Religious/spiritual perspectives regarding prostitution

[KathyM]

The Bible doesn't tell us not to judge. It tells us to judge with right judgement. Every one of us makes judgements on a daily basis. We judge what is harmful to society, and consequently make laws against what we perceive is harmful to society. In the U.S. and various other countries, prostitution is considered harmful to society. It exploits and devalues women and children. It promotes human trafficking. It puts women and children at risk of harm. There is nothing wrong about speaking out against a practice that is harmful to women and children, and harmful to society, just like it would not be wrong to speak out against pedophilia, drug dealing, robbery, or any other crime. I am speaking out against prostitution because it is harmful to people, just like I would speak out against slavery, or any other harmful practice.

[KathyM]

You're talking about two different things, in essence. Knowing something is harmful, and taking a stand against it is one thing. To sit in judgment of someone and to browbeat, and make them feel shame, is quite another.

Who's browbeating? I'm countering the arguments in these threads that are eroneous and misleading. The arguments by some who say that hiring a prostitute is not harming anyone. My argument, which I have backed up by studies, books and articles on the topic, show that the majority of customers of prostitutes are married men, which demonstrates that there is harm to people in this--the wives, the children of those married men, and harm to the men themselves who end up with broken marriages and broken families because they chose to use the services of a prostitute. It also harms the prostitute, which I have demonstrated by several articles/studies/testimonies which I have posted. I'm shaming an industry that exploits women and children, traffics women and children, puts them at risk, and which harms marriages.

 

We all know prostitution is harmful, not least to the prostitute. We all know the dangers of it, and the ramifications of such a "career" can have on the soul, the health, the safety of prostitutes. The question is, how do we deal with that? Do we say all prostitutes are bad people simply because they've made bad choices? Or do we give them the love that Jesus would?

Unfortunately, many here seem to think prostitution is not harmful to anyone, which is why I'm trying to show the studies/statistics/etc. that prove otherwise.

Of course we all judge, it is inherent in our nature, even when we try not to. The problem is, we can never judge from God's standards. He is perfect, we are not. For he who is without sin shall cast the first stone, no one is without sin.

True, no one is without sin. God has made it very clear how He feels about prostitution, and encouraged those engaged in it to turn away from it.

Mark Lowry said it best:

"Love the sinner, hate the sin? How about: Love the sinner, hate your own sin! I don't have time to hate your sin. There are too many of you! Hating my own sin is a full-time job. How about you hate your sin, I'll hate my sin and let's just love each other!"

I'll continue to hate my own sin, and speak out about sins against others. As a legal advocate for abused women and children, would you expect me to mind my own business?

I'm just understanding what Mme. Chaucer's post was about when she described the idea that if a diabetic guy orders a milkshake from McDonald's, and falls into a diabetic coma, is it the guy who served him fault? No. The notion that prostitutes endanger family life is actually fairly ridiculous. The fact that the guy chooses to stray and commit adultery endangers the family unit not the prostitute.

It takes two to commit adultery. The cheater and the enabler. Both are responsible for endangering the family unit. Since the majority of customers of prostitutes are married men, that would mean the majority of the prostitute's work involves helping married men to cheat on their wives. Both are responsible.

[mercy]

I believe this about prostitution -

 

The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan

 

I apologize, it's kind of long.

[KathyM]

Here is what the Bible says about prostitutes:

 

"For the lips of a loose woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; She does not keep straight to the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. . . . Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house; or you will give your honor to others, and your years to the merciless, and strangers wlll take their fill of your wealth, and your labors will go to the house of an alien; and at the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, "Oh, how I hated disciplne, and my heart despised reproof. "

 

Proverbs 5

[KathyM]

As usual, completely lacking in compassion and full of judgement. All condemnation, no solution is given.

The solution is to turn from sin and accept God's forgiveness for past behavior that offends God.

[KathyM]

Meanwhile, your teachings encourage people to demonise and treat them as almost less-than-human until they do. Scorn, judgement, no love until they decide to be more like you. Disgusting.

You mean God's teachings? I don't make the rules, I just try to live by them. God has the right to decide how He wants His people to live. He knows how destructive that lifestyle is for people, which is why He condemns it. But He has offered a solution, which is to turn from that destructive lifestyle, and accept His forgiveness and live in accordance with His will.

[mercy]

Well, from my reading of it, it's not even specifically refering to prostitutes, but simply against adultery.

 

The verse is pointing out concerns of King Solomon's choice of wives and concubines - he had hundreds. The concern was they were of different faith, but more importantly they worshiped idols. He was straying from God. If memory serves me that's what I remember the chapter to be about.

[mercy]

Kind of an odd thing to be concerned about, given that our current attitudes towards polygamy. But there you go. Marriage is between one man and one woman! (Except when it wasn't.)

 

You know sometimes I day dream about being a sister wife. I would love the sisterhood. Then I think, hey, they're gonna want to sleep with my man. And I'd have to hurt them. Sisterhood right out the window.

[soccerrprp]

If Jesus can show such love, why can't we?

 

...because we do not come close to being as committed, spiritually, as the fictional or historical (depending upon whether you believe or not) Jesus.

[KathyM]

Well, from my reading of it, it's not even specifically refering to prostitutes, but simply against adultery. Clearly though, some Christians apply it to the situation of prostitution, as KathyM did. However, it really fails because it doesn't point the finger at the real problem, and so it goes unresolved.

 

I just think the Sufi commentary is superior in every single way.

 

 

I can't add anything to this, so I'll just quote it.

I think it's pretty clear the passage has to do with prostitution. It warns of staying away from "loose women" who are "strangers who will take their fill of your wealth." Pretty straightforward.