For discussion: If you were a pedophile

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Ok. I think that's a fair view. Though, I think there is often a huge difference between men who have sexual fantasies around rape and those who actually want to rape (lots of people enjoy fantasies of control and dominance, up to and including rape, both in terms of being in control and in terms of being controlled).

Fair again. But the issues of fantasy and control between consenting adults is a far different issue of those between a consenting adult and a child, don't you think? At what age do the children have the ability to discriminate between appropriate feelings of sexual desire for others and the pressure that a supposed superior adult figure has in their sphere of influence and understanding, including their current level of psychological development. (Given that children mature at different rates).

So, do you think those people, who have this unchosen desire, but have never actually hurt anyone, should be treated with cruelty and disdain?

You assume that treatment is cruel and filled with disdain. For adults it depends. For children and those whom have sexual feelings for them, yes I have no problem treating them with disdain. I do not believe that you can mix the sexual feelings of adults with those adults have for children and call them equal and equipotent.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Fair again. But the issues of fantasy and control between consenting adults is a far different issue of those between a consenting adult and a child, don't you think? At what age do the children have the ability to discriminate between appropriate feelings of sexual desire for others and the pressure that a supposed superior adult figure has in their sphere of influence and understanding, including their current level of psychological development. (Given that children mature at different rates).

That's why I put that in parenthesis, to mark it out as a separate point relating to your point about men who fantasize about rape. I do not see it as in anyway the same. I have already stated very clearly earlier in the discussion that I do not believe children are competant to make such decisions.

You assume that treatment is cruel and filled with disdain.

Actually no, I don't. I do however think you have treated sean with cruelty and disdain.

For children and those whom have sexual feelings for them, yes I have no problem treating them with disdain.

This I have difficulty with. Having feelings is not something we choose. It's not a decision made. One can decide not to act upon those feelings. One can decide to act upon them. One can decide to spend one's life in celibacy and one can decide to pray to God every day to free yourself from such desire and temptations. But we really don't get to choose what turns us on. We can hate it in ourselves and do everything we can to try and block it out. But we cannot choose what instinctively provokes desire in us.

Disdain for anyone's unchosen psychosexual make-up just makes no sense to me.