On 3/3/07, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On Sat, 3 Mar 2007, Peleg Wasserman wrote: > The law was passed by 25 members of parliament, most of which come from > religious factions. These people do not represent the majority of the > people. No, they represent a fraction of the ruling coalition, which has passed hairier laws in the past, using the well-known quid pro quo arrangements with other coalition members from other parties. In this country the words 'don't worry only a few MKs voted for it' is a set of 'famous last words' because often such laws pass anyway due to the 'arrangements' between the coalition parties. Give me a stricter shabbat law and I'll give you some money for the kibbutzim, or vice versa. You know how it works.
And before it becomes law it will be discussed and passed or vetoed by more and more members of knesset. The law of averages applies even in the quid pro quo dealings of political parties. On the average the laws passed will be reasonable and will represent the will of the majority even if that means that those opposing a "stricter shabbat law" thought it was worth passing if they could get "money for kibbutzim". That is also part of the game.
Second, while I do not agree with the way they decide speed limits (and > I do enforce them every day), I see why a commission of experts can > decide on speed limits based on empirical evidence, on the other hand I > can see a lot of problems with a commission deciding on moral values, > and porn after all is a moral value. The views of a Rabbi are totally <snip> *whose* moral value is porn ? How do you define porn ? Pictures depicting nudity ? Pictures depicting more than one nude person ? Pictures depicting reproductive acts ? How do you know they are not simulating ? (in most cases porn artists are simulating).
Since the law is targeted at people under the age of eighteen, I assume the commission will ask the question: Would I choose to show that to a 17 year old? As parents we make these decisions all the time and again it comes back to my original question- who actually wants their children to be looking at pornography? If there aren't legal definitions already, they'll be made- I'm sure that they won't as "bad" as you suggest. You are right to assume that I would rather stricter rules but I'll be happy with any rules. (On a Comedic note, there is a great Bill Cosby routine about pornography- he says "I don't understand people who watch pornography- when I'm hungry, I don't go to a restaurant and watch people eat a steak") Purim Sameach -Yonah
