Stupid Things You Hear All the Time #573

"You can't legislate morality."

Why this is stupid:
-Legislation (making laws), by definition, implies a belief that some things are good to do and some things are bad to do (morality).

-What we are supposed to do, legislate IM-morality?

-SOMEONE'S view of right and wrong WILL ALWAYS BE made into law. If you don't like someone's view of right and wrong, then be honest and say so.

-No you definitely can't force someone to behave morally (however that is being defined) simply by making laws. That's why laws are meaningless without enforcement.

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What's really at the bottom of this particular stupid thing: What folks who say this are really thinking is that they do not like some aspect of what they think of as conservative Christian morality (which is often the only thing that is called "morality" in Western Culture). In other words, they do not want the power of government to be put behind a moral system they do want to obey. But you may be certain that such people definitely want government to enforce their own views of right and wrong. And yes, the ironly is that their view of "tolerance" is a standard they want enforced.