"Selling One's Virginity?"

"Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness."

(Leviticus 19: 29, KJV)

 

Recently I had read an article online at "The Huffington Post" that bothered me. It was posted on the Huffington Post website last year on October 25, 2012. So I know this is old news. I thought it worth mentioning here on my blog, because of the moral implications associated with the article.  It related a story about a 20 year old Brazilian woman who was auctioning off her virginity. Her name is Catarina Migliorini a physical education student.

 

When the online auction closed down, a man from Japan known as "Natsu" beat out five other bidders with the whopping price of $780, 000 for Migliorini's virginity. At the same auction, Alex Stepanov didn't do as well as Catarina, for his virginity only sold for $3, 000. His virginity was sold to a woman from Brazil named "Nene B."

 

According to the Huffington Post article, the young woman was selling her virtue for a worthy cause. The article made this statement:

 

"Although Migliorini, a physical education student, has claimed to the media that she planned to donate as much as 90 percent of the auction price to charities that will build homes in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, even auction organizer Justin Sisely, who devised the plan for a proposed documentary, was skeptical.

 

"I was surprised she said that because in all my dealings with her, she made it clear that it was a business decision for her," Australian filmmaker Justin Sisely told The Huffington Post recently. "Now, given how big this story is in Brazil, she's trapped. If she doesn't give any money to charity, she's going to look bad."[1]

 

This of course puts into question her motive for selling her virginity to the highest bidder "Natsu." It is obvious to the observer that her motive seems to be one of greed. It is also a moral issue as well. Now that the price has been established for her virginity, "Natsu" will be tested for any STD's before having sex with Migliorini "aboard a plane flying between Australia and the US" to avoid prostitution laws. Migliorini will also be tested to prove she is a virgin as she claims to be.

 

There has been much controversy surrounding the issue of Catarina selling her virtue. Although having sex in exchange for money pretty much defines prostitution, Migliorini doesn't see it that way. For she told the Folha newspaper:

 

"I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it. If you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute, just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer. The auction is just business, I'm a romantic girl at heart and believe in love. But this will make a big difference to my area."[2]

However, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a prostitute as "one who engages in sexual activities for money." (pg. 579). So whether Miss Migliorini argues that selling her virginity is not prostitution, because it is only a once in a life time thing. It doesn't matter if it is a one time event or many times. It is still prostitution due to the fact that she is exchanging sex for money. Now as for her comparing her one time sex act for money does not make her a prostitute, just like if you take one great picture does not make you a photographer is bogus. There is a world of difference between taking one photograph and selling your body for sex. Exchanging sex for money is a moral issue, whereas taking one great picture is not.

 

God has designed sex strictly for the marital relationship between the husband and wife (see Heb. 13: 4). Sex outside the bonds of marriage is the sin of fornication and adultery (see Ex. 20: 14). Now as for exchanging sexual favors for money is not only a direct violation of God's law, it is both adulterous and fornication (see Lev. 19: 29; Deut. 23: 17). We read in the Book of Genesis of one of the sons of Jacob, named Judah who consorted with his daughter in law who had prostituted herself to him (see Gen. 38: 13-26); then in the Book of Joshua, we read about Rahab the harlot (prostitute) who was saved  when she received the spies in faith (see Joshua 2: 1-24; 6: 17; Heb. 11: 31).

 

Even more troubling is the fact that two months later Catarina is still a virgin due to the fact she had her first time sexual encounter with "Natsu" postponed. Which in one sense is a good thing, but the troubling thing is now she is posing for playboy. David Moye writes:

" Now, she's selling nude pictures to Playboy, and there's no further talk that she's doing it for charity. Migliorini, the 20-year-old Brazilian woman who allegedly auctioned off her virginity online for $780,000, has parlayed her notoriety into a photo spread for Playboy, according to the Brazilian news website Entretenimento.r7.com. The pictorial will appear in the January issue of the magazine's Brazilian edition, but there is no word on whether it will appear in the U.S. version of the mag as well."[3]

Even though this is old news, it has many people concerned that this form of online prostitution may start a whole new trend among young women to sell sex for big money. There is no question about it sex sells. Indeed, morality has hit an all time low world wide. I believe in the future we are sadly going to hear more stories of this nature posted on the Internet. May God rescue our young people from such a life of immorality.

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[1] Dave Moye, Catarina Migliorini Sells Virginity for $780, 000; Male Virgin Alex Stepanov Gets $3, 000, (The Huffington Post, 10/25/2012, 1:25pm).

[2] Lee Moran,  Brazilian student, 20, agrees to sell her virginity for $780, 000 after putting it up for auction online, (Mail Online, October 25, 2012).

[3] David Moye, Catarina Migliorini: Still A Virgin, But Now A Playmate? (NSFW PHOTOS), (The Huffington Post, 12/26/2012, 10:13am).