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Is nature morally wrong?

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
Considering that prostitution was part of the sacred rites in various religions in history, I'll wager that the gods shaped nature after their liking.
 

Copernicus

Industrial Strength Linguist
When you consider all of the atrocities perpetrated by nature (and all atrocities really are nature's atrocities, when you think about it), this strikes me as among the least to get worked up over. All successful species inevitably expand their populations to the point where natural resources become scarce. Prostitution is one of those things that results when that happens. People (and other animals) have to find some way to survive their circumstances.
 
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danieldemol

Veteran Member
Premium Member
It depends on how you define morality.

Since my faith defines morality as humans exercising their free will to obey God, non-human aspects of nature are not moral or immoral by definition according to my understanding.
 

Breathe

Hostis humani generis
If you can apply morality to nature, then nature is blue and orange morality. Nature appears quite cold to our own morality.

BaconAndNecktieMoralityGraph_6986.png
 

Alex_G

Enlightner of the Senses
This would rely on the presumptions:
1. that prostitution is morally wrong
2. the moral framework you relate to is itself applicable to other species of animal

neither of which are sound.

Morality is a complex entity, highly integrated with the human condition and social life. The extent to which moral responsibilities extend to various other creatures would depend on their capacity to hold such responsibility, and also would rely on a moral vernacular appropriate to the world they inhabit. That is, much of what constitutes 'moral considerations' for us is tied up in the particulars of human life and behaviour, cultural influences, historic context and convention. It would seem that much of the things we take for granted re: morality would be completely arbitrary to agents who do not share such similarities, even if the held the capacity for an equivalent form of moral responsibility.

Prostitution in my eyes is not morally wrong on its own. The immorality often associated (to the point of confused origin) stems from abuse. The media spun image of the crack addicted prostitute beaten and abused by their pimp drug lord jumps to the front of people’s minds far too readily when the word 'prostitution' is heard.

Now I’m not saying that such tragic circumstances dont exist in our world, of course they do, but its tragedy and moral reprehensibility comes from the enslavement and abuse of human life both physically and mentally by such pimps and not from the simple act of prostitution. Because the fact of the matter is, there are free and empowered people who choose such lines of work for themselves, free from abuse and torment.

Their livelihood, if you think about it, varies in no substantial way from the general capitalistic nature of everything we do, whether we sell our looks as models do, our strength or athleticism or even our intellect, all these are arbitrary, and are the property and right of that individual who possesses them to exercise themselves as they see fit. It cannot be, inherently immoral.
Im reminded of a quote that i found amusing which addressed the victims of prostitution, the men paying! - Which has some truth if you think about it :p

My final point regarding this turns me towards religion, at least the Abrahamic ones especially the church. Because the obsessive and repressive attitude held by these institutions of power over history have fundamentally warped the core of western society regarding freedom, expression, sexuality and passion. Its role in muting and subduing a population through guilt and shame has been damaging beyond belief, forcing people to painfully deny their true authentic nature. Forced to fit the template cut-out set by these religions, coerced on the highest authority as they claim ownership over your eternal soul. Talk about abuse...
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
We'd need to interview some of the chimps involved and find out whether they had repented since hiring chimp hookers with a slab of gazelle.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Nature is morally oblivious. And prostitution is morally neutral, despite historical associations.
 

ruffen

Active Member
Morality is a purely human concept. We have developed ideas on what we should and should not do, and why. The rest of the universe doesn't care, including other animals on this planet.

Does that make our moral meaningless? Nope - it still matters to us and is important to us.
 

Gui10

Active Member
I think nature has no moral responsibility so to pose such a question is ridiculous. I wouldn't say Nature is ''nice'' or ''gentle'' but to qualify it on morality is frivolous.
 

ruffen

Active Member
I think nature has no moral responsibility so to pose such a question is ridiculous. I wouldn't say Nature is ''nice'' or ''gentle'' but to qualify it on morality is frivolous.

In the same way it is to define human morality in light of the cosmos or a God or anything greater than ourselves. Our morality is non-interesting to anyone or anything except to us.
 

philbo

High Priest of Cynicism
What do ya'll think?
Surely before one can answer your question, you'd have to agree that prostitution is "morally wrong"?

..but the wiki link does imply that prostitution (like homosexuality) is "natural" (i.e. that it appears not just in humanity, but in the rest of the animal kingdom, too)
 

nash8

Da man, when I walk thru!
I think nature has no moral responsibility so to pose such a question is ridiculous. I wouldn't say Nature is ''nice'' or ''gentle'' but to qualify it on morality is frivolous.

LOL, it depends on your definition of Morality? If you view something is inherently wrong would you not view it inherently wrong no matter the context? I wasn't qualifying it as anything, I was just asking a question. :D

Honestly, I was hoping for some more fundamental religious answers, but no dice. I guess they could smell the poison in the well. :D
 

nash8

Da man, when I walk thru!
In the same way it is to define human morality in light of the cosmos or a God or anything greater than ourselves. Our morality is non-interesting to anyone or anything except to us.

I would have to disagree with that, but I see were you're coming from.
 

nash8

Da man, when I walk thru!
Surely before one can answer your question, you'd have to agree that prostitution is "morally wrong"?

..but the wiki link does imply that prostitution (like homosexuality) is "natural" (i.e. that it appears not just in humanity, but in the rest of the animal kingdom, too)

That's the whole point, I wanted to see if people thought prostitution was "morally wrong". But then you throw in the animal part into, and lots of people don't like to see animals on the same level as humans, so I figured this would be an interesting discussion point.
 

Gui10

Active Member
In the same way it is to define human morality in light of the cosmos or a God or anything greater than ourselves. Our morality is non-interesting to anyone or anything except to us.

When we define human morality, we should do it in light of humans, not in light of the cosmos or a God or anything greater than ourslves.
 
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