[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Jack_

If paedophilia isn't a sexual orientation, then what is it? Are people seriously suggesting some choose to live a life of guilt, repression and self-hatred?

Just because they didn't choose it doesn't make it natural or normal nor does it suddenly become a sexual orientation.

It belongs under mental illness IMO. The same as any sicko who has impulses for other vile acts in this world.

[Z]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Not like you to be so unvaguely vague Z.

Where did anyone draw a comparison between peadophilia and homosexuality?...Not anyone I can see in this thread, my earlier point referenced consensual sex, which homosexual sex is so not in any way shape or form comparable.

I'm not being vague. There are plenty of people with extreme points of view (none of those points of view have been expressed in this thread, I didn't say that) who lump all "deviants from the norm" together. I wasn't referring to you, I was speaking generally.

Originally Posted by Josy

Samuel I couldn't care less if you think any of my comments are pathetic, I personally find some of the views in this thread to be sickening not to mention completely offensive to victims of these people.

'Oh lets all respect the brave paedophiles that don't act upon their feelings, those poor people eh we need to understand them better.. I personally think that's a crock of ****.

As someone that has witnessed the complete devastation that this can cause in a childs life it actually baffles me how anyone can seriously attempt to justify the urges and actions of paedophiles by claiming that it's normal, it's not normal and there is no place for it in our society so theres no need for us to be accepting or understanding of it in any way IMO.

And I am genuinely interested to know how much people that sympathise with paedophiles that have resisted their urges would be happy enough to live next door to them with their young kids?

I don't sympathise with paedophiles and I wouldn't be happy having one next door; but I'd rather live in a world where someone with paedophilic feelings feels safe enough to seek help/counselling for their feelings and learn to control them rather than live a life of manic depression until they either 1) commit a crime that ruins many lives and/or 2) commits suicide as a result of offending or not being able to live with themselves. Let me flip that question round on you; would you be happy enough knowing that your total lack of tolerance for someone's mental issues caused them to kill themselves because they couldn't seek help for fear of being ostracised by the community?

I want to be really clear here: I do not support paedophiles in any way, I doubt anyone here does. It's not a question of support, it's a question of acceptance of the fact they exist and there are probably a great many more paedophiles who live in torment, never acting on it, than those we know about because they have.

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Just because they didn't choose it doesn't make it natural or normal nor does it suddenly become a sexual orientation.

It belongs under mental illness IMO. The same as any sicko who has impulses for other vile acts in this world.

If you don't choose something so intrinsic about yourself, it is natural. There is a distinction to be made between "normal" and "natural" that isn't being made clear enough and I think the word "natural" on its own implies something very offensive that obviously a great deal of people are picking up on in this thread. Naturally occuring would be the term. I didn't choose to be gay and luckily enough I'm living in a world that's starting to change and allow me to be open about that part of myself if I want to be. Paedophilia is a disorder perhaps, or perhaps future generations will come to see it as an orientation which needs to be counselled and brought under control, and perhaps one day they'll figure out why people feel that way and perhaps even cure them one day, in the way that people try to "cure" homosexuality unsuccessfully in this day and age. I don't think paedophilia itself is the mental illness, I think the stigma surrounding paedophilia is what causes mental illness because it makes people who experience those feelings feel a great deal of guilt, shame and may lead to depression and leave them unable to function in society.

I think this is an interesting debate though. It's an extremely emotive one and I think it can only really be discussed hypothetically by people who don't have kids and haven't seen the devastating impacts of child abuse first hand, because anyone who has will of course (rightfully) not have any tolerance for hearing anything to the contrary. I don't necessarily disagree with anyone in this thread, I just think this topic is one that ought to be discussed more widely and it would benefit society as a whole if we could better understand what causes paedophilia and how to help potential offenders not offend.