Harry C,
The Christians I connect with are at the forefront of legislation in NSW Parliament on deaths in the workplace. So you will need to find a new argument.

Would you mind elaborating on these Christians you know Philo? What are their positions, what activities are they involved in?

I would expect certain people to be involved in spearheading such legislation regardless of religion if their jobs, and it appears government ones in this case, are to do such a thing.

My point is when do typical mainstream church goers voice concerns about unsafe workplaces with such gusto as they are here as a matter of usual debate.

The alchemist - declaring myself a minister of religion was not intended to be a self righteous claim - from your acerbic posts toward Christians it would seem it would be far easier to not declare my calling - I was declaring it to defuse your argument that Christians sneak into these forums to push our "holy ways". It seems you just dont want to hear from Christians period!
You also missed the point about a prostitute to customer relationship (ie human to human) being like human to animal relationship and therefore dehumanising. The relationship I have to the food I eat is not dehumanising, because I dont eat humans but animals. My point is that when humans treat other humans in a destructive way it is degrading and dehumanising. This is the case with prostitution - illegal, legal or "sensibly controlled". The nature of the sexual appetite outside of a mutually wholesome relationship is that it will grow.

HarryC are you saying that dunces dont use prostitutes. Of course you are arguing that the people that use prostitutes all know how to use condoms proficiently so the prostitutes and customers will be safe.
Could it be that some "dunces" are not screened out at the door and a certain percentage of condom breakages will therefore occur. It only needs one case to cause a spread of disease. It happens all too often.
HarryC, the Alchemist and Mahatma Duck, you have heard facts, from Christians and others, but chose to reject the truth - legalising brothels, however "sensibly controlled" will always be destructive to those involved. Your collective thinking would have us try to put out a fire by dousing it with petrol!

Cheddar, “I was declaring it to defuse your argument that Christians sneak into these forums to push our "holy ways". Where did I say that, you never sneak, just slither.

The nature of the sexual appetite outside of a mutually wholesome relationship is that it will grow. Define “wholesome relationship”

Cheddar, “The relationship a women has to her clients is like a farmer has with his herd of animals – that is dehumanising “. And then,

“You also missed the point about a prostitute to customer relationship (ie human to human) being like human to animal relationship and therefore dehumanising.” Prostitute to customer, farmer to animal, not somewhere I want my mind to go thank you. You do represent religion, don't you?

During my study into the history of religious societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of religious propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate. Therefore the less it corresponded to reality, the better.

When people are told to remain silent as they are being told the most obvious lies. Or worse, when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves. They lose once and for all their sense of probity.

To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed.

A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. If you examine religious moral correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.

The continuing attempts to deny religious morals in this subject, whilst trying to defend them, speaks for its self. As usual, the religious are quick to condemn or dismiss other views, but are unable to provide workable solutions.

Say cheese

The alchemist,

I don’t think your post has much to do with prostitution or STD’s.

Personally I couldn’t care less if the author belongs to a particular religion or not. He likes AFL, so should someone try and stereotype him according to which AFL team he supports?

I think the issue of prostitution becomes important, because of the risks involved, and because of the likelihood that prostitution can markedly increase in future years.

There is a projected doubling of single person households over the next 20 yrs, but even with single person households, people will want sex, and many more people will be seeking sex with prostitutes, or through one-night stands etc. That means that people will have more sexual partners, which increases the risk of STD’s being spread throughout society.

STD’s are now important because so many are becoming immune to medicines, and we are returning back to the days when there were no known cures for most STD’s, and someone who got a STD such as syphilis, died a lingering and painful death.

Penicillin is now as useless as asprin to cure many STD’s, so eventually there will have to be ways developed to reduce the number of sexual partners people generally have. Any suggestions?

Timkins, what you say is very true, I don't care what the author is either. The first poster raised the religious bit.

As to your statement, “He likes AFL, so should someone try and stereotype him according to which AFL team he supports?” Yes, if he doesn't barrack for the Swans.

As long as the human race indulges in contact that involves the exchange of biological fluids, then we will have the transmition of disease. This covers all aspects of infection, not just sexual. In the case of viral and biological infection unrelated to sex, we can't stop it but try to minimise the effects.

Condoms go a way towards this, even with percentage failures, as does anti viral medication. In the past some STD's were thought to be under control, but as you state, that is not the case.

We can't stop people having sex, and we can't stop them sneezing, sweating, nor breathing So until we have a cure or can remove the cause, and that is not prohibition, then we have to lessen the effects.

No matter what ideology or culture you represent, with all aspects of life there are varying degrees of hygiene appreciation, so there will be varying degrees of susceptibility to infection. That makes the task even harder.

The first thing we must do is to accept that prostitution will not go away. Then minimise it, heavily regulate and control it. If you make breaches of the regulations the same for all participants and the outcomes so economically devastating and enforce it. It may become like the racing industry, in the background for the fools, but under control.