Opposition to Legalisation of Prostitution

Executive Summary

What's Happening

A pending high court application aims to decriminalise prostitution in South Africa, challenging longstanding legal precedent and moral foundations. This move would overturn the Constitutional Court's 2002 confirmation that prohibiting prostitution aligns with constitutional principles, as well as disregard a 2017 state commission's recommendation to maintain criminal sanctions against prostitution.

Why It Matters

Prostitution remains illegal in South Africa following a 2002 Constitutional Court ruling and a 2017 state commission recommendation. However, a new court application seeks to overturn this prohibition, threatening to legitimise an industry that fundamentally contradicts biblical principles and human dignity. This case represents a critical moment for defending biblical morality and protecting vulnerable people from exploitation.

What's at Stake

Success here would establish precedent for overturning biblical moral standards in law. The normalisation of prostitution represents a fundamental shift away from recognising human dignity and toward accepting the commodification of sexuality. This threatens the moral foundation of society and opens the door to further erosion of biblical values in legislation and public policy.

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Issue Context

Our Faith Position

Our commitment to biblical truth guides our stance on this issue. We believe Scripture provides clear direction for how Christians should respond to matters of faith, freedom, and governance.

Key Scripture References

Biblical foundations that inform our position

"Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness."

Leviticus 19:29

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

"You shall not commit adultery."

Exodus 20:14

Additional references

Theological Foundation

Understanding the biblical principles behind our stance

Core Biblical Principles

Human Dignity: Every person is created in God's image and deserves respect, not to be reduced to a commodity for commercial transaction
Sexual Purity: God designed sexuality as a sacred gift for the covenant relationship of marriage between one man and one woman
Protection of the Vulnerable: Christians must protect those at risk of exploitation and oppose practices that degrade human dignity

Scripture unambiguously teaches that human sexuality is a sacred gift from God, designed for the covenant relationship of marriage. Prostitution violates this divine design by commodifying what God intended to be holy, reducing people created in His image to mere objects for commercial transaction. The Bible warns that such practices degrade individuals and corrupt society. As Christians, we cannot support the legalisation of conduct that fundamentally contradicts God's design for human sexuality and dignity, regardless of legal or social pressures to compromise biblical truth.

Historical Precedent

Throughout history, faithful Christians have consistently opposed the normalization of sexual immorality, even when it was legally permitted or culturally accepted. In ancient Rome, where prostitution and sexual exploitation were widespread and often state-sanctioned, the early church maintained strict biblical standards of sexual purity, teaching that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. During the Victorian era, Christians like Josephine Butler led campaigns against the legal regulation of prostitution, recognizing that state sanction does not make immoral practices acceptable. In modern times, Christians have consistently opposed the legalization of practices that commodify human sexuality, understanding that legal permission does not equate to moral approval. Our stand against the legalization of prostitution follows this long tradition of maintaining biblical sexual ethics regardless of legal or cultural pressure.

Case Against This Proposal

A summary of our objections, suggested actions, and a constructive alternative approach.

Key Arguments

Prostitution fundamentally degrades human dignity and commodifies the human body
Biblical teaching clearly prohibits sexual activity outside marriage covenant
International evidence shows legalisation increases violence and trafficking
Legalisation enriches criminal organisations rather than protecting vulnerable people
Claims of 'voluntary choice' ignore coercion through intimidation, violence, and drugs
South African police are already overstretched and cannot effectively regulate such industry

Recommended Actions

Pray for wisdom for courts and opposing parties
Write letters to newspapers expressing moral opposition
Submit petitions to authorities defending prohibition
Use social media to voice support for maintaining criminal sanctions
Support organisations defending traditional moral values

Issue Updates

Stay informed with the latest developments on this issue.

19 January 2026

Government Planning for Legalisation

We fully support Cause For Justice, the institution opposing the court application to legalise prostitution. The more we study this issue, the more we realise the devastating effect the legalisation of prostitution will have on the wellbeing of our society. The exploitation of vulnerable women and children will be especially harsh, and the destruction caused to the morals and general wellbeing of our society will be incalculable.

Again, the threat is imminent. In October 2025 the Department of Justice held a two-day workshop for other state departments to assist in planning for the legalisation of prostitution. Unthinkable, but true! For the state, it seems the decision has been made, but for believers we need to fight this abomination in every way we can.

Please sign our petition now, so that we can publish it as part of our support for Cause For Justice!

10 January 2026

Court Date Set for February 2026

The High Court has scheduled the hearing for the prostitution decriminalisation application for February 2026. This represents a critical moment for the case as both sides prepare their final arguments.

Cause For Justice, now an official opposing party, has submitted comprehensive legal arguments highlighting the Constitutional Court's 2002 ruling and the 2017 state commission's recommendations against decriminalisation.

20 November 2025

International Evidence Presented

New research from European countries where prostitution has been legalised has been submitted to the court, showing significant increases in human trafficking and organised crime involvement following legalisation.

The evidence demonstrates that legal prostitution markets tend to expand rather than regulate, with illegal trafficking growing alongside legal operations. This data supports the opposition's argument that criminalisation protects vulnerable people more effectively than regulation.

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