Re: For dante, qtns2di4 and Baldur

"Regarding our thinking, I think much the same applies to paedophilia since unless one is capable of removing the sexual attraction and looking at the issue from the perspective of one without such an attraction then it will probably not be possible to perceive paedophilia and all surrounding issues differently."

Everyone has a sexual orientation; oftentimes more than one. ( Except perhaps the asexual. ) Asking that people be nonhuman in this regard before asking for them to evaluate evidence and use critical thinking skills is just a way of claiming that its impossible to evaluate any culture.

I believe we can. Sure, we all have a cultural base. But we don't have to accept the received wisdom unthinkingly. Most all minority sexual orientations are, by definition, not culturally transmitted. So we can speak of Gay Culture; but its not as though there are very many Gay offspring of Gay parents.

This is perhaps why more Pedophiles seem to be better educated on these topics. Received wisdom is that I am a rapist. I'm not. Therefore I question it more and seek out better information.

"I know there are some very intelligent people on this forum but I personally would rather see them applying their minds in other ways rather than trying to defend what I see as a faulty attraction but I will grant the possibility I am just as wrong on this issue if those here would do the same."

You are courteous and respectful. And I hope you don't believe I hold any animosity towards you.

However, matters of fact don't yield to the notion that we must each respect the other's opinion. As someone put it, "Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But everyone is not entitled to their facts."

And yes, its impossible to not have a personal view as well. But we can still debate what facts it claims for its evidence, and how well it conforms to its evidence.

I can accept that you may hold dearly to your opinions. But I can also hope that you would accept that they might change to allow for new information. Mine have, and continue to do so.

Dante