Robert, this is a good one. I had to think about it the better part of the day to conclude this thread may be approaching the solution from the wrong direction.
In a freely elected government, the government should be subservient to the people therefore the government has no right to make this decision. The decision is for the people to make so the question is do the people have the wisdom to make the right decision and why is it right.
An example of this is world war II germany. The people decided on a brutal form of government and while it was their right to do so, it was the wrong decision. On the other hand, when we founded our country we set down a constitution that was an example for many. We misused it when we passed prohibition allowing crime to expand greatly in our country. We also have a government (both parties are involved) who keep pushing beyond the intention of the constitution.
If the country is religious, the selection standard would be those of the religion. Even on a non-religious country there is something that passes for morals. Given this I think the best answer I can give is it depends on the country and the culture. What may be right for your country may not be right for mine. I know this is not the full solution, but it's possible someone else can run with this.

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It's coming - in Psychology Today a few years back a doctor presented an article to his peers where he felt that Incest should not be a crime if it happens with consent from the child.

I'm very curious to read an article that presents a pro-incest opinion based on a study that sets out to prove...

"These implied properties are (a) CSA causes harm, (b) this harm is pervasive in the
population of persons with a history of CSA, (c) this harm is likely to be intense, and (d) CSA is an equivalent
experience for boys and girls in terms of its widespread and intensely negative effects."

I wonder how you remember the source for this guy's conclusions but can't present the article.

As a cop, you would be very aware of what happens to people's memories over time. Things are imbellished, added after the fact and altered to fit their perceptions of events.

I don't think cops are immune to this phenomenon. No slight to you intended.

None of this matters because we all agree that there is great harm in the sexual abuse of children.
I am certain we'll have no one arguing that the state shouldn't involve itself in these cases.

The question of the state stepping in to force lifestyle changes on adults engaged in legal activities in their own homes is where I wanted this thread to procceed.
(but these things take on a life of their own)

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Seems the Government does want in the bedroom....

Crime, Punishment and the Ridiculous

Places where oral sex is illegal: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and Washington D.C.

An erection that shows through a man's clothing is illegal in: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin.

In Georgia those charged and convicted for either oral or anal sex can be sentenced to no less than one year and no more than 20 years imprisonment.

In Missouri sexually deviant behavior between people of the same sex is classified as a class A misdemeanor.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania it is against the law to have sex with a truck driver in a tollbooth. (There's every woman's fantasy gone down the drain).

In Nevada it is illegal to have sex without a condom.

In Willowdale, Oregon it is against the law for a husband to talk to dirty in his wife's ear during sex.

In Clinton, Oklahoma it is illegal to masturbate while watching two people have sex in a car.

In Washington State there is a law against having sex with a virgin under any circumstances (including the wedding night!).

In Newcastle, Wyoming it is illegal to have sex in a butcher shop's meat freezer.

In Washington D.C. there is a law against having sex in any position other than face to face.

Animals are not exempt from the law either and here are three of the most ridiculous:

In Kingsville, Texas there is a law against two pigs having sex on Kingsville airport property.

In Fairbanks, Alaska it is illegal for mooses to have sex on the city sidewalks.

Lastly, even liberated California proves to be not quite so liberal for the animals...In Ventura County cats and dogs may not have sex without a permit.

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Official Abuser of Boinc Buttons...
And no good credit hound!

While I fully believe in the responsibility of the state to step in and regulate matters of national economic importance, does this responsibility include stepping into the personal lifestyle choices made by citizens?

...

The question is simple: Does the state have the right, or the responsibility to intervene at the level of personal choice where no harm is being done to anyone else?

No and No!

But, if people sit on their backsides and allow the special interest groups to push their flavor-of-the-month agenda, you COULD wake up one day and find that Alcohol, Tobacco, Salt, Sugar and Red Meat are banned, period.

The government does listen to what people are asking for and those that scream the loudest DO get the attention and eventually the support of the vote-seeking minions in Ottawa - even if they are a small minority.

Maybe the government steps into the personal lifestyle choices made by citizens because we ask for it. The Politically Correct movement is one example that suggests that this may be so.

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS Robert. Out here in Thunder Bay, we can still use the 'C' word (for now). :-)

Merry Christmas to you too Niko.
No worries. In spite of what Bill O'Rielly tells you, the left isn't trying to destroy Christmas.

We're fortunate in Canada that our political system isn't driven as much by the corporate contributions as the American system.
The majority of funding for our elections comes from the taxpayer and not special interest industrial lobbies.

Although, I did see on the news two nights ago that the federal Environment Minister had 120 visits to his office last year from industry representatives and lobbyists while there were only 12 meetings with environmental groups.

Something is rotten, and it isn't in Denmark.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.