Well, some of them are, obviously. But that's a choice. Pedophilia is a condition.
And it's a pretty horrible condition. We say that abstinence-only sex education is a mistake, because people just don't work that way. We say that requiring priests to be celibate causes more problems than it solves, because people just don't work that way.
But pedophiles? Pedophiles are screwed. They are never going to experience a fundamental aspect of the human condition in a normal, healthy way. And unlike sadists, masochists, and other fetishists, pedophiles will never be able to indulge their kink, or satisfy some of their sexual urges in a safe and healthy way.
Celibacy works for some people. Some people choose it, or accept it. But for pedophiles it's not a choice. They have sexual urges they are never allowed to satisfy. And that's pretty horrible.
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For this reason, I think it is very important that we be clear in our language, and clear about what we are and are not condemning. A person suffering from the condition of pedophilia, and struggling with the voluntary celibacy that is their only legitimate option, is not helped by being condemned as a child molester. They do not benefit from being hated and shunned. Society does not benefit by hating and shunning them.
There's no good to be found, in lumping together pedophiles, child molesters, and statutory rapists in our speech. There's no advantage to letting them all in in for the same condemnation.
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Especially on a forum like this one. But being accurate about pedophilia isn't just about being techinically correct. It's also about being morally right. Therefore I support the practice of calling out imprecision on this topic wherever it comes up.
Pedophiles are not child molesters. Well, some of them are, but you know what I mean. Go forth, and sin no more.
And it's a pretty horrible condition. We say that abstinence-only sex education is a mistake, because people just don't work that way. We say that requiring priests to be celibate causes more problems than it solves, because people just don't work that way.
But pedophiles? Pedophiles are screwed. They are never going to experience a fundamental aspect of the human condition in a normal, healthy way. And unlike sadists, masochists, and other fetishists, pedophiles will never be able to indulge their kink, or satisfy some of their sexual urges in a safe and healthy way.
Celibacy works for some people. Some people choose it, or accept it. But for pedophiles it's not a choice. They have sexual urges they are never allowed to satisfy. And that's pretty horrible.
---
For this reason, I think it is very important that we be clear in our language, and clear about what we are and are not condemning. A person suffering from the condition of pedophilia, and struggling with the voluntary celibacy that is their only legitimate option, is not helped by being condemned as a child molester. They do not benefit from being hated and shunned. Society does not benefit by hating and shunning them.
There's no good to be found, in lumping together pedophiles, child molesters, and statutory rapists in our speech. There's no advantage to letting them all in in for the same condemnation.
---
Especially on a forum like this one. But being accurate about pedophilia isn't just about being techinically correct. It's also about being morally right. Therefore I support the practice of calling out imprecision on this topic wherever it comes up.
Pedophiles are not child molesters. Well, some of them are, but you know what I mean. Go forth, and sin no more.
via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/33rvrZY
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