Is Prostitution Intrinsically wrong?

Question

Intrinsically means Of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent to its nature. Thus, I am not looking for some answers about its +/- side effect on society etc. I like to explore if it is inherently wrong to for sex to be on the market place? AGAIN, please don't talk about its effects. And yes, it is possible to talk about something w/o talking about its effects.

So far there has been several categories of answers:

Legality: not a good argument, as a thing's legal status has NOTHING to do with if it is inherently wrong or not.

Religious: If I wanted a religious position, I would have qualified the question that way.

Effects on Society: Although a way we can pretend to argue a point, but it is heavily dependent on the state of the society and what it perceives as "good" or "bad"

C'mon people, I am looking for a real intelligent answer here. Please read the question again if you think you didn't understand it.

Answer 1

"By it's nature" it strips the act of sex of it's human caring characteristics and reduces it to a business transaction. I think THAT is what's wrong!

Answer 2

This is a very good question. But only to say yes or no would not due justice to an answer.

It is a sin, but some sins are small sins and some sins are large sins. So I think we should not be hasty to be judgemental in particular cases. This is because we all sin, and most of us sin many times in a day, in thought, ect... The prostitute is no worse or the clean shaven man in the business suit is no better, after all they may both sleep in the same bed, and we all breath the same air. And we are all sinners.

Scripture says that if we doubt that something is not a sin, then if we do it it is a sin -Bible

All sins are intrisically wrong. But Lao Tzu said something to the effect that the more controls and laws goverment puts upon people, the worse things get (sorry for the inaccurate paraphrasing, dont have my books with me).

Dave

Answer 3

I think it is somewhat difficult to seperate an act being wrong from its effects. Reason being that most things are inherently wrong BECAUSE of there effects on the person comitting the act and on others. Thus some of the reasons that prostitution could be wrong would be the effects it has on individuals and on society. How does it hurt the person doing it emotionally, physically or spiritually? How does it perpetuated any low self esteme that the many customers already have which is evident in the fact that they are needing to buy an intimate act? Does it harm children in any way? Does it increase drug use and dependency as a means of avoiding the inner guilt issues that come from selling oneself for mere money? there are many more questions one could ask about its effects and then come to the conclusion that if the answer to even one of them was yes, then you could say that prostitution is indeed wrong.

Answer 4

You can talk about something without talking about its effects, but you cannot argue the morality of something without talking about its effects. Prostitution breaks up families which are central to our society. It also spreads disease such as HIV which eventually finds its way into the families of cheaters. YES it is wrong. The act also degrades the true worth of a woman by treating her as an object and not as a person with feelings.

Now people should understand that there are many women who feel that there is no other option in life for survival. However, they put at risk contracting STD's. The solution that we as a society need to be more kind and helpful to the poor.

Answer 5

Not really. Many would argue that sex is solely meant for procreation and such, but with modern technology, you no longer need to engage in sexual acts to create life. So, really, the only purpose sex has now is to provide pleasure (if you need to have sex to prove you love someone, then you're with the wrong person).

Sex feels good, and is good for you (if you take the proper precautions), so charging for it doesn't seem like such a far-fetched or "wrong" concept. It's the various side-effects that make it "bad" (if there's a way to break a law or hurt people for no reason whatsoever, you'd better believe there's someone out there doing it at this very moment).

Answer 6

You can look at it in the biblical sense and say that intercourse is only for procreation, thereby the exchange of money for "services" is intrinsically wrong. Or you can look at another way and say that intercourse is a natural thing and people need to work to survive, so by this, prostitution is a combination of two necessary and inherently natural things.

Answer 7

Sex is a beautiful thing its the only collection that we can share with each other whether if you want to wait for marriage or not,,,, but the way we using it is way out of control,,, that's why the diseases are spinning out of chaos,,,, and that's why I think prostitution is not wrong,,, just the way how we carry OURSELVES use CONDOMS at all TIMES,,, Is prostitution's wrong????...after all it is illegal that's the only thing that is wrong

Answer 8

Do I believe in it? No. But that wasn't your question. It is not intriniscally wrong. A person owns nothing if not themselves. As such, if any person wants to put a price on what they own they have (or should have) that right. If you are removing the effects and consequences ... If someone wants to sell and someone wants to buy then who is being harmed?

Answer 9

well the nature of prostitution is that your doing something that anybody can do for money. anybody can prostitute their body, mind, position of power, etc. The essence of humanity is progress (moving forward) and prostitution is stagnance. Prostitutes (sexual or other) in no way contribute to the continual advancement of mankind. if your not contributing than you are a burden, a waste of space and limited recources.

Answer 10

In old times they called High Priestess. They had their temples and was worshiped as Love bearers. They was Blessed to carry sacred magic of Love.Time passed, values changed, judgment become brutal and sophisticated, that old magic become disrespectful profession, for it based on certain monetary income now, not really Love. Still, I remember few of them, will never forget. That was mysteriously magical, perhaps, as it was centuries ago. Bless those two.

Answer 11

I think if regulated by the government properly, as in its kept safe and manageable then it is societally acceptable. I think it creates jobs and provides an outlet for individuals who might release their sexual anguish in a more deleterious manner, if not for the source of well managed prostitutes.