the basis of the law is to protect us from harm at the hands of others. thats the social contract- you don't hurt those around you, and you get to enjoy the freedoms and liberties of society.

well, in our society, i feel there are things that are morally wrong that are legal, because if you choose to do them, you will not hurt others. you might harm yourself physically or psychologically, but that is up to your discretion.

the problem with legislating by morality is, who decides what is moral? what if the ruling powers in the government end up coming from a third party that feels that child pornography is morally acceptable, regardless of the harm it does to children. what if it is decided that it is morally wrong to publicly oppose the government, and anyone involved in a protest is thrown into jail for years? what if the government decides it is morally wrong to not wipe three times after a bowel movement? i mean, if the moral compass is the only thing used to determine what is "legally permissible", then we're all screwed.