# Are Are any "Western" or Christian countries more conservative than the USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 9, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073 "2002-08-09T02:22:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073/81 "2013-02-18T16:10:50Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > That’s true of so many country pairs. Britain has a hereditary nobility, and an established church with reserved seats in the upper house of the legislature. Sounds pretty conservative, but they also have a more socialized medical system than most countries in Europe, let alone the US. If you mean the UK has an out-moded second chamber and a hugely efficient health care system then I’d agree. But like so many of the example offered above, these are all conditional on history, rates of change and political/social will. Few countries would choose to be where they are right now, it’s always a game of catch up. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073/82 "2013-02-18T16:32:47Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > That’s true of so many country pairs. Britain has a hereditary nobility, and an established church with reserved seats in the upper house of the legislature. Sounds pretty conservative, but they also have a more socialized medical system than most countries in Europe, let alone the US. An hereditary nobility without power and a religion no one does more than pay lip service to. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073/83 "2013-02-18T16:34:23Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Selling sex is not illegal in Canada, but there are so many other restrictions that it is effectively so: you can’t solicit to buy or sell sex in public, you can’t live off the avails, you can’t do it in a house or a car or other public place, etc. In fact, the actual _effective_ status is that prostitution is legal as long as you don’t set it up or do it on the street. Escort services in Canada are completely unhindered in their activities. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073/84 "2013-02-19T07:45:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Selling sex is not illegal in Canada, but there are so many other restrictions that it is effectively so: you can’t solicit to buy or sell sex in public, you can’t live off the avails, you can’t do it in a house or a car or other public place, etc. You can do it in someone else’s house, i.e. on an outcall basis. There are licensed escort agencies in some localities and it isn’t illegal \*per se \*for sex to be one of the services provided. (The “bawdy house” law has of course been struck down by the Ontario Appeals Court but implementation is suspended pending appeal to the federal Supreme Court.) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073/85 "2013-02-19T08:31:41Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Video games - Australia, Germany, and other countries censor to a great degree more than the US would dream of. Things like turning blood green/white or removing it completely, and of course WWII games in Germany feature the dreaded “red flag with a white circle.” I have heard of people in Australia importing their games, I think from NZ. The law in Australia (both at Federal and as of last week, all State levels) now allows for R18+ computer games, which will hopefully put an end to the silliness the rating’s absence caused. ---
**Author:** ![midnight-dreary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@midnight-dreary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midnight-dreary)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073/86 "2013-02-19T08:43:50Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Video games - Australia, Germany, and other countries censor to a great degree more than the US would dream of. Things like turning blood green/white or removing it completely, and of course WWII games in Germany feature the dreaded “red flag with a white circle.” I have heard of people in Australia importing their games, I think from NZ. While up until recently, R rated games have been banned, but the whole removing blood thing is crap. In my red dead redemption game, the screen gets covered in blood and there is blood puddles… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-are-any-western-or-christian-countries-more-conservative-than-the-usa/123073.md?page=4)