2015-03-14, 07:51 PM
There is of course a fundamental difference between being attracted to children and acting upon it. While we might debate the appropriate age of consent, the idea of a grown adult of either sex having intercourse with a prepubescent child who is quite definitely unable to give conscionable consent is justifiably repulsive. It's condemned by every modern society as far as I'm aware. There are some very real physiological reasons not to have sex at that age. I won't even talk about the psychological ones.
I think that pedophilia is certainly some sort of psychological disorder and should be researched as such, but that doesn't mean individuals who exhibit these thoughts get to abdicate responsibility if they act on it. The reality is that our understanding of psychology is poor at best. I'd throw (active) pedophiles in the same group as people going postal. They're certainly mentally disturbed, but without some full proof method of medical rehabilitation they need to face the full force of the law.
As far as future controversial issues, I predict that group marriages will be an issue in the next 15-30yrs (if it even takes that long). No doubt all of us will be railing about how marriage in our day was between two adults.
I think that pedophilia is certainly some sort of psychological disorder and should be researched as such, but that doesn't mean individuals who exhibit these thoughts get to abdicate responsibility if they act on it. The reality is that our understanding of psychology is poor at best. I'd throw (active) pedophiles in the same group as people going postal. They're certainly mentally disturbed, but without some full proof method of medical rehabilitation they need to face the full force of the law.
As far as future controversial issues, I predict that group marriages will be an issue in the next 15-30yrs (if it even takes that long). No doubt all of us will be railing about how marriage in our day was between two adults.