Okay so recently a female model in Malaysia was sentenced to be caned by the government for drinking a beer in a public place. While this is an extreme circumstance and would never be permitted in the United States, let's look at the fundamental principles of this event.
When it's all boiled down, one powerful group of Malaysians is in control of the government, and therefore can impose their views on all of society. This single group could argue the consumption of alcohol is harmful to the body and is a burden on society, and then use this as justification for making consumption of alcohol illegal. However, the rest of society is fully aware of the risks involved with consumption and is willing to be responsible with the amount of which they consume. Instead of making this a criminal offense and condemning those who engage in such acts, which just like teenagers often promotes the behavior, why not educate society and allow them to be informed of your personal beliefs in an attempt to restructure society.
Likewise, Catholics, I being one, tend to have the mentality they need to impose their views on all of society because they are simply wrong and barbaric (abortion being the prime example). Catholics believe life is created at the moment of conception, while scientists have proved it does not begin until the birth process is complete. Because of this Catholic belief, the Pro-Life movement strives to make abortion at any point during the pregnancy illegal. But isn't this a , just like that of the Malaysian government? So, instead of trying to LEGISLATE MORALITY, why not go to the root of the issue and prevent abortion through education and programs to instill family values?
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Alix, you bring up an interesting issue, but I think that there is something that you are failing to look at. All government, no matter how big or small, is based off of personal beliefs. The fact that killing is wrong is, technically, a personal belief. I am sure that there are people who believe that killing is not morally wrong. So in that regard, morality must be legislated. However, I think that amount of people that share the same view on morality should have an impact on whether it is legislated or not. Take abortion for example. It is an issue that is probably split equally when it comes to opinions on the issue. This can't be legislated, because it is not viewed as immoral by an overwhelming majority. going back to my previous example, killing, some actions are viewed as immoral by so many that the number or people that don't share that view shouldn't have an effect. So when looking at legislating morality, one must look at how common a certain view on the issue is.
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