UN Seeks to Decriminalize Child Sex, Sex Work, and Abortion

In a recent report (which took five years to complete), a panel of jurists, along with the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), released their “8 March Principles,” a guidance that seeks:

to offer a clear, accessible and workable legal framework – as well as practical legal guidance – on applying the criminal law to conduct associated with: sexual and reproductive health and rights, including termination of pregnancy; consensual sexual activities, including in contexts such as sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, adolescent sexual activity and sex work; gender identity and gender expression; HIV non-disclosure, exposure or transmission; drug use and the possession of drugs for personal use; and homelessness and poverty.

Yes, this is real. You can read the report for yourself. But here are a few highlights (or “lowlights,” really).

Decriminalize Abortion

In our depraved culture that views unborn children as property that can be made or discarded at will, it’s no surprise that the UN wants everyone to permit the murder of unborn children (something many nations already do). In Principle 15 they state:

Criminal law may not proscribe [prohibit] abortion.

In our depraved culture that views unborn children as property that can be made or discarded at will, it’s no surprise that the UN wants everyone to permit the murder of unborn children.

In their view, women should have the absolute right to kill their child at any time before the baby is born and suffer absolutely no legal consequences. And not only should the woman be free of all legal consequences, but they also believe those who provide abortions should also be free from criminal or legal accountability.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the United Nations believes. Those who seek an abortion and those who provide an abortion—the killing of an innocent child—no matter the level of development or age of the child are accountable before God for their sin. They may not suffer criminal consequences here on earth for their destruction of human life, but they will face justice when they stand before the Judge of the universe. Oh, that everyone would repent and turn to Christ, who paid the price for sinners—no matter the sin—when he died on the cross! Yes, there is mercy, grace, and forgiveness in Christ Jesus.

Decriminalize Sex Work

The authors of this guidance also want “sex work,” aka prostitution, decriminalized, “absent coercion, force, abuse of authority or fraud” (however they define that!). They claim this is because:

When sex work is criminalized it sends the message that sex workers can be abused.. . . . We are human beings and sex workers are entitled to all human rights.

But they aren’t fighting for the actions of “sex workers” to be decriminalized so that women, men, and children can be protected from abuse and rescued. Not at all. How do I know this? Well, because they explicitly state they also want those who “facilitate, manage, organize, communicate with another, advertise, provide information about, provide or rent premises for”—aka pimps—to be allowed to legally operate as long as they are operating under “fair conditions” (again, however they define that!). They don’t want anyone to be held criminally responsible for the exploitation of women, men, and children that is prostitution.

And, yes, selling your body (or having it sold for you) is exploitative at its very core, preying off poverty, drug abuse, previous sexual trauma, and more. Prostitution doesn’t help anyone even if they “consent” (whatever that means!). It simply adds trauma and abuse to someone who is likely already suffering. Consider that according to a pro-sex work fact sheet:

According to a systematic review of research, globally, sex workers have a 45% to 75% chance of experiencing sexual violence on the job.

“Human rights” does not include the right to sell your body or have others sell your body—human rights come from God, and he has not given us that right.

In other words, the depraved men paying for the “services” of women, men, and children have no respect for the person they are abusing (yes, paying for sex is abusive to the individual no matter what!) and will treat them callously and unfeelingly. This is no surprise as anyone paying for such a service is not seeing the other person as an image bearer of God (Genesis 1:27) with inherent value and worth.

As I quoted above, the UN says that “sex workers”—woman, man, and children—are “human beings” entitled “to all human rights.” I fully agree! But “human rights” does not include the right to sell your body or have others sell your body—human rights come from God, and he has not given us that right.

None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 23:17–18)

But sex workers are more than just “human beings”—each one is a person made in the image of God. They have worth and value that is not dependent on their body or what someone will pay for it but on their status as an image bearer of the King who paid the ultimate price for their soul with his own body on the cross.

Decriminalize Sex with Minors

If you didn’t think this UN guidance could get much worse, it does. Principle 16 is so depraved that I worry you will think I am taking it out of context, so I am going to quote the entire guidance for you below, with particular portions emphasized:

Consensual sexual conduct, irrespective of the type of sexual activity, the sex/ gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression of the people involved or their marital status, may not be criminalized in any circumstances. Consensual same-sex, as well as consensual different-sex sexual relations, or consensual sexual relations with or between trans, non-binary and other genderdiverse people, or outside marriage – whether pre-marital or extramarital – may, therefore, never be criminalized.

With respect to the enforcement of criminal law, any prescribed minimum age of consent to sex must be applied in a non-discriminatory manner. Enforcement may not be linked to the sex/gender of participants or age of consent to marriage.

Moreover, sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law. In this context, the enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of persons under 18 years of age to make decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and their right to be heard in matters concerning them. Pursuant to their evolving capacities and progressive autonomy, persons under 18 years of age should participate in decisions affecting them, with due regard to their age, maturity and best interests, and with specific attention to non-discrimination guarantees. [emphasis ours]

Yes, that is the United Nations explicitly suggesting that sex with minors “may be consensual” and that our laws should reflect that. And notice that nowhere do they provide guidance on what age a “minor” can “consent,” other than to say “under 18 years of age.” Therefore, we must conclude that they mean this to include any child—toddler, middle schooler, or teen. It’s all so stomach turning!

But it’s the natural consequence of today’s sexual ethic, which is now entirely consent based. No sexual act is actually wrong or immoral as long as the parties involved “consented.” But consent is an extremely flimsy morality as “consent” can easily be obtained through grooming, coercion, and slow-and-gradual desensitization. (Pause and ask yourself if this type of grooming for “consent” from children is not exactly what’s happening with the sexual content being taught to children as young as preschool in public schools and through the media and social media every single day?)

Sex is a good gift from God to be enjoyed by one man and one woman within the confines of the lifelong covenant of marriage.

Sex is a good gift from God to be enjoyed by one man and one woman within the confines of the lifelong covenant of marriage. Satan has distorted this good design, and depraved hearts, steeped in selfishness, sin, and debauchery, seek to gratify their desires in any way they want and with anyone they want—even if that means people, including children, are left hurt and broken in their wake.

There are no words adequate to describe how disgusting this is.

Decriminalize Gender Identity and Expression

And that’s just some of the UN’s guidance—it also seeks to decriminalize gender identity and expression, while stating that:

Practices aiming to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression carried out without the concerned person’s free and informed consent and decision-making, including through force, coercion or abuse of authority, may be addressed through other provisions in the criminal law.

And we all know how such people would define “force, coercion, and abuse of authority”! Very likely Christians who share the biblical truth about male and female would be accused of such things.

Yes, we are living in very dark, morally depraved times. But that means the light of Christ shines even brighter. As our world enacts policies that will only serve to hurt people and increase brokenness, let us as the church be the ones going to the “least of these”—broken, abused, hurting women, men, and children—with the hope of the gospel, the truth of God’s Word, and practical help. That’s what the church has always done, no matter the darkness, and that’s what we’re still called to do until Jesus returns.

“Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Get More Answers on Answers News

This item was discussed today on Answers News with cohosts Bryan Osborne, Avery Foley, and Dr. Jennifer Rivera. Answers News is our weekly news program filmed live before a studio audience here at the Creation Museum and broadcast on our Answers in Genesis YouTube channel and posted to Answers TV. We also covered the following topics:

• The Netherlands allows for child euthanasia.
• Did a land bridge bring dinosaurs between continents?
• Is AI a “digital god”?
• And more!

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Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.