This is my argument FOR the notion that it is allowed.
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Every informed Bible believer would agree that there is not a single verse that sets or demonstrates a minimum age of marriage in the Bible. It is neither directly nor indirectly prohibited at all. Nowhere in the Bible, not in the NT nor the OT, does it state the age of consent or the minimum age of marriage. In fact, there is evidence that the Jews, who claim to believe in the OT actually allows marriage to three-year-old girls.
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"A maiden three years and a day may be acquired in marriage by coition, and if her deceased husband's brother cohabits with her, she becomes his." (Sanhedrin 55b Babylonian Talmud)
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"Mishnah. A girl of the age of three years and one day may be betrothed by intercourse" (Niddah 44b Babylonian Talmud)
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One might wonder, why do they allow such marriage? The answer is simple: Because the Bible doesn't make it unlawful for them to do so.
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Second, does the Bible promote or condone child marriage? Well, maybe not directly, but there are instances in the Bible that indicate the permissibility of this type of marriage. Let's look at this verse:
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"Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man". (Numbers 31:17-18)
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In this verse, the Bible tells the people of Yahweh to kill EVERYONE: men, boys, and WOMEN WHO HAVE SLEPT WITH A MAN. However, it tells them to keep every GIRL who has never slept with a man. The only females left were VIRGINS who had never slept with a man. And please note that in Number 31:18, it doesn't say WOMEN. The Hebrew version actually says "הַטַּ֣ף בַּנָּשִׁ֔ים" (hattap bannasim), and it means CHILDREN women. This verse refers to virgin female CHILDREN. The Bible actually allows people of Yahweh to marry little virgin GIRLS. This would actually include BABIES if they did not sleep with a man.
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And what is worse, Yahweh did not even see this as a problem. He did not forbid this act, or his people for this act. The Bible's Yahweh endorses this. IN FACT, he required it and actually wanted in on the share of the virgin girls (which Eleazar eventually gets) in the following verses:
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From the Israelites" half, select one out of every fifty, whether women, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the LORD"s tabernacle." So MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST DID AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES. The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man. (Numbers 31:30-35)
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The half share of those who fought in the battle was: 337,500 sheep, of which the tribute for the LORD was 675; 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the LORD was 72; 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the LORD was 61; 16,000 WOMEN, OF WHOM THE TRIBUTE FOR THE LORD WAS 32. Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the LORD"s part, AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES. (Numbers 31:36-41)
Lastly, in another Biblical passage, the Bible only allows female captives to mourn their fathers and mothers.
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"And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife" (Deut 21:13)
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A few questions one might ask about this Deuteronomy verse: what about their husbands? Could not they mourn their husbands? And why would they mourn their mothers? What happened to their mothers? And why could not they mourn their sons and daughters?
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Well, the answer is simple and it is given by Numbers 31:17-18 quoted above: The fathers were killed. The husbands were killed. And those who had husbands were also killed, and those who had children were killed, which included the MOTHERS! So, there were no widows to mourn their husbands. And there were no mothers to mourn their children. The captives did not have husbands or children to mourn to begin with. That is why they were only allowed to mourn their fathers and mothers.
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And who are these female captives that became the wives? The answer is, anyone who had not slept with a man including little children and babies (unless they had slept with a man, in which case they would be killed also). That would mean that BABIES could also be the wives of these people of "God"! And God did not do anything to stop them.
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So, in conclusion, there's ample evidence, as has been shown above, in the Bible to say that the Bible actually allows child marriage. Do correct me if I'm wrong, with relevant verses of the Bible, of course.
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Addendum: The Catholics also believe that Joseph was 90 years and Mary was 12-14 years old when they got married. They might be wrong, but one must ask why would they DARE say that if the Bible prohibits child marriage and they believe in the Bible?
