Comments on: Texas Senate passes the dumbest law in years

By: scarheel

scarheel — Sat, 26 May 2007 02:52:13 +0000

I stand corrected about that verse, but think you misunderstand the context of the passage as a whole. You cannot support what you say about verse 29 when you look at in context with verses 1-7. Also, his speaking of the time being short and the world in its present form passing away are not necessarily references to the end of the world. The world was changing and Christians we coming under more and more persecution.

By: Francoise

Francoise — Fri, 25 May 2007 19:31:13 +0000

Scarheel, Paul said “From now on, men who have wives are to live as though they have none.” He believed that the end of the world was imminent. He was wrong.

Geekwad, without those brothels catering to such clients, what would those clients be doing to unwilling partners? I’m not referring to the normal bondage babies- I’m talking about downright sadists. I’ve known such people, and I can guarantee that they’d most likely be committing violence unlawfully, if they had no other recourse.

Violence doesn’t always necessarily escalate.

My point is that it’s better for it to be under control, with legal outlets, than bottled up ready to explode.

By: Bryan Riley

Bryan Riley — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:31:58 +0000

I’d love to shut them down, but it won’t change hearts to do that. Sexual exploitation will still occur. We followers of Jesus need to be doing what He called us to do… bringing in the Kingdom of God, praying for it to come, and being salt and light to the world. Making disciples. Seeing God use His sons and daughters to bring others into the Kingdom.

By: Geekwad

Geekwad — Fri, 25 May 2007 12:08:36 +0000

Franciose, I agree with your conclusion, but I dunno if the “channeled violence” argument holds water. I think there is a fundamental difference between someone who’s thing in bed is tying up and spanking other people and someone who feels compelled to commit violence. I don’t think someone in the latter category becomes satiated, but rather I think the pattern is one of escalation.

By: scarheel

scarheel — Fri, 25 May 2007 11:21:19 +0000

Francoise, You have the thing about what Paul said all wrong. He said that it was alright for a couple to go without sex for a time if it was for the purpose of seeking God’s will or guidance. He never said for married men to go without sex forever. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

By: texasinafrica

texasinafrica — Thu, 24 May 2007 23:12:44 +0000

Tim, we have to have sin taxes, because the Texas constitution forbids a state income tax. Government can only tax what people buy, what people own, and/or what people make, and when you eliminate one of those three tax bases from consideration, you have to get creative. This works especially badly in a state of 20 million people that, until recently, had a property tax cap. We have a revenue problem.

By: Francoise

Francoise — Thu, 24 May 2007 21:02:30 +0000

Thanks, onelittleman -I speak from experience, and am a hard-boiled realist!

Janna’s right- violence towards women is usually in the home.

Brothels serve another interesting purpose- they act as a conduit for violence which would otherwise be totally unacceptable. Patrons with sadistic urges, willing to pay the hefty fees, can discharge those anti-social urges on to the men or women they hire for that purpose. There is HUGE money to be made in that field of sexuality! Perhaps we should be THANKFUL that some businesses are willing to cater to these needs, and hence protect others?

By: onelittleman

onelittleman — Thu, 24 May 2007 20:40:58 +0000

Francoise, you’re making a solid argument.

Well played on Rahab.

By: Francoise

Francoise — Thu, 24 May 2007 20:31:48 +0000

Shutting down brothels is an exercise in futility- it only drives the women and their patrons onto the streets. Even Iran hasn’t managed to get rid of them!!!

The best method is to do what our government has done- which is to control them very tightly in matters of hygiene. Criminalising them only attracts the thugs of the underworld with their charming standover tactics, and bullying pimps who prey on vulnerable girls. Legalising the trade protects the workers fro assaults, guarantees their wages, and looks after their health.

The fact is, men have urges which seek expression and if a fellow has no spouse, it’s unreasonable to expect him to live his life like a hermit. I know that St Paul thought that even married men should live without sex
( which shows how screwed up he was) but we’re not all St Paul, are we?

Better to be realistic about the nature of human beings than to clamp down on them, which only makes them all the more determined. You cannot cage up a wild beast forever- it will only roar all the louder.

And, BTW, wasn’t one of Jesus’s ancestors a prostitute?

By: Tim Dahl

Tim Dahl — Thu, 24 May 2007 18:28:41 +0000

I don’t like the idea of any “sin tax.”

I hate the thought that one day, on the floor of the legislature, we might hear something like this:

“What? You want to ban what in this great state of ours?! You can’t do that! we get Hundreds of Thousands of dollars from that “*insert name of Sin here*” in Education/Abuse-Prevention/etc. tax! You can’t ban that!”

I liken a sin tax to the equivalence of relying on foriegn oil. Not a good idea, anyway you slice it.

Tim Dahl