Legalized Prostitution

[mvercimak]

I am definitely opposed to legalized prostitution. It is, however, legalized in some areas of the U.S. and many countries in Europe. Increasingly I see news coverage on this very question. It occurs to me that this will be a debate Christians will have to engage in sooner or later. It is argued by advocates that this is a “victimless” crime and both parties consent to it freely and are adults. How do we as Christians make the argument against legalization to those who are advocating it? You cannot argue on moral grounds as those who support it deny universal moral principles and, therefore, charge you with inflicting your personal moral beliefs on society. It is awkward to make the argument on the basis of natural law as they will just look at you and reply, “What Natural Law?”

 

[nodito]

I didn’t realize it was legal in some part of the U.S. Do you know where?

When I was in grad school, we had a speaker come in who worked with children trafficking victims. The question of legalized prostitution for adults came up and she said that in areas where adult prostitution is legal, the demand for children actually increases. Children trafficing victims cost less than adults, especially adults who are now getting paid minimum wage and health insurance.

Of course that’s not the reason why we oppose legalized prostitution, but it might be compelling for someone who is more liberal and views it as the progressive solution to women feeling forced to sell their bodies.

 

[The_Wizard]

Nevada! But just in certain counties.

We inflict our personal moral beliefs on society all the time. It is against the law to kill someone. It is against the law to take something which does not belong to us. You can only have one husband or wife at a time.

 

[yosephdaviyd]

I think you still have to use natural law without saying natural law - just make all the arguments, beginning with the fact that the child in the womb is a human life and a particular stage of development that all human life begins, that, in fact, the person who you are talking to began. There are a number of stages of human life, but we all began there. Then move on to contrast with other species and how they don’t abort - how obviously this is the natural cycle of life - etc etc - just don’t say that work natural law. The word ‘law’ itself will make people vomit and you will lose them.

 

[Nate13]

I think you still have to use natural law without saying natural law - just make all the arguments, beginning with the fact that the child in the womb is a human life and a particular stage of development that all human life begins, that, in fact, the person who you are talking to began. There are a number of stages of human life, but we all began there. Then move on to contrast with other species and how they don’t abort - how obviously this is the natural cycle of life - etc etc - just don’t say that work natural law. The word ‘law’ itself will make people vomit and you will lose them.

Exactly. You make natural law arguments in a common sense kind of way and not a philosophical way.

 

[Carolus_Martell]

Europe has areas of legalized prostitution. I remember back before 911 reading of a German unemployment insurance claim that was denied because the young lady could have worked in a local brothel, but she refused.

Back in the Ba’al worshiping days there was a Goddess that practiced a rite that could best be described as sacred prostitution.

As far as the legalizing of it here in America goes I can see the same middle America back lash that resisted homo marriage, abortion, National health care but we live under a judicial tyranny that will simple overturn any voting mandate.

If the National-Socialists want legalized prostitution then it would become law of the land…it’s all about them. But that abomination would be too obvious for them at this moment in time.

 

[Dale_M]

Nevada! But just in certain counties.

And, then, only in licensed brothels. Streetwalking and other forms of freelancing are not allowed.

Europe has areas of legalized prostitution. I remember back before 911 reading of a German unemployment insurance claim that was denied because the young lady could have worked in a local brothel, but she refused…

A British newspaper, The Telegraph, ran a story about this in 2005. However, the report was false.

The Telegraph article was based upon speculation in a German newspaper that such an occurrence **might **happen.
snopes.com/media/notnews/brothel.asp

As to whether prostitution should be legalized, I think most advocates of such a thing assume that prostitution would a free will activity if legal. However, there have been allegations of human trafficking involving legal brothels in the US and Germany. I suspect it is true elsewhere, as well.

I don’t think we can separate the issue of coerced exploitation from prostitution, even if legalized.

 

[Darkbloom]

I am definitely opposed to legalized prostitution. It is, however, legalized in some areas of the U.S. and many countries in Europe. Increasingly I see news coverage on this very question. It occurs to me that this will be a debate Christians will have to engage in sooner or later. It is argued by advocates that this is a “victimless” crime and both parties consent to it freely and are adults. How do we as Christians make the argument against legalization to those who are advocating it? **You cannot argue on moral grounds as those who support it deny universal moral principles and, therefore, charge you with inflicting your personal moral beliefs on society. ** It is awkward to make the argument on the basis of natural law as they will just look at you and reply, “What Natural Law?”

You can’t let the other side define the conditions of the argument. Really, it’s worse than controlling the condition because they are controlling the vocabulary. Read Proverbs and you’ll learn that words are very important.

Prostitution IS wrong because there IS a God, and prostitution IS contrary to His will. End of argument.

 

[exnihilo]

America is a strange place. I’m not sure that you have to worry quite yet about making this argument. As it stands now we can kill babies and have gay marriages but you still can’t smoke marijuana. America does not seem to be encumbered by logic otherwise drugs would be legal based on all the reasons given for these other immoralities. At the same time not being encumbered by logic also means not affected by it.

 

[mvercimak]

I see some very good points being made, but there are still problems. Darkbloom expresses the argument that we all would like to make:” Prostitution IS wrong because there IS a God, and prostitution IS contrary to His will. End of argument”. If it were only that simple. The problem is your dealing with atheists, agnostics, or self-styled theists who either don’t believe there is a God in the first place or believe but hold that religious morality is separate and should be completely divorced from decisions in the legal sphere.

All issues of morality aside, it seems to me that those ‘progressive’ thinkers who argue for legalized prostitution completely ignore the real danger of sexual transmitted disease: herpes, HPV, syphilis, Chlamydia, HIV, gonorrhea–to name a few. I doubt that these ladies (men) are cleared medically more than once a month let alone between customers. From a purely Public Health perspective I think you can make a case against legalized prostitution

 

[kama3]

I doubt that these ladies (men) [working legally as prostitutes] are cleared medically more than once a month let alone between customers.

And prostitutes working illegally are medically cleared… how often?

It’s relatively trivial to enforce medical check-ups against legal prostitutes. It’s impossible with illegal ones.

 

[Midwest88]

Hey there, just resurrecting this thread because I saw a discussion of this exact topic (in favor) on another forum I visit.

Those in favor said that if prostitution was legalized and regulated then prostitutes could be protected under law if they get raped or abused while “on the job” - the reason being is that they wouldn’t be charged with illegal activity if they go to the police like they would today. Other points being made was the old “they’re humans too,” that “it’s one of the oldest professions in the world and will never go out of existence,” and the ever popular “people should be allowed to do whatever they want with their bodies.”