The bigamy thread has me thinking about this...

[Disney1fan2002]

why is prostitution against the law? Yes, I know it was one of those laws made hundred of years ago, but why is it against the law to "sell" a service to someone willing to pay?

Something I have wondered for years, but never asked.

 

[Shutterbug]

Got me!

 

[Beth76]

I"ve always wondererd too. I guess the politicians are afraid that if it all becomes legal, they'll get caught!

 

[Sparx]

I've wondered that too. I think it is because everyone is scared to make it NOT illegal. like they think it will make them look bad.

 

[TurboKitty]

In making prostitution legal, they will be outright handing power over to women. Not a pleasant thought, most especially considering America's past ideas.

Personally, I think it should be legalized, taxed, and regulated. And, I know. My daughter, sister, neice, granddaughter might go into that industry. As long as she's safe and armed with the truth, I will support her. (I do not have to love everything they do, but I will always love THEM.)

 

[missypie]

For centuries, adultery was illegal....punishable by death in many cultures and eras. I imagine that some states still have criminal adultery laws on the books. Prostitution can hardly be legal if adultery is illegal.

 

[bicker]

Huh? I don't follow. There is no requirement that either the (ahem) service provider or (ahem) patron in a prostitution transaction be married. (Ahem. )

I'll try to check, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that adultery is still illegal in NV, while, of course, in certain parts of NV, prostitution is not.

 

[Maleficent13]

I would have to look up the def of adultery, but assume you have to be married to commit it. So single people could avail themselves without breaking that adultery law.

Re: the OP: I have never understood it either.

eta: where am I missing this bigamy thread??

 

[BelleMcNally]

I have wondered about this for years...it would cut down on disease and abuse...and think of the excise tax you could charge!!

 

[FencerMcNally]

Technically, adultery is sex outside of marriage. That means if you're married to someone and cheat on them, it's adultery. It also means that if you're not married at all and have sex with another single person, it's still adultery, because you're having sex outside of a marriage.

 

[JennyMominRI]

For centuries, adultery was illegal....punishable by death in many cultures and eras. I imagine that some states still have criminal adultery laws on the books. Prostitution can hardly be legal if adultery is illegal.

Why not? That would simply mean that married people cannot go to a prostitute.It would mean nothing to single people

 

[bicker]

Technically, adultery is sex outside of marriage. That means if you're married to someone and cheat on them, it's adultery. It also means that if you're not married at all and have sex with another single person, it's still adultery, because you're having sex outside of a marriage.

No, technically, "Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse." [Source: Wikipedia]

The word you're thinking of is Fornication.

 

[BelleMcNally]

No, technically, "Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse." [Source: Wikipedia]

The word you're thinking of is Fornication.

I thought that was the case, but I wasn't quite sure.

Married people shouldn't be going to prostitutes anyway

 

[Maleficent13]

From Webster's Dictionary:

Main Entry: adul·tery
Pronunciation: &-'d&l-t(&-)rE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ter·ies
Etymology: Middle English, alteration of avoutrie, from Middle French, from Latin adulterium, from adulter adulterer, back-formation from adulterare
: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband; also : an act of adultery

 

[bicker]

Married people shouldn't be going to prostitutes anyway

Hmmm.... okay.... I'll bite. Why would you say that, especially with regard to married people? (I'm hoping the answer concerns promises and integrity...)

 

[Honeibee]

The AMAZING things you learn on the DISBoards!

I love you guys.

 

[cardaway]

The odd thing is that the law doesn't bat an eye when a woman gets wined and dined and ends the night with a one night stand.

 

[bicker]

Not that I ever would consider a prostitute (even before I was married), but I surely wouldn't consider one that only charged the price of dinner.

 

[BelleMcNally]

Hmmm.... okay.... I'll bite. Why would you say that, especially with regard to married people? (I'm hoping the answer concerns promises and integrity...)

I actually threw it in just to be cheeky. I, myself, believe when you take a vow of fidelty you should make good on that promise. But the cheek comes in because (as I remember learning in religion classes) part of a wife's "duty" is to "satisfy" her husband.

And also, I wanted to needle my fiance who I saw posted after I did.

I just had a thought...if prostitution were legal, could it have an impact on the same-sex marriage debate? I don't have a full-fledged scenario in my brain of how it would, just the sneaking suspiscion it might.

I mean--we'd have to overturn all off the sodomy laws before legalizing prostitution, right? Or are we going to regulate the types of "services" prostitutes provide...?

 

[FencerMcNally]

No, technically, "Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse." [Source: Wikipedia]

The word you're thinking of is Fornication.

I'm going to admit my mistake on this one (I didn't look it up before I posted). BUT, I'm going to go ahead and blame it on my Sunday School teachers. They told us kids, when we were going over the ten commandments, that any kind of sex outside of a marriage, whether it be cheating or two single people, was sinful adultery. I'm guessing they had ulterior motives

Anyhow, thanks for the correction.

As a side note, did anyone hear that Heidi Fleiss is opening up a gigolo ranch outside of Las Vegas?