Should prostitution be legalized?

The funny thing here is I can make a better argument against making prostitution legal then SM can.

Here are two significant problems I see with prostituion.

#1. Exploiting womens sexuality for economic gain can be considered immoral and unethical.
#2. Legalized prostitution can pose a public health problem.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
The funny thing here is I can make a better argument against making prostitution legal then SM can.

Here are two significant problems I see with prostituion.

#1. Exploiting womens sexuality for economic gain can be considered immoral and unethical.
#2. Legalized prostitution can pose a public health problem.
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Here's a third, although it can be avoided. Prostitution apparently is legal in Germany. Remember a couple of years ago or so, Germany's unemployment rate was double-digit and nearing crisis mode. The German government in its infinite wisdom declared that women up to age 55 (!!!) who had been receiving unemployment benefits for a period of one year and still had not found employment would be forced to take jobs as prostitutes. The public outcry both within and outside the country put a hasty conclusion to that policy, but it did give an insight into what poorly conceived regulations, far too many of them already exist, can engender.
 
Southern Man said:
Wrong. Morality is defined by God in the Bible.
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No, your wrong. God does not define morality in the Bible. Rather the Bible provides a system of Gods moral principles. Such a system of moral principles is called "morality" but in order for an individual to be able to practice such a system (morality) they must be able to distinguish, for themselves, what these moral principle are (i.e. what is right and what is wrong.).
 
Thorn said:
Here's a third, although it can be avoided. Prostitution apparently is legal in Germany. Remember a couple of years ago or so, Germany's unemployment rate was double-digit and nearing crisis mode. The German government in its infinite wisdom declared that women up to age 55 (!!!) who had been receiving unemployment benefits for a period of one year and still had not found employment would be forced to take jobs as prostitutes. The public outcry both within and outside the country put a hasty conclusion to that policy, but it did give an insight into what poorly conceived regulations, far too many of them already exist, can engender.
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Actually Thorn, I think that kind of fits into my first category. That would be economic exploitation.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
The funny thing here is I can make a better argument against making prostitution legal then SM can.

Here are two significant problems I see with prostituion.

#1. Exploiting womens sexuality for economic gain can be considered immoral and unethical.
#2. Legalized prostitution can pose a public health problem.
Click to expand...

First of all, the women are being exploited now. If it were legal, they would be exploited less, not more. They would no longer need the services of a pimp. If they chose to work in a brothel it would be more as a contractor than as property.

Also, the regulation of the industry would require frequent medical checks. If the prostitutes knew they would be unable to work if they caught something, they would absolutely refuse to have unprotected sex.
 
Thorn said:
Here's a third, although it can be avoided. Prostitution apparently is legal in Germany. Remember a couple of years ago or so, Germany's unemployment rate was double-digit and nearing crisis mode. The German government in its infinite wisdom declared that women up to age 55 (!!!) who had been receiving unemployment benefits for a period of one year and still had not found employment would be forced to take jobs as prostitutes. The public outcry both within and outside the country put a hasty conclusion to that policy, but it did give an insight into what poorly conceived regulations, far too many of them already exist, can engender.
Click to expand...

I don't want to come along and slap you down here Thorn, but the reports of Germans denying benefits to those refusing to don a pair of fishnets and meet new and exciting men in the risqué surroundings of the Reeperbahn have been slightly exaggerated.

http://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/brothel.asp

I feel bad now.
 
WinterBorn said:
First of all, the women are being exploited now. If it were legal, they would be exploited less, not more. They would no longer need the services of a pimp. If they chose to work in a brothel it would be more as a contractor than as property.

Also, the regulation of the industry would require frequent medical checks. If the prostitutes knew they would be unable to work if they caught something, they would absolutely refuse to have unprotected sex.
Click to expand...
Changing the legal status would not make economic exploitation of womens sexuality moral. It might make it safer, more profitable and more hygenic but not necessarily moral. I'm reasonably sure that our corporate capitalist system could use womens sexuality for economic gain with a far more ruthless brand of exploitation then any pimp could.
 
charver said:
I don't want to come along and slap you down here Thorn, but the reports of Germans denying benefits to those refusing to don a pair of fishnets and meet new and exciting men in the risqué surroundings of the Reeperbahn have been slightly exaggerated.

http://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/brothel.asp

I feel bad now.
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LOL. Thanks for clearing that up, Charver. Actually, I heard it on NPR, no less, at around the time this was purportedly occurring. Of course, we know how accurate the media's information can be at times. :p
 
Mott the Hoople said:
No, your wrong. God does not define morality in the Bible. Rather the Bible provides a system of Gods moral principles. Such a system of moral principles is called "morality" but in order for an individual to be able to practice such a system (morality) they must be able to distinguish, for themselves, what these moral principle are (i.e. what is right and what is wrong.).
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Isn't that the same thing?
 
Mott the Hoople said:
That didn't work either. I was so ugly I even got turned down by Hookers. Made me feel just like 3D!
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LOL I used to walk the outskirts of the Combat Zone in Boston to get from my office to where I parked my motorcycle, and every Friday (they knew it was payday) I'd have to refuse at least three "dates".
 
charver said:
And tolerant. Don't forget tolerant.
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Very. Because the official religion, based on the fact that they mentioned "God" in a generic way in the Declaration, of the founders and therefore the nation is some form of Christianity and everybody gets to believe their own way because Christians have always been so danged tolerant and stuff.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
The funny thing here is I can make a better argument against making prostitution legal then SM can.

Here are two significant problems I see with prostituion.

#1. Exploiting womens sexuality for economic gain can be considered immoral and unethical.
#2. Legalized prostitution can pose a public health problem.
Click to expand...
I've been arguing the immorality of it.
 
Damocles said:
Very. Because the official religion, based on the fact that they mentioned "God" in a generic way in the Declaration, of the founders and therefore the nation is some form of Christianity and everybody gets to believe their own way because Christians have always been so danged tolerant and stuff.
Click to expand...
Christianity is a tolerant religion. Not all followers of any religion follow its tenets perfectly.
 
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