Psychologist: Paedophilia a 'sexual orientation - like being straight or gay'

[JTScribe]

Paedophilia a 'sexual orientation - like being straight or gay' | News | The Independent

I got nothin' that's appropriate for polite company.

 

[Spear Dane]

I'm not religious but lately I've come to understand why a creator would get pissed and decide to hurl a couple of large comets at us.

 

[Leadeye]

I don't see how these compare, one involves adults, the other minors.

 

[cosermann]

In the absence of moral absolutes, the philosophical camel's nose is under the tent.

 

[Leo]

That is where people predicted it would all go. Makes me sad for the future on my grandchildren.

 

[HoughMade]

I don't see how these compare, one involves adults, the other minors.

That's a valid legal differentiation, but if one can be born with an orientation from the norm in one way, why not in another?

I don't know that anyone is currently suggesting legality.

I predict that eventually the age of consent will be lowered from the 17-18 range (on average) to 12-14, and it will be based upon the violation of the rights of the minor.

"If it feels right, it must be right for you" is a philosophy that will be tested by this and, likely, other aberrant behavior.

 

[steveh_131]

If you read the article, he didn't actually excuse or endorse the molestation of children. He was simply pointing out that once a person has those desires (whether by nature or nurture), that is sometimes just the way they are. They can't change those desires any more than a straight man could begin to desire gay men.

In my mind, the only real help for these people is a relationship with Jesus.

But from a secular standpoint, his tactic of teaching them not to act on those impulses seems like the next best option.

 

[BogWalker]

I agree that once those desires are there it wouldn't be easy to get rid of them, and finding a way to suppress or re-route those desires may be the best option in many cases.

I disagree in saying that it is a sexual orientation like hetero or homosexuality. It is a paraphilia.

 

[HoughMade]

...I disagree in saying that it is a sexual orientation like hetero or homosexuality. It is a paraphilia.

Scientifically speaking, what's the difference?

 

[Kutnupe14]

I'm not religious but lately I've come to understand why a creator would get pissed and decide to hurl a couple of large comets at us.

Lol, I was reading this today...

Space probe finds 72 new objects near Earth - CNN.com

 

[BogWalker]

Scientifically speaking, what's the difference?

There isn't a hard line that I know of. Anything particularly unusual, especially if it causes harm to yourself or others, is a paraphilia.

I've always tied orientation toward desire for a specific gender.

If pedophilia were accepted as normal it would be a fetish rather than an orientation. Saying it's an orientation would be like saying sexual attraction to horses is an orientation.

 

[miguel]

Where is ISIS when you need them?

 

[HoughMade]

There isn't a hard line that I know of. Anything particularly unusual, especially if it causes harm to yourself or others, is a paraphilia.

I've always tied orientation toward desire for a specific gender.

If pedophilia were accepted as normal it would be a fetish rather than an orientation. Saying it's an orientation would be like saying sexual attraction to horses is an orientation.

If pedophilia were determined, in some way, to be an orientation (genetic or otherwise), it would not necessarily change anything morally...

...unless one's moral arguments were built on the premise that if I was "born this way", it must be morally right to fulfill the desires that go with that orientation.

If morality (and following on that, legality) is determined based upon the idea that "what feels right for me is right", then we have a problem.

 

[amboy49]

In the absence of moral absolutes, the philosophical camel's nose is under the tent.

Huh ? I understand the camel/nose/tent theory, but I get lost with the "moral absolute" analogy - abscence or not !

Are you suggesting we may someday have a concensus re: moral absolutes (?) - or is your position that we do not now nor will we ever have a moral absolute. I contend since the definition of a moral absolute is not finite nor agreed upon we'll never keep the camel from making a completely entry into the circus !

 

[Expat]

These arguments sound like artificial constructs made up to relegate a group to the shadows. We must accept everyone for who they are, even celebrate those differences.

 

[Leadeye]

With children there is a different dynamic in a relationship than there is between adults. It's this dominant/mentor aspect of the relationship with children that the pedophiles exploit and may partially explain the behavior.

 

[Spear Dane]

Lol, I was reading this today...

Space probe finds 72 new objects near Earth - CNN.com

OMG My favorite hot nerd, Amy Mainzer.

 

[Spear Dane]

Huh ? I understand the camel/nose/tent theory, but I get lost with the "moral absolute" analogy - abscence or not !

Are you suggesting we may someday have a concensus re: moral absolutes (?) - or is your position that we do not now nor will we ever have a moral absolute. I contend since the definition of a moral absolute is not finite nor agreed upon we'll never keep the camel from making a completely entry into the circus !

Tis no such thing as a moral absolute and anyone trying to tell you otherwise is blowing smoke up your rear.

 

[OakRiver]

I'm sorry but this is just another article seeking to normalize an abnormal sexual fixation with children by comparing it to normal sexual behaviour. To quote one of the comments below the article "Pedophilia is just a sexual preference like cannibalism is just a dietary preference."

 

[Denny347]

Hmmm, so a single anonymous "doctor" proclaims it?