See http://www.nationalreview.com/...malizing-pedophilia#
and http://m.guardian.co.uk/societ...g-dark-desires-light

quote:

The reclassification of paedophilia as a sexual orientation would, however, play into what Goode calls "the sexual liberation discourse", which has existed since the 1970s. "There are a lot of people," she says, "who say: we outlawed homosexuality, and we were wrong. Perhaps we're wrong about paedophilia."

Social perceptions do change. Child brides were once the norm; in the late 16th century the age of consent in England was 10. More recently, campaigning organisations of the 70s and 80s such as the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) and Paedophile Action for Liberation were active members of the NCCL when it made its parliamentary submission questioning the lasting damage caused by consensual paedophilic relations.

". . . consensual paedophilic relations . . . " Did the author really mean that?

quote:

"It is the quality of the relationship that matters," O'Carroll insists. "If there's no bullying, no coercion, no abuse of power, if the child enters into the relationship voluntarily … the evidence shows there need be no harm."

Yep, I guess so.

But in our increasingly postmodern world, where truth and morality are considered to be mostly subjective judgments, then who's to say that pedophilia is wrong -- especially if the kiddies like it?!

Now this stuff doesn't have much traction yet, but who knows how it will go? No one in the 60s would have ever thought that homosexuality (then considered a psychopathology) would be mainstream in just four decades with Christian pastors blessing homosexual unions.

INANITY is the NEW SANITY!

Out with the OLD, in with the NEW!

PROGRESSIVES AHOY! TIME TO LEAVE THE DOCKS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. LET THERE BE LICENSE WITH NO LICENSE REQUIRED. THE SPIRIT IS A SPIRIT OF FREEDOM. SCREAM IT OUT LIKE THE BRAVEHEART!

Meantime: Double double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble!

quote:

Originally posted by Phil:
...

quote:

"It is the quality of the relationship that matters," O'Carroll insists. "If there's no bullying, no coercion, no abuse of power , if the child enters into the relationship voluntarily … the evidence shows there need be no harm."

...

Of course there's an ABUSE OF POWER! Children are not developmentally ready to understand the meaning of sexuality. They are not equipped cognitively or emotionally to understand and integrate sexual experiences. I've worked with dozens of adults and adolescents who were sexually abused as children. I've never seen anybody who was not damaged by those sexual experiences, even when it was 'consensual.' And by 'consensual' pedophiles mean they 'groom' their victims with gradual touching, giving them toys, candy bars, and praise. Eventually, the child is used to suit the pedophile's sexual agenda while he / she has no regard for the damage this does to the child's sense of goodness and value.

I worked with a woman who was raised in the 'Christian' sex-cult (called "The Family" or "The Children of God"). And she describes pedophilia was treated as if it was normal. Children were treated as sexual objects for the cult leaders, even put on "share lists" for other cult members. The babies that were born from girls were called "Jesus babies" because they scorned traditional family structure with an identified biological father. She was taught it was selfish to withhold her body from others in the cult. The older women would go out "flirty fishing" to support the cult while the children stayed home to sexually service the men. Open incest was permitted in this cult.

There's an infamous story about one victim of this cult, Ricky Rodriguez, who killed the cult nanny who had sex with him as a little boy. This abuse is offered as a reason for his murderous revenge in a video he produced of himself just two days before he killed her and then himself.

The video is his suicide note. In the first few mintutes, he says of the abuse: "How can you do that to kids!!" referring to his mother and others having sex with him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wPjpx-9goA

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Shasha,

quote:

Of course there's an ABUSE OF POWER! Children are not developmentally ready to understand the meaning of sexuality. They are not equipped cognitively or emotionally to understand and integrate sexual experiences.

Amen to that, Shasha! Seems obvious enough.

Fwiw, I think it's disingenuous to draw a parallel between pedophilia and homosexuality. Homosexuals have succeeded in obtaining equal rights in the workplace in other areas like marriage because the focus there has been on adults consenting to be in relationship with each other, often with deep commitments. Numerous "cans of worms" and "slippery slopes" come with this development, but I don't think pedophilia is one of them. My hunch is that even the most radical gay rights advocates would condemn pedophilic relationships as inherently irresponsible for the very points you make.