me. Both were veritable strangers to me and to my family and yet it happened to me. I certainly did not die, nor do I believe God expected me to. He expected me to overcome the trauma to help others and to love Him more.

I know great joy and peace by forgiving the men and praying for them to this day. My great hope has always been that one day I will find that they made it to heaven too. Sometimes innocence must suffer to save those who might be lost. That is not what God wants, it is the facts of the world we live in. But the world cannot steal that which belongs to God. We are all His beloved children and He wish’s all to live and to live life to the fullest.
jmj,
Marie
 
As far as the rape itself, only the rapist has sinned, even if the victim decides not to resist in an effort to save her own life. Believe me, until you are in the situation, you cannot know whether to resist or not (though I believe all women should know how to resist). I do not believe that you can resist to the point of intending to kill one’s attacker (unless he makes it plain that he intends to leave no witness)–though it is certainly possible that successful resistance could end up mortally injuring the aggressor. (In my case, successful resistance did not kill, and the agressor’s intended crime was not committed.

Once the initial crime is over, it is possible for the victim to sin (as with the examples given by usherMike above).
 
In order to be sinful a person must freely participate in the action. The act of rape does not have two participants. It has one perpetrator and one victim. One commits the sin, the other person is sinned against.
 
Dear Speaker,
If this happened to you or someone you care about, I’m terribly sorry. 😦 It’s a dreadful violation, and definately not a sin on the victim’s part, and you shouldn’t have to die fighting off your attacker to prove it. I would recommend counseling and prayer for healing. Also, there might be a support group available. A rape crisis center might have some good resources. I’m sure any priest would affirm that this is no way a sin and might have some good leads on where to get help as well. I would think talking to other victims would probably help.
Sincerely, WhiteDove
 
40.png
speaker:
could anyone give a discourse on this subject?
More specifically, when someone rapes someone, are both in sin? Or is it that one should die defending ones body from such a sin? Sigh… any words anyone?
Click to expand...
My dear, rape is a terrible thing that is forced upon the victim. You would be in sin with full knowledge and consent, and if that were the case it wouldn’t be rape.
If you were the victim please don’t blame yourself. About 10 years ago I was drugged and raped by 3 men. It is amazing how many people try to blame the victim. I was fortunate to have my familys support and was able to convict two of the three. I felt very guilty for quite awhile, like it had been because of where I was or something I had done. I finally was sent to therapy by HR at the hospital that I worked at. It was a hugh help to free my mind of the guilt I felt.
Your priest should be able to help, if he is a caring person. Please seek help, if you want to talk you can send me a private message.
God be with you
maggiec
 
I was wondering while reading your original post if you had been learning about St. Maria Goretti. I do not have all the facts in front of me but if my memory serves me she was the 11 year old girl that was stabbed to death because she warded off her would-be rapist. She was later Canonized a saint by the Catholic Church for her heroic virtue of purity and her great gift of forgiveness, which ultimately saved the sould of her attacker. She preferred to lose her life to losing her purity, thinking more of his loss of salvation to her own loss of life. Whether or not this story or one like it had anything to do with the original question, this story in no way, shape or form implies that a survivor has sinned in any way. I would suggest to any victim of rape to call upon St. Maria Goretti and ask for the gifts of peace and forgiveness.
 
Is it a coincidence that today is St. Maria Goretti’s memorial day?

St. Maria Goretti’s virtue lies not so much in that she “preferred” death over being raped, as if being raped somehow harmed her own soul. For one thing she was murdered by an incensed deviant who had been demanding her to consent to sex with him. Also, her defiance of her attacker–her adamant stand that what he wanted of her was WRONG and refusal to give in even under threat of death–is what ultimately led to the salvation of that man’s soul. After fifteen or twenty years in prison, he repented, eventually became a lay Capuchin, and testified on her behalf in her canonization.

God rest both their souls.
 
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