Because you're a young guy...

You haven't established that it is in any sense evil, just that some people get addicted (I'd like to see someone provide figures for this BTW).


Picking up other people's trash is also debasing and degrading but people do it, usually because they have no choice (economic circumstances). If one is not immoral then why is the other?


That is probably due to the fact that criminals have a state-provided monopoly in this area - not because paying for sex makes you go out and stab people, or anything like that.


Calling them whores contributes to the dehumanising that you complained about above.


I couldn't disagree more.


No it's not. Those three would also agree that masturbation, birth control, premarital sex, homosexuality etc. are wrong. Religions are sexually repressive - that is nothing new, or interesting.

I never claimed anything of the sort.

IamMe:  WOW!  Do we see things from the opposite perspective or what?

It never occurred to me that I would have to prove that porn is bad because the original question was, "Morally, What's worse..." However, if evil is too strong a word, I'm fine with terrible, bad, horrible or a synonym of your choice.  By the way, I've never heard of a good addiction. 

As far as picking up other people's trash is concerned, thats called a job.  I've done it.  Mopped floors, cleaned buildings, loaded trucks and cut grass for money, too.  Never felt like I was prostitutiong myself because it was honest work that I agreed to do.  My dignity was never at issue.  I worked hard and either got promoted or got a better job.  Its amazing how hard work and low pay can motivate you to find something better.

Crime rates are higher where prostitution is rampant.  If you don't believe me, Google it or simply go hang out with the prostitutes in your town.  Also, prostitutes tend to become drug addicts, some would argue to escape the pain of their lives.  Saying that the state provides a monoply because a crime is illegal is a perspective that i've never heard of before.  Interesting concept.

The term street whore is perjorative.  Point taken.

Your last two pointss show how opposite we look at things.  My moral compass is from the judeo/christian ethic.  It allows me to make a determination about right and wrong.  The same ethic also requires that I love my fellow man and not pass judgement on him.  Its kind of hard to judge someone else for being wrong when you look in the spiritual mirror and see your own shortcommings.

Please, don't get the idea that I'm being judgemental, I'm not.  For example, I do not see any excuse for whiskey to be legal and marijuana not to be.  Neither do I believe that Islam, Hinduism or Bhuddism are inherently evil. 

I gather that you do not like religion.  My point was that people who represent different religious backgrounds could all agree that both pornography and prostitution are wrong. 

So, a question for you:  Is either pornography or prostitution wrong? 

Show me a teenage boy who says he doesn't marturbate and I will show you one who is lying.  I don't think its morally repugnant to do so.  But, the issue is porn, not masturbation. 

Pre-martial sex is another issue.  Are we talking consenting adults?  They are responsible for their own actions.  If two consenting adults want to have ago, let them have at it.  Is it immoral?  Yes.  Will they stop just because I think they should?  No.  Those folks are just looking for something to make them happy, to fill a void in their lives with something.  Sex fo the sake of sex will not do that.  Let me tell you, the best sex you will ever have is with the person you are deeply in love with and have been with for many years.

However, again, we are talking about prostitution, not consentual, pre-marital sex. 

Thanks for this very useful link.

It's certainly easier to make big money on porn than on prostitution.

The second reason is that, most often, pimping whores is a crime but producing porn movie is not.

BigBear

Addiction is problem #1.
Problem #2 is modification of relational behavior.
This second is much less difficult to track and estimate. How does porn affects our society? We don't know but it certainly does given the impressive number of men and barely less impressive number of women who use it.

It would be interresting to compare these numbers with those of prostitution: How many men (women) paid for sex (regularly, occasionaly), is there an addiction, etc...
Viv., any link?

Prostitution is degradating for those who sell themselves but it can also be for those who use it, like porn. Sometimes it's for the man just a more sophisticated form of masturbation rather than a sexual intercourse. You have to know what these girls are offering as 'service' to understand what I mean.

For the rich guys, they can afford obviousely better services. There is a reason why whealthy men use whores rather than dating: time.
Dating suppose an incredible waste of time when the goal is basicaly sex. Every man would favor a  free, non venal, relationship, but not at the expense of hours everyday of uncertainties, waits or sterile entertainments. On top of that it does still cost money.

One paradox with prostitution is less degradating (for both the girl and the client) when there are more girls for less clients. That implies that more girls go into prostitution and/or that less men make use of it.

With Jerycoacoara, we have seen that posing in a porn movie can be heavier ofconsequence than making sex far from cameras.
Given the number of porn movies produced, we can safely say that the pron industry created another form of prostitution.

IMO, the widespread and increasing distribution of hardcore porn is worse than a prostitution ring with the nuance that some form of porn are better and some form of prostitution are worse.

I think men like erotism and that erotism is not a bad thing. Women like erotism too, but in a way which demands less nudity and acts by real models. But porn is not erotism, it's another phenomenon.
Porn is something sort of sick, even often void of erotism.
I'm against prohibiting pornography, but it should be much less accessible than it is right now.
The number of under 16 who faced unwanted porn is unacceptable.

Well, I'm certainly not going to say that I never do that, but I only mentioned masturbation and pre-marital sex coz Patton wrote   This implies that they are wrong, doesn't it?