Is America too damn religious?

James R said:
superluminal:

Can you please clarify which "children" you believe it is ok to have "sexual contact" with an "appropriate adult"?

In your opinion, would it be permissible for a 40 year old man to convince, say, a 13 year old girl to have sex with him? Let's assume she is post-pubescent and he finds her sexually attractive.

If sex with the 13 year old would not be appropriate, in your opinion, please explain where and how you would seek to draw an appropriate line.
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First, let's set up the situational dynamics and assumptions. If there is no risk of disease, and no risk of unwanted pregnancy, and all other factors being irrelevant:

I generally find nothing inherently objectionable regarding people of almost any age (post pubescent at least), regardless of the difference, having consensual sexual relations. Under the circumstances I outlined, if both parties want to "try" it, what harm is there?

I'll answer my own question here with potential problems. Sex is different than say, playing checkers. It involves an intimacy and an emotional factor that most of us cannot deny. This is a problem for young people who might become emotionally bound to an adult who only wanted a physical thrill. I see this at the major reason not to have sex with younger people. However, this is potentially a problem with almost all couples.

The fact that young people are far less experienced in the emotional trials of such a thing is the main reason I would not advocate such a thing.

So, the reality of course is different than I outlined. I stated before that I think a reasonable line is the autonomy of the individual, since disease and pregnancy and the need to deal with these are very real. My experience is that, in general, a sixteen year old in modern society can accommodate these things adequately. And there are many > 18 year old "adults" who cannot. This is an individual decision.

What is required for a "compulsion", in your view? Multiple instances of sex with young people? Multiple instances of sex with the same young person? The 40 year old who has sex once with a 13 year old is ok, but having sex with a series of different 13 year olds would be wrong? Or what?
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I'm talking about what I understand to be the medical definition of pedophilia. The exclusive attraction to pre-pubescent children.

What makes the fantasizing compulsive? Is it how often the fantasies are indulged in? If the 40 year old man fantasizes about sex with children every night, is that compulsive? What about if he only does it every time he sees a child he finds attractive in the street? What if he is going out of his way to download pictures of children onto his computer (even if he only does that, say, once a week)?

Your idea of "compulsive behaviour" seems conveniently loosely defined, to me.
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I'm not a psychologist. Look up the definition. There's a medical definition of these things. The reason that pedophilia is defined medically as it is is because it's normal for men to be attracted to developed females, not prepubescent ones. I know you're aware of this?

This does not mean that ALL men are. Some men like other men. Some find women over 50 exclusively attractive.

The norm of attraction however begins when sexual signalling does, i.e. puberty.

The US has some funny attitudes to sex, I agree. Many of them have been seriously skewed by the religious nature of much of American society.
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Agreed.

I think you are. By saying that it is acceptable for adults to view child porn, you are, in fact, supporting the child porn industry's continuing existence.
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No. You've misread me somewhere along the line. If we define child porn as images of real children who do not have the emotional development to make autonomous decisions, then no. I do not find it acceptable.

A common response in this type of situation would be "Eww! I didn't realise she was only 13! That changes everything. I thought she looked older, but now I know she's 13, I wouldn't even contemplate having sex with her."

Don't you think? As opposed to:

"She's only 13? Well, she's a damn fine looking 13 year old, and I certainly wouldn't mind having sex with her!"
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Actually, I already said I thought that would be the common response, but that it was societally conditioned. All things being equal, in the mind of the adult, why would admitting his biological imperative to mate with attractive females of childbearing age be a problem?

To sum this up, attractive females who are sexually developed are designed to, umm... attract males. This is a given. Why then, except for the fact that we have decided to regulate this behavior as a society, is the thought of it so demonized?

We know why.
 
superluminal said:
Ugh. I mean the norm for what normal males find attractive based on child bearing readiness. Arrrggghhh!! How did I get myself into this mess???
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You mean what you think is the right age as opposed to what I think is the right age as opposed to what the father of that baby there thinks is the right age?

Being on a "higher moral ground" here, I know exactly how you feel.:rolleyes:
 
samcdkey said:
You mean what you think is the right age as opposed to what I think is the right age as opposed to what the father of that baby there thinks is the right age?

Being on a "higher moral ground" here, I know exactly how you feel.:rolleyes:
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Shit. I'm feeling particularly humbled right now. Screw you samcdkey. Thanks for knocking down my delusions of rationality.
 
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