Questions About Body Ownership And Marriage

[Anastasia13]

I've read something about a married person's body belongs to the spouse, and I recently read a comment that men's ownership of women's bodies is at the core of the rape culture (not that it is always that direction). That leads me to the question of how much does a married person own their own body and how much does their spouse own it?

[Catherine Therese]

not an answer, so much as a relevant and current commentary on the question from a secular perspective.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/i-was-married-to-a-sex-addict/story-fnet09p2-1226823509769

[KnightofChrist]

This may answer your questions about marriage. Note that no one can ever own another. However marriage is a contract where the man and woman give to each other certain rights over their bodies, as well as other things such as time, money, support/aid, duties, etc to the other. For example, but not the only one, each spouse has the right to reasonably ask to engage in the marriage act of procreation and have that reasonable request honored. It in no way means or justifies rape, that is never a right nor is it ever right. Even if one spouse denies a reasonable request, the other spouse can never force the other to engage in the marriage act.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbif-FbWCyg

[CatherineM]

The difference is I have willingly surrendered it to my husband and received his surrender in return. Rape is not consensual nor reciprocal.

[Anastasia13]

The difference is I have willingly surrendered it to my husband and received his surrender in return. Rape is not consensual nor reciprocal.

 

No time to read or watch links until later, but my question otherwise extends beyond rape or even sex.

[arfink]

No time to read or watch links until later, but my question otherwise extends beyond rape or even sex.

 

I'm curious what you mean about this. Usually when people talk about body ownership they want to talk about sex.

 

As has already been discussed, in the Catholic understanding the spouses do not own each other, they freely give a total self gift. As such, the husband and wife have a sort of stewardship and responsibility towards each other, rather than mere control. It is also meant to be a renunciation of self, ordered for the well-being of both spouses. You can check sections 1612-1617 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church if you wish on this subject. I will provide a short quote here for you though of the most relevant section:

 

"It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to "receive" the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ." (section 1615, see also Matt. 19:11)

[CatherineM]

I'd be very happy if he owned my body when my back hurts.

[LouisvilleFan]

I've read something about a married person's body belongs to the spouse, and I recently read a comment that men's ownership of women's bodies is at the core of the rape culture (not that it is always that direction). That leads me to the question of how much does a married person own their own body and how much does their spouse own it?

 

In marriage, a husband and wife are one flesh, so they own each other's bodies completely. Keep in mind that our bodies -- and everything we have -- belong to God and are offered back to him. Marriage is a living sacrifice in that way: we offer up our body to our spouse and to Christ. And the command to chastity applies both in marriage and outside of it, because in both there are temptations to use our bodies. So the difference lies in having chaste ownership.