Financial desperation is among the main factors that drive individuals, mostly women, to venture into prostitution as a way of making ends meet. The moral dilemma depicted by the woman who is deserted by her husband, friends, and relatives and has a little kid to feed generates the need for research into the moral and ethical issues involved in such scenario under different frameworks. There exist various groups that have called for tougher legislations focused on protecting cash trapped women who are going out there to support their families. However, there is a need to provide such women with alternatives including the need for multi-agencies that encourage the victims of prostitution to consider ways through which they can establish self-help support groups where they come together and start projects that would generate income in ethical ways. Since no woman chooses prostitution as their preferred career and the fact that it is always tough being on the streets in the cold it is only appropriate that such women are protected, taken to schools and assisted in finding jobs that would help them cater for the needs of their children. The Catholic teachings present Prostitution as an injurious act to the personal dignity of the individual who practices it and creates situations where the victims pay sins heavily against themselves. By engaging in prostitution, individuals defile their body which according to the Catholic Church is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Buddhists also believe that prostitution is wrong but in the case where the intention is to get easy money rather than look for ways to survive in stressful situations.
Therefore, those who engage in prostitution as a lifestyle are lazy and contradict moral principles of the society while those who need the trade to survive could still be accommodated in the society. The utilitarian approach to prostitution is focused on the fact that everyone has the liberty to do whatever they please with their bodies including involving themselves in prostitution.
Prostitution is depicted as an immoral practice in the bible and so not acceptable. "For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. Like a bandit, she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men" (Proverbs 23:27-28). Prostitution is, therefore, immoral because it destroys marriages, lives, families, spirit and eventually leads to spiritual and physical death. God's desire is to see human beings remain pure, and their bodies are used as objects to glorify Him (Romans 6:13). The holy book also addresses the need for prostitutes to repent for them to enter the kingdom of God (Mathew 21:31-32). The Second Vatican Council stressed the fact that activities that violate the integrity of the human beings and whatever insults human dignity such as slavery and prostitution is poisonous to humanity and further harms the individuals who practice them. Also, the Council addressed prostitution as a supreme dishonor to the Creator.
Catholics, therefore, consider prostitution as undermining human dignity and therefore it is not morally permissible to engage in such acts. The outcome of following the framework is that it improves ways through which human beings establish and maintain their relationships with God and the ways through which they recognize their bodies as the image of God hence the need to abide by moral ways that please the Creator.
The positivity of the Catholic view is that it focuses on the need to enhance the welfare of human beings and prevent the victims from falling short of God’s grace. However, the negative element of the framework is that it fails to provide an alternative to the cases where one chooses to indulge in prostitution as a way of making ends meet like the case of the woman who is forced into that act to provide for her child. Prostitution, therefore, has a negative influence on human dignity and interferes with the relationship human beings have with God. This implies that it is imperative for human beings to seek alternatives ways that preserve their dignity even in the event where they are faced with difficult situations like in the scenario.
Hypothesis
If women are allowed into prostitution, then their relationship with God is affected.
Buddhist view on prostitution
The issue of prostitution according to the Buddhists’ teaching is divided into two perspectives. The first one involves a forced situation where one engages in prostitution as a way of fighting poverty and escaping from social deprivations. The second perspective addresses prostitution as the situation where one engages in prostitution as an easy way of getting money. The first perspective according to the Buddhist scriptures is referred to as Vesiya meaning a harlot while the second perspective is Ganika. The motive of the first Vesiya is to survive hence considered less negative, unlike the Ganika which is seen as mere greed which then reflects some form of laziness or lack of self-respect. Buddhism does not, therefore, look down on prostitutes whose major aim is to survive, but it also sees such activity as an opportunity for the victims to be enlightened better with ways through which they could become better persons in the society.
The outcome of the Buddhist view is that it creates situations where prostitution is allowed in the event of necessity, where it is done as a means to survive in case of economic deprivation. However, in the event where one engages in prostitution as a way of getting income when they are not faced with problems, it’s depicted as laziness and an aspect of greed that is contrary to the Buddhist expectations. The positive outcome of the framework is that it makes it possible for the victims to get sources of livelihood that can sustain their families like with the case of the woman striving hard to take care of her child. However, the negative outcome is that it gives many women a reason to engage in prostitution such that moral values are interfered with. However, while prostitution according to Buddhism is a way to cope with hardships, it should not be encouraged since it could lead to women failing to consider alternatives by focusing too much on trading in their bodies.
Hypothesis
If women are allowed to engage in prostitution, then they will be able to find a way out of hardships.
Utilitarian framework on prostitution
According to the utilitarian view, prostitution is seen as good in the event where it generates income for the prostitute and bad if it corrupts the morals of the society. The utilitarian view is therefore aligned to the way prostitution creates some common good for the nation or contributes to tragedy among the citizens. There is also a belief that one has the right to do whatever they please with their body such that they can engage in prostitution if it provides a source of livelihood to them.
The outcome of the utilitarian view is that it gives liberty for the prostitutes to practice that vice in a bid to sustain their livelihoods since they have the liberty do whatever they please with their body. The positive effect is that it gives prostitutes the opportunity to survive in case of hardships without being subjected to any victimization. However, the negative effect is that it contributes too many people joining the practice and neglect the need to look for alternative ways they could use to sustain themselves. The implication of failing to find alternatives is that they continue undermining their human dignity and inducing a negative influence on the morality in the society.
Hypothesis
Encouraging prostitution diminishes the urge for prostitutes to find alternative ways of surviving.
Hypothesis and Evaluation
If women are allowed into prostitution, then their relationship with God is affected.
The fact that prostitution undermines human dignity and the relationship with the Creator implies that the spiritual connection with God is lost. Religiously and morally, prostitution is responsible for the destruction of marital unions, lives, families as well as the spiritual makeup and eventually leads to spiritual and physical death. It diverts people from God’s desire which is to see human beings remain pure and their bodies being used as tools use for His use and glory only. The woman, therefore, needs to consider the moral and spiritual implication of her decision since by engaging in prostitution; she is contributing to breaking of marriages and lives of other people as well as breaking her covenant with God on the need to keep her body pure.
If women are allowed to engage in prostitution, then they will be able to find a way out of hardships
Finding ways to cope with hardships through prostitution is immoral, and although Buddhists allow the act in case of economic deprivation, it is imperative to consider the loss of human dignity. Additionally, it is wrong to opt for prostitution as the only solution while there are alternatives that could succeed if one decides to pursue them. The decisions by the women see prostitution as the solution is unwarranted for and they need to come out strong and gather the strength to consider engaging in the right, holy and moral channels of supporting their children.
Encouraging prostitution diminishes the urge for prostitutes to find alternative ways of surviving
Prostitution interferes with the self-motivation to seek for better and moral alternatives such that many people in similar situations would easily consider prostitution as the only way to survive. The utilitarian approach on arguing that everyone is at liberty to use their body in their preferred way is, therefore, misleading and immoral in the way it contributes to a society devoid of dignity and connection to the spiritual God.
Conclusion
Economic hardships are the most common reasons why many ladies indulge in prostitution. However, while it may be the easiest alternative to earn livelihoods, it is imperative to consider morality and the loss of spiritual connection with the Creator when one engages in such body selling activities. From the hypothesis, it is clear that prostitution limits self-motivation to consider better ways of surviving and ends up affecting human dignity in the society.
Annotated bibliography
McCrudden, Christopher. "Human Dignity and Judicial Interpretation of Human Rights." The European Journal of International Law (2008): 655 – 724. Document.
Ruhela, Shanya and Soham Banerjee. "Law and Morality: Cessation of Conflict or a New Era of Contradictions?" International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (2013): 32-37. Document.
Scoular, Jane and Maggie O'Neill. "Social Inclusion, Responsibilization and the Politics of Prostitution Reform." British Journal of Criminology (2007): 764 – 778. Document.
Tarancon, Alicia. Thailand's Problem with Sexual Exploitation of Women in the 21 st Century. Master's Thesis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University, 2013. Document.
Weitzer, Ronald. Moral Crusade Against Prostitution. New York: Transaction Publishers, 2006. Document.
Works Cited
Likhati, Arun. Sex work through the Buddhist lens. 1 April 2009. Web. 12 August 2016.
McCrudden, Christopher. "Human Dignity and Judicial Interpretation of Human Rights." The European Journal of International Law (2008): 655 – 724. Document.
Ruhela, Shanya and Soham Banerjee. "Law and Morality: Cessation of Conflict or a New Era of Contradictions?" International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (2013): 32-37. Document.
Scoular, Jane and Maggie O'Neill. "Social Inclusion, Responsibilization and the Politics of Prostitution Reform." British Journal of Criminology (2007): 764 – 778. Document.
Tarancon, Alicia. Thailand's Problem with Sexual Exploitation of Women in the 21 st Century. Master's Thesis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University, 2013. Document.
The Vatican. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Rome: The Vatican, 1999.
Weitzer, Ronald. Moral Crusade Against Prostitution. New York: Transaction Publishers, 2006. Document.
