Fornication

From Freepedia

Fornication refers disapprovingly to any sexual activity outside of the confines of marriage. Sex between unmarried persons is distinguished from adultery by use of the term 'simple fornication'; whereas relations in which at least one of the parties is married, is considered 'adultery' [1].

Historically, in the context of the laws of states of the United States, fornication is generally defined as (vaginal) sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons of opposite sex and has been a crime; however, those laws were either repealed, are not enforced, or were struck down by the courts as unconstitutional. See also Martin v. Ziherl.

With respect to fornication between same-sex persons, or sodomy, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas rendered the states' remaining laws unconstitutional.

Fornication is a crime in many Muslim countries, but the act is rarely punished. In Pakistan, for example, occasionally a charge is filed in order to prevent the accused from leaving the judistriction (for instance it is often used against drug smugglers, against whom it may not be possible to show a prima facie case for trial, but a charge of fornication, which requires a lower threshold, can be filed in the interim as the investigation unfolds.)

The word is often used in a biblical context, where its meaning is open to intepretation. The etymology of the English word leads to the Latin word fornix, meaning "an archway" or "vault" (a reference to a location in Rome where prostitutes could be solicited). Scripture also uses the word to refer to a more generic failure to follow the word of God.

The origin of the word leads to a common usage to specifically mean "whoredom" rather than general extra-marital sex.