Page 5027 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 27 November 1991
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Such legislation will institutionalise an area of social conduct that will bring with it increasing bureaucratic involvement and interference. The registration of prostitutes, restricted licensed premises and other controls will infringe on privacy and increase corruption.
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Legislating for prostitution will appear to many in this community that because it is legal it is right. We find this unacceptable.
I join with Patrick Power and the Catholic Church, whether here or elsewhere, in that.
Bishop Dowling wants it to be known that his views in writing to me are his personal views. He said that the Anglican Church, as a church, does not have a formal position on this matter. I understand that. He has certainly taken great trouble in sending Bishop George's statement to me. No doubt, he would send it to anyone else who asked him for it. Bishop George makes a reference to the strongest statement about prostitution in the New Testament:
The strongest statement occurs in 1 Corinthians 6, where St Paul declares that "he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her". By inference then that person has excluded himself from membership in the Body of Christ, the community of Christian believers.
It is upon this basis that the Christian Church (in all its manifestations) has not looked favourably upon the institution of prostitution from the outset.
Bishop George also recognises the reality of the problems of health related to prostitution and the reality of the problem of church vis-a-vis state. It is a very intelligent and perceptive comment. I thank both bishops.
But it seems to me that one should not rely on ecclesiastical authorities; one has to make one's own judgment. Certainly, within the Society of Friends I have no recourse but to act on my own judgment, not on the society itself, which does not lay down dogmas. Would you bear with me while I make it clear where I must personally stand on this issue? I hope that I do not sound as though I am speaking out of some sort of self-righteousness.
In the Gospel According to St John, in chapter 8, there is the story of the woman caught in adultery. It is a long and famous story. In the story this woman, who has had a whole series of men, you will recall, has been condemned to death by stoning. That is how seriously the community of
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