The bigamy thread has me thinking about this...

[JennyMominRI]

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?

Fencer,,I was taught the same thing as a Catholic..Jewish law has laws against adultery(sex with someone else while you are married) but none against fornication... Sex between people not married..I'm not saying Judiasm ia A ok with sex outside of marriage just that Jewish law differentiates between adultery and sex between non-married people

 

[BelleMcNally]

Fencer,,I was taught the same thing as a Catholic..Jewish law has laws against adultery(sex with someone else while you are married) but none against fornication... Sex between people not married..I'm not saying Judiasm ia A ok with sex outside of marriage just that Jewish law differentiates between adultery and sex between non-married people

I actualy just wrote him an e-mail explaining exactly that!

 

[rigs32]

One of the reasons prostitution is outlawed is to "protect" women. Protect them from what? A lawful way of putting food on the table? Is it better that they can spend time in jail for willingly selling their bodies?

Legalizing it would also cut down on controlling pimp situations where it's no longer voluntary on the part of the woman.

 

[dcentity2000]

Laws are in place to prevent the corruption of morality and as such should represent what the reasonable man would consider to be the moral line. Law reform ensures that the law is always reasonably up to date, but inevitably there will always be a few laws that fall behind in the times, either because they are insignificant or because they are impliedly repealed.

Therefore, the question is not whether the law is right or wrong; rather it is whether it is representative.



Rich::

 

[Hercules10]

Prostitution is one of the oldest professions right after farming (Both cause things to grow). They haven't been able to stop it in the thousands of years it has existed. Authorities have only been able to make life miserable for the consenting adults who got caught.

Why is making a porno-flick legal, but prostitution isn't? Both are sex for moolah.

 

[FencerMcNally]

Laws are in place to prevent the corruption of morality and as such should represent what the reasonable man would consider to be the moral line.

I don't think that's quite right. The Law is meant to maintain social Order (with a capital O). For example, Violent crimes, such as murder, are not crimes because they are immoral. They are crimes because to allow human beings to kill whomever they want, when ever they want would cause chaos and anarchy.

It just so happens that many, many crimes are immoral. Probably because a great deal of immoral activity contribute to the break down of social order.

Something like Prostitution though...Why is it illegal to sell something that you can give away for free? You can bet that women who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having to be a prostitute would be much better off if it were legal. As a previous poster said, the abusive/controlling pimp situations would probably be less of a problem.

Legislating morality is a very tricky situation because not everyone agrees on what is moral or immoral, and we live in a representative democracy where you have to respect everyone's opinion.

 

[bicker]

Jewish law has laws against adultery(sex with someone else while you are married) but none against fornication... Sex between people not married..

This was a common source of exciting revelation (pardon the pun) in Hebrew School, when I was growing up -- the realization that unlike our Catholic friends, we were actually not prohibited from having sex before we were married. (Lotta good it did me... )

 

[mickeyfan2]

I think it has to do with breaking up families and the strain that can put on the Government support system.

 

[bicker]

The Law is meant to maintain social Order (with a capital O). For example, Violent crimes, such as murder, are not crimes because they are immoral. They are crimes because to allow human beings to kill whomever they want, when ever they want would cause chaos and anarchy.

That's a great point, and very relevant (though I cannot fathom the difference between order and Order...)

It just so happens that many, many crimes are immoral.

And this statement indicates precisely why what you wrote, above, is so critical. There is no such thing as acts "being moral" or "being immoral" -- acts are either "considered moral" or "considered immoral". For example, hubris (the abuse of power to impose preferred social conduct or behavior) is a violation of the Pantheist faith, but some faiths only consider hubris immoral if the conduct or behavior imposed conflicts with their beliefs. You said it yourself, later in your message:

Legislating morality is a very tricky situation because not everyone agrees on what is moral or immoral

I think it has to do with breaking up families and the strain that can put on the Government support system.

If that were the case, divorce would be illegal. (I personally feel it should be.)

 

[Hercules10]

I think it has to do with breaking up families and the strain that can put on the Government support system.

An affair with a bar-fly can do 10X more damage. And that's supposedly "FREE".

 

[mickeyfan2]

This was a common source of exciting revelation (pardon the pun) in Hebrew School, when I was growing up -- the realization that unlike our Catholic friends, we were actually not prohibited from having sex before we were married. (Lotta good it did me... )

Sorry, but I was born Catholic and am still Catholic and I knew the difference. Fornication is not a sin, but if you are having sex with a married person then you are aiding them in commiting adultry.

 

[bicker]

You mean fornication isn't a sin, even in Catholicism?!?! [Johnny Carson voice:] I did not know that!

Gotta look that up... I could've swore it was.

 

[cardaway]

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.

When this has been discussed on talk shows it comes up frequently that the average expensive dinner (with drinks) is the same as the other average cost.

The discussion always centers around how it's bascially the same thing, labeling these loose women prostitutes. I happen to agree.

By the same token, there's plenty of women out there dating (and doing) guys for their money. Once again, same thing.

 

[FencerMcNally]

Sorry, but I was born Catholic and am still Catholic and I knew the difference. Fornication is not a sin, but if you are having sex with a married person then you are aiding them in commiting adultry.

I was born, raised, and still am a Catholic, too. I don't think that fornication is a sin if you're truly in love, but the Church definitely considers fornication a sin.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: (edited so as not to derail the thread, you can look up the listing on http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm if you want to know the rest)

"2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are [...] fornication..."

 

[bicker]

When this has been discussed on talk shows it comes up frequently that the average expensive dinner (with drinks) is the same as the other average cost.

Well, that just goes to show how little I know about how much something like that would/should cost.

the Church definitely considers fornication a sin

Thanks for the clarification and the reference. I was pretty-sure it was.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think it should be legalized, it's not going away and I think society as a whole would be best served by at least attempting to regulate it, for the reason of health at the very least.

 

[jgmklmhem]

I seem to remember a debate about this topic on the West Wing between Josh and the woman's right person he dated. He was for legaliztion she was not, but she eventually turned him her way. Does anyone remember her arguments....he was putting forth the ones seen already in this thread. At the time what she said made me think...but cannot remember for the life of me her arguments.

 

[Hercules10]

but she eventually turned him her way....but cannot remember for the life of me her arguments.

She probably threatened to cut him off if he didn't see things her way!

 

[poohandwendy]

And another thing....why the heck is gambling illegal in many states? I see no difference. Who cares? Regulate it and tax it.

 

[Shannon G]

Why is making a porno-flick legal, but prostitution isn't? Both are sex for moolah.

Good question - the "actors" in porn movies are being paid to have sex with one another, so isn't that prostitution, & therefore illegal?