Poll

Paedophilia - Condition or choice?

Mental Condition57%57% - 89
Choosen path37%37% - 57
Other5%5% - 8
Total: 154
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|6519|UK

I hesitate to write this, as, at the time, it really set of a bomb from what should of been a reasoned debate.  All to weary it may start here aswell, but what the hell, give it a go.

Back in my high school days, a teacher of mine (Religious Education teacher, I went to a catholic high school), made, the most controversal, bizare statement of anyone in all my time there.

''Paedophiles can't help it''

I cannot emphasise enough, just how immensley badly, this statement was taken, the bermused, perplexed, angered even expressions on everyones face, illustrated for me, the 'I dont want to hear it' approach that is taken by many for a whole raft of subjects.  Specfiically this one.

He went on to say, people can't help who they are sexually attracted to, just like how you have a crush on the girl you will never get, or, a homosexual coming to terms with who they are.  Theres an element of choice in it, but can you really choose to be a paedophile?  Can you choose to be gay?  Hell, can you choose to be straight?  Isnt it hammered into your brain?

I am not excusing paedophiles.  You break the law, you are punished, it still makes me sick to think about, especially praying on such vulnerable people.  They do have a choice, to steal a child, they do have a choice in what they do there after, but, before you get anywhere near the stage of the dreadful act, are they to blame for getting to that point?

Have an opinion on everything, but, to tell the truth, I really don't know on this one, so I ask, are they to blame?

Martyn
Reciprocity
Member
+721|6551|the dank(super) side of Oregon
its a mental thing that cant be cured, only supressed. there are probably odd cases, but the majority are driven my compulsion.
Mr.Dooomed
Find your center.
+752|6298

Reciprocity wrote:

its a mental thing that cant be cured, only supressed. there are probably odd cases, but the majority are driven my compulsion.
Agreed. I think we are talking about middle aged men who never really got any during High School. They obsess over the past, and especially on old crushes? I think with the internet (this is obvious) people have all kinds of sources to draw on their condition. These men can find child porn and think  back to previous times or previous people they liked...Then they can take it the next step and actually rape people while fantasizing...Etc etc. Kind of a sad sad topic. I'm sure those CNBC 'To catch a predator' videos will pop up soon
Nature is a powerful force. Those who seek to subdue nature, never do so permanently.
FEOS
Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate
+1,182|6381|'Murka

It is surely a mental condition, but it is also a choice. They choose to act upon urges that clearly are wrong, by any definition and in any society. That is basically what separates us from animals...the ability to make choices against our base instincts. If their base instincts involve violating a child, then they should be able to choose not to act on those instincts. Other, normal, people make those kinds of choices everyday. We can't excuse a pedophile from doing the same.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein

Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
keyoshi
Member
+28|6390
Mental condition imo. Would you choose to want to have sex with kids?
Shaguart
Titties
+56|6339|Calgary, Canada

FEOS wrote:

It is surely a mental condition, but it is also a choice. They choose to act upon urges that clearly are wrong, by any definition and in any society. That is basically what separates us from animals...the ability to make choices against our base instincts. If their base instincts involve violating a child, then they should be able to choose not to act on those instincts. Other, normal, people make those kinds of choices everyday. We can't excuse a pedophile from doing the same.
QFT
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|6519|UK

keyoshi wrote:

Mental condition imo. Would you choose to want to have sex with kids?
Well clearly not, but what get's at me is how its treated as if they do choose to do it from that first stage.  I find it hard to word, but people have extremly acute views on this, and, I wonder why they seem to have such a burning distaste for people who have something wrong with them.  Be like hating an alcoholic (fine, not nearly as serious) even one before they go and have a drink.  If you admited you had thoughts about children of that nature, but hadnt actually done anything, you would still be villanised by the press and disowned by a lot of people.

Martyn
ReTox
Member
+100|6469|State of RETOXification
Likely a physical problem like is mentioned here: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/11/ … ml?ref=rss

I just hope some sick fuck doesn't try to use this as an excuse in court to be sent to a sanitarium instead of the clink where they know how to deal with skin hounds.
TheEternalPessimist
Wibble
+412|6590|Mhz

I can only assume it's the same sexual urge a normal man would get for a hot woman, just directed at kiddies. Everyone always has the option to not act on their urges though, if I fucked every hotty I wanted to, I'd be in prison on multiple rape charges.

So, while the desire is psychological and can't be 'controled', everyone always has the 'keep it in your pants' option.

Only a theory, noone but 'one of them' can say for sure.
Djbrown
Member
+129|6466|Adelaide, Aussieland

Bell wrote:

Theres an element of choice in it, but can you really choose to be a paedophile?  Can you choose to be gay?  Hell, can you choose to be straight?  Isnt it hammered into your brain?

I am not excusing paedophiles.  You break the law, you are punished, it still makes me sick to think about, especially praying on such vulnerable people.  They do have a choice, to steal a child, they do have a choice in what they do there after, but, before you get anywhere near the stage of the dreadful act, are they to blame for getting to that point?
although its hardly a fair comparison, i feel it is hammered into my brain to completely despise emos and wanna be tween gangsters. i cant choose to simply ignore them, and i feel like i want to lock everyone of em up in solitary. not that i ever would lol, but i have the choice to act or not act, even if its verbally abusing them. pedos may be attracted to kids in a way they cant help it, but they can choose to not do it. everyones had their own little fantasies, but pedos are the ones that seem to do it anyway with complete disregard for everything else.

i understand mental conditions and such and never laugh or even joke at the people with them, but i just dont class pedophilia in the same type. i believe they have a choice. maybe theres more to the one condition, like a severe lack of willpower that would stop any normal person from doing what they fantasise about for whatever reason.

meh
twiistaaa
Member
+87|6639|mexico
the thought may be a condition. but the action is a choice. i might want to sleep with a girl. but i choose not to force myself on them. if its out of bounds its out of bounds. whats the difference?
Soldier-Of-Wasteland
Mephistopheles
+40|6626|Land of the Very Cold
I saw something about that on TV the other day, and I rememeber them mentioning that, even though some might realise that what they're doing is wrong, it is hard for them to actually stopping since they're not hurting themselves.. like an alcoholic who after years and years of abuse, their body starts to fuck up, or longterm heavy smokers, or even those with gambling problems where they loose all they have and don't have yet... while the pedos.. even though they know its wrong.. they have pleasures by doing it..
And apparently that the symptoms of this condition can be seen even during childhood.
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6742|PNW

Combination of choice and mental condition. For example, many of these guys get bored with the porn they have, so try stranger and stranger stuff until something in their head breaks and they decide to do it for real.

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2007-12-23 20:25:31)

lavadisk
I am a cat ¦ 3
+369|6800|Denver colorado
It's a fetish so its a choice.
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6742|PNW

lavadisk wrote:

It's a fetish so its a choice.
It becomes a mental disorder. Whether or not they can resist it determines how screwed up they really are.

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2007-12-23 20:28:36)

mtb0minime
minimember
+2,418|6625

Yes, "pedophiles can't help it", and sure that could be interpreted in the sense that they shouldn't be punished. But guess what, it's against the law. And besides, they need jail time to be kept out of society and away from children.

I'm so sick of defense attorneys and juries being pussified and letting people off the hook because they claim they can't help it.
lavadisk
I am a cat ¦ 3
+369|6800|Denver colorado

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

lavadisk wrote:

It's a fetish so its a choice.
It becomes a mental disorder. Whether or not they can resist it determines how screwed up they really are.
..okay.
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6742|PNW

mtb0minime wrote:

Yes, "pedophiles can't help it", and sure that could be interpreted in the sense that they shouldn't be punished. But guess what, it's against the law. And besides, they need jail time to be kept out of society and away from children.

I'm so sick of defense attorneys and juries being pussified and letting people off the hook because they claim they can't help it.
I'm not sure that was in question. I don't think anybody was saying that a guy should get off for dorking a little boy because he couldn't help it...

But if someone claims that sick compulsion overrides choice, then they don't need to be among society any longer. If anything, such excuses should result in harsher sentencing.

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2007-12-23 20:31:37)

lavadisk
I am a cat ¦ 3
+369|6800|Denver colorado
I'm going to tell you what I think about the subject.

I think that it's just a preference people get because of things that happened to them. I also don't see any harm in just the attraction element but the real problem with it is when exploitation comes into the picture.

Everyone needs to realize that not every pedophile has or wants to rape a kid...
mtb0minime
minimember
+2,418|6625

lavadisk wrote:

It's a fetish so its a choice.
How are fetishes a choice? Maybe we define fetish differently, but to me, a fetish is whatever gets you off. Some people just have weird fetishes, not because they want to, but that's because that's they way they are. If someone was a pedophile and chose to be that way, then shouldn't they be concerned for themselves? Or do they not care because it's a mental condition?

lavadisk wrote:

Everyone needs to realize that not every pedophile has or wants to rape a kid...
I will agree with you on that one.

Has anyone seen the movie L.I.E.? It's about a pederast and a young boy in search of a father figure who sort of fall in love. It's portrayed as a positive relationship and things sort of go to hell when it's broken up. Plus the older guy does care for the kid and isn't out to get him just for sex.

Last edited by mtb0minime (2007-12-23 20:36:35)

unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6742|PNW

mtb0minime wrote:

lavadisk wrote:

It's a fetish so its a choice.
How are fetishes a choice? Maybe we define fetish differently, but to me, a fetish is whatever gets you off. Some people just have weird fetishes, not because they want to, but that's because that's they way they are. If someone was a pedophile and chose to be that way, then shouldn't they be concerned for themselves? Or do they not care because it's a mental condition?
People may develop fetishes through controllable actions to the point where it because a mental disorder and compulsory.

Cause and effect.
lavadisk
I am a cat ¦ 3
+369|6800|Denver colorado

mtb0minime wrote:

lavadisk wrote:

It's a fetish so its a choice.
How are fetishes a choice? Maybe we define fetish differently, but to me, a fetish is whatever gets you off. Some people just have weird fetishes, not because they want to, but that's because that's they way they are. If someone was a pedophile and chose to be that way, then shouldn't they be concerned for themselves? Or do they not care because it's a mental condition?
Yeah, your right... I think I was trying to say that its not a "mental condition" and I worded it wrong.
Qrite
sup g
+79|6144|Ohio
i feel the attraction is  a mental condition.  but it doesn't justify acting on urges .
David.P
Banned
+649|6244

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

lavadisk wrote:

It's a fetish so its a choice.
It becomes a mental disorder. Whether or not they can resist it determines how screwed up they really are.
Like my fetish for seeing people riddled with bullets? Oh and where is the leftie brigade telling everyone it's A-Ok! What i'm wrong? Or are they just shutting up because we all know it's really fucked up and they cant do the same for pedo's like they did for gay's.
PspRpg-7
-
+961|6668

FEOS wrote:

It is surely a mental condition, but it is also a choice. They choose to act upon urges that clearly are wrong, by any definition and in any society. That is basically what separates us from animals...the ability to make choices against our base instincts. If their base instincts involve violating a child, then they should be able to choose not to act on those instincts. Other, normal, people make those kinds of choices everyday. We can't excuse a pedophile from doing the same.
Couldn't of put it better myself.

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