Law makers in Virginia are rescinding Virginia Code 18.2-344 which states “Any person, not being married, who voluntarily shall have sexual intercourse with any other person, shall be guilty of fornication, punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor”.

Here is more on the story from WTVR in Richmond Virginia:

“Del. Mark Levine (D – Alexandria) introduced House Bill 245 [lis.virginia.gov] to repeal what he called a Victorian-era law. The Virginia Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in 2005…

The bill received bipartisan support on the floor. The seven votes against it [lis.virginia.gov] came from Republican lawmakers. One Democrat abstained.

“Now that the Democrats are in power, I’m thrilled to get it off the books,” Levine said.

Levine pointed out that this is a crime a majority of Virginians have probably committed at some point in their life.

“It’s a stupid law. It’s crazy,” Levine said.

This is Levine’s second attempt to repeal the law, and the third by Democrats since 2014.

“I had that fornication bill before, it couldn’t get out of committee. The world has changed,” Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax) said Thursday from the House floor. Sickles introduced the bill [richmondsunlight.com] that failed in 2014.”

We must remember that civil fornication laws, like laws against murder and theft are simply reflections of God’s moral law as found in the Bible.  God established civil government, not to add to his moral law or take away from his moral law, but to enforce his moral law.

“For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.”

Romans 13:4-6 (KJV)

Yes, the world has changed, but the Bible tells us in Psalm 33:11 “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations”.  And God’s counsel regarding fornication is found in Hebrews 13:4 where it states “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”.

We can argue about what the civil penalties should be for fornication.  But to remove all condemnation of it from our laws and to call such laws “stupid” and “crazy” is to call the law of God stupid and crazy.  And if I were a law maker, that is not something I would ever want to say. It is sad that only seven Virginia Republican law makers agreed that we should not call God’s laws stupid and crazy.