tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31762465.post31019953232629998..comments2023-09-28T06:26:07.114-04:00Comments on Hugh McBryde (<i>the Modern Pharisee</i>): It's as Old as Catholicism. Older than that really.Hugh McBrydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926516260588481185noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31762465.post-83409440992336839332009-05-01T09:56:00.000-04:002009-05-01T09:56:00.000-04:00All of the above said, I believe society has a leg...<I>All of the above said, I believe society has a legal right to set the age of consent and I respect it as you are obligated to, your religious beliefs to the contrary notwithstanding.</I>So, vox populi eh? So if 'society' decides one may not marry until thirty, so be it?The Schaubing Blogkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12811910033353720626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31762465.post-51993863494588057092008-05-04T19:14:00.000-04:002008-05-04T19:14:00.000-04:00Having sex with pre-pubescent children is, and alw...Having sex with pre-pubescent children is, and always has been, profoundly evil.<BR/><BR/>While I don't use the Bible as my guide because I am not a Christian, I think you're right in reading the Bible and also that your interpretation conforms to the culture of the time including the most likely facts surrounding the age of Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus. The Bible appears to allow for marriage and further to say this is right in the eyes of God, at puberty. Certainly the Catholic church does, as you've proven.<BR/><BR/>I think your Biblical case for that is strong and it amused me that the "fundamentalist" Christians would immediately ban you for expressing it. I read your post there and it was sensible.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that whether one believes God created us or one believes nature did it, the only logical, non-arbitrary point we're meant to begin reproducing at would be when we <I>can.</I> Reproduce, that is.<BR/><BR/>My mind likes clear cut logical distinctions. Puberty is logical. 16 arbitrary.<BR/><BR/>(Likewise, I'm pro-life. Conception is logical. 2nd trimester, arbitrary.)<BR/><BR/>That isn't to say it's the ideal age for most people. (It wasn't for me and therefore I waited longer.) I'd say it's the youngest defensible age.<BR/><BR/>But you go further:<BR/><BR/><I>"Paedophilia in fact is simply a secular legal concept."</I><BR/><BR/>I don't know when the laws came into being or when paedophilia was defined. I doubt very much it's all that modern of a concept. However, I'd hope we can all agree that sex with anyone under the age of puberty is wrong so "paedophilia" is a valid concept. <B>Jesus Christ was very adamant about about not harming children and that it would be better to drown in the depths of the sea.</B><BR/><BR/>I agree with him.<BR/><BR/>Paedophilia sure as hell harms children emotionally and physically: higher suicide rates, promiscuous behaviour following the abuse, STDs, physical pain and damage, etc.<BR/><BR/>Now I believe that criminalizing sexually motivated self-determining behaviour (as a result of their hormones and normal natural feelings including emotions and desire to form relationships) in adolescents from having sex — and people from having sex with said adolescents — is in practice difficult to enforce and probably gives mixed returns at best. I believe, if anything, young people should be encouraged to marry rather than engage in promiscuous unmarried sex, which is the alternative, realistically, for many of them.<BR/><BR/>I've talked to many adult women about sex and one of the questions I've asked — out of curiosity — is how old they were their first time. The ages vary, but certainly include immediately after entering puberty. This and every year after that is common. I find it hard to conclude this is a great evil nor that our laws against it are particularly effective. They seem to dissuade open long-term relationships and marriage, more than they do sex. <BR/><BR/>However.<BR/><BR/>You may be going too far, sir.<BR/> <BR/> <BR/>--<BR/>All of the above said, I believe society has a legal right to set the age of consent and I respect it as you are obligated to, your religious beliefs to the contrary notwithstanding.<BR/><BR/>Granted, I don't <I>think</I> you're saying it's Biblically allowed to have sex with pre-pubescent children. However, your reference to paedophilia being simply a secular legal concept so openly stated, I would like you to clarify.<BR/><BR/>At what is the earliest age/developmental maturity you believe a person should either be able to marry and/or engage in sex?<BR/><BR/>My personal preference would be a statutory number as the age of consent, set by society as debated in its legislature(s), and then, if anything, an exemption allowing sex between people younger than this age who are legally married and have also reached the age of puberty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com