Why is Prostitution Illegal?

Is Buying Sex Illegal?
Prostitutes are workers of the oldest profession in the world. The Code of Hammurabi in 18th century B.C.E. included female prostitutes in their laws by protecting their rights of inheritance. The Bible declares that prostitution is immoral. Jesus Christ in His ministry admonished several hookers to mend their evil ways. Most countries in the world consider prostitution as illegal.

U.S. Views on Prostitution
With the exception of some of Nevada’s rural counties, the United States declared that the sex trade is illegal with corresponding penalties for offenders.  But prostitution has not been annihilated, as it appears everywhere in diversity. However, every state has the authority to allow, ban, or regulate all kinds of commercial sex.

Reasons Why Women Enter the Sex Business

Women are attracted by the large sums of money they can earn in exchange for a few hours of bodily pleasure. Others considered the task as the easiest way to finance a university education and improve their lives. In fact, quite a few intend to leave the business once they have earned the amount they want or need. On the other side, they believe it is a way of saving some men’s marriages by supplying something missing in their homes or alleviating loneliness when they are on business trips. Street walkers of the lowest type need money to finance their addiction to drugs.

Reasons Why Prostitution Is Illegal

1. Prostitution is demeaning to the individual’”sex as a commercial enterprise is against human dignity. It is an attack when an individual is compelled to submit to sexual demands as means of employment. It is exploitation or even rape based on the prostitute’s acquiescence rather than her consent.
2. Prostitution as the ‘world’s oldest profession’ does not excuse it from being immoral. Even for economic reasons, selling sex is still as evil, as there are other moral ways to earn a living’”ways that don’t include prostitution’s dire consequences.
3. Prostitution is an ally to other worse crimes. The world will never be able to fight against human trafficking as long as prostitution and exploitation of children and women are allowed to flourish. Brothels and high-class houses of pleasure are profitable destinations for women forced into sex slavery.  This is based on the fact that many prostitutes come from countries that legalized the flesh trade.
4. Prostitution is a threat to health.  In countries where prostitution is legalized, women are tested every week for HIV. The test can possibly be negative for the first 12 weeks after being infected. It follows that while the test is becoming positive and the results are becoming known, a prostitute will still expose 630 clients to HIV. This is not the best option for preventing the global spread of HIV/AIDS; rather, focus should be on the efforts to abolish prostitution.
5. Prostitution is against the true equality of women. The concept that considers one group of women available for men’s sexual access for a fee is triggering a missile against the structural equality by gender, class, and race. Moreover, it violates international law. By legalizing prostitution, every norm of human rights that mandates human dignity and equality for all is undermined.
6. Prostitution goes against the lifetime union of marriage. God made marriage as His first institution when He created Adam and exhorted that it was not good for Adam to be alone. Prophets in the Bible emphasize God’s three principles about marriage: (1) Marriage is sacred; (2) God is against divorce; and (3) The intention of marriage is designed to produce fine children.

Vulnerable and weak people must be protected by institutions; laws should not be established just for the sake of minimizing unpleasant conditions. Every human being, male or female, is entitled to be treated with dignity. Only through illegalizing prostitution will women’s bodies be treated with respect and not as something disposable.