Consent The overwhelming majority of those surveyed (92%) said that a woman can withdraw her consent for intercourse at any time (even within marriage). This indicates that at least in theory, Christians understand the need for consent and that a woman or man should be free to change their mind. This issue is being widely discussed in the media and merits further research and a broader discussion on consent and what constitutes sexual assault.
Christians’ views on prostitution
The majority of Christians believe that both the selling and buying of sex should be illegal in Ireland and that the majority of those participating in prostitution in Ireland are not doing so voluntarily. These data indicate that Christians are not fully in favour of the Nordic model currently operating in Ireland, they agree with the aspects of the Nordic model criminalising the purchase of sex, but disagree with the decriminalisation of selling sex. The data did not vary significantly between men and women.
Agree
Those who engage in prostitution do so voluntarily: The purchase of sex should be prosecuted in Ireland: The selling of sex (prostitution) should be legalised in Ireland:
Figure 24: Christian views on prostitution
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Š VOX magazine: www.vox.ie
WOMEN IN THE CHURCH REPORT
Unsure
Disagree