Poll: Poll: Morality and Law

[newdarkcloud]

I was recently helping out a friend with his math homework, when he randomly asked me "Why is prostitution illegal?". I didn't have an answer, so I had to look it up. It said that the US banned prostitution because most people thought that it was morally unsound. This made me wonder. How much should morality affect law? Also, should something become illegal just because the majority goes against it, or should there be more consideration?

Fellow escapists, what do you think? This is not just about prostitution, but with any law.

EDIT: I appreciate the opinions expressed thus far. Keep it up guys.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Well I find the idea of what people see as 'morally accept' to be a very flawed method of basing laws on...

I believe that laws should be created to protect potential victims.

I'm sure there's a few exceptions but my frazzled brain can't think properly right now.

 

[sosolidshoe]

Laws should exist to ensure fair conduct between individuals and organisations, to protect individuals and organisations from fraud, and to protect society from dangerous individuals by ensuring they are either rehabilitated or incarcerated.

The idea that such a powerful apparatus as law should be used to enforce one set of morality above others is repugnant, in my opinion.

 

[BioHazardMan]

Morality is perceived, therefore laws should be drawn from reason, not preconceptions by the religious who think they can judge what is good for everyone.

Prostitution should be legal in my opinion, it's their choice.

 

[FalloutJack]

Morality should apply where common sense comes into play. And I say this because there are a number of laws and just general things in life that should be one way and are practiced another way. Obeying the law doesn't mean the mere letter of the law. It means "Don't be a jackass". Some smug S.O.B. using a lawyer to sleaze his way around a court case on some tiny issue when they have real evidence against him is fucking guilty, end of story.

 

[Giest4life]

I am of the belief that society, in general, should be despised. Law is an anathema to the human progress.

 

[xdom125x]

With your prostitution example, it should be legal. I mean if it is legal to give a thing away, then why would it be illegal to sell?(The only downside to it's current state is that many pimps are forcing girls/women into prostitution. If the people elected to go into the business of their own choice, they should be able to do it).

On topic: Morality is (generally) based on religion which I think should stay out of the legal system. Laws should be based on logic and reason.

 

[Bailoroc]

I always find it amusing that people try to seperate law and morality. I have to be honest, morality for most people are merely the laws they bind themselves to, even if they are outside of official national laws, and for some people, official legal laws *are* their only source of morality. And in some places, both past and present, morality and laws were one and the same. Why do you think most American and British laws, even many current ones, had heavy Judeo-Christian influences while some countries had heavy Islam and Hindu influences?

Plus, even non-religious people do have their own morality, it's just usually more personal or more law-based than anything.

That being said, because we live in a more diverse, more mixed culture, with various religions and worldviews trying to get along or at least not kill each other, it's probably best to make laws on what we can mostly agree on, stuff like no murder, no stealing, etc. Whatever people decide to do on their own time is usually no one else's business.

EDIT: The idea of "laws should be based only on logic and reason" also amuses me; logic and reason are not always as objective as people believe they are.