The times have always been bad to one degree or another. I agree will Sells that our times are especially bad. But this is the inevitable result of capitalism which is an "advanced" form of the war of all against all and everything.

Capitalism depended on its success by turning the former seven deadly sins into the seven cardinal virtues---all promoted by propaganda central, that is the advertising industry with iis 24 hour a day call to the "faithful" to go to the local temple/cathedral or the local mega-mall and get your share of the colourful cargo.

Capitalism also depends on its continued "success" by finding more and more ways for the dreadfully sane every person to dramatise their endless desire for the amusements and consolations of the seven deadly sins. Everything IS for sale and all of the superior expressions of human culture inevitably become degraded and debased---reduced to an advertising jingle.

The tragic irony is that it is the so called "conservatives" in our so called "culture" who are the loudest and most strident champions of capitalism. Quadrant magazine comes to mind. As does the IPA and similar "right" minded propaganda factories.

Meanwhile Sells has an article in this months Quadrant---strange company for a a concerned "moralist"!

I'm willing to consider that the very first sex worker was a positive addition to the tribe and helped reduce the number of cross tribal raids necessary to fulfill the sexual and marital needs of the tribe. These same women and men today provide an essential service that is attacked and vilified in the guise of morality. Instead of attacking or vilifying the "prostitute", a very negative use word, our society should be making sure such career choices are not made out of desperation or drug use and provide laws and licensing to ensure the protection of both the sex worker and the client. There is nothing amoral about sex. It happens to be a very human need and is a need shared by MOST every other living thing on this planet.
Now, coercing young men and women into the sex trade. That is amoral. And some very harsh penalties need to be instituted under law.

Sells makes the point that "What we will get is a population hooked on the good time, undisciplined in relationships, failing to achieve marriages that will last long enough to raise children and the resultant demographic decline in our populations"

I thought that happened some considerable time ago. Perhaps, if the Church had been more honest with its attitude towards sex and encouraged discussion about what it was all concerned with, its adherents and the community at large might have adopted a more positive attitude toward members of the opposite sex. Perhaps St.Paul has a lot to answer for.

"There is nothing amoral about sex. It happens to be a very human need and is a need shared by MOST every other living thing on this planet."

A very true statement! Sells, if you want to understand the world,
put down the holy books and start studying nature, things will make
far more sense.

Swapping sex for resources goes all the way back to our distant
relatives, chimps and bonobos. Pairbonding, which happens in
many species, involves those where lots of resources are
required to raise the offspring. Some now call it marriage :)

Given that the world human population has gone from 1.5 billion
to 6.5 billion in a hundred years, heading for 10 billion, I don't
think that Sells needs to start panicking about survival of
the human species. In fact the opposite. I remind him what happens
to rats when they become too numerous. They start eating one another,
just like Easter Islanders did, when their population became too
numerous!

But then our society has all sorts of double standards. When a
lovely young blonde marries an old rich guy, thats accepted.
When the same young blonde is more honest, in wanting payment
for her services, thats frowned upon.

The Christian Church has to be careful. If they are suggesting that
sex is wrong, they might well be outdone by the Muslims, who are
offering heaps of virgins in their version of heaven. No wonder
Islam is gaining and will soon overtake them. If you sell people
hope, at least sell them something which feels good :

Dr. Sellick which of the bible stories should we use for moral guidance?

In the story of Lot, male angels were sent to warn Lot. They were welcomed by Lot into his house. The mob arrived at the door step. The mob then demanded use of the angelic messengers for male prostitution. Lot proffered his daughters virginity instead (Genesis Chap 19). Later Genesis 19:30-36 we read of incestuous love making between Lot and his daughters.

A similar story is told in Judges 19:21-29 of a concubine being offered to the mob instead of a priest, this time around the poor girl was dismembered.

Abraham the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is said to have prostituted his wife before the princes of Egypt see Genesis 12: 11-21. For which episode Abraham earns a gentle slap on the wrist from the Pharaoh of the day.

Later in life Abraham presumable in a psychotic delusional state is about to slaughter his son. Fortunately for the boy at the last moment a small window of sanity returns to the Patriarch and the boy is spared. Genesis 22: 2-13.

Interested readers can find In Richard Dawkins book “The God Delusion” a hilarious account of these and several other so called moral and enlightening bible stories.

anti green, it looks like Dawkins is your new religion. And the God Delusion your new Bible. The tenor of your post place you smack dab in the centre of the extremist. So Dawkins morality is now your morality. Do you know of Dawkins personal moral or amoral appetites? Does he allow you to use the services of a prostitute or are such earthly fruits denied you? More like he/she must PROVE empirically that they are a prostitute before you can partake. Which then begs the question, do you have to pay for the proving or is that considered a freebie?