Cofty: Like I've already said I stand by all my previous comments. I have nothing to apologize for. As for bohm, he asked a question, I gave an answer. Take heed? Oh dear, Cofty I'm lying here terrified after reading that Lmao. Anyhoo.... I'm happy with ALL my comments on this thread. I'll not keep going round in circles because cofty seems to think I should jump to his beat. That's all I have to say on this matter.
Richard Dawkins defends mild pedophilia, says it does not cause lasting harm
by chrisuk 320 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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OUTLAW
In a recent interview with the Times magazine, Richard Dawkins attempted to defend what he called “mild pedophilia,” which, he says, he personally experienced as a young child and does not believe causes “lasting harm.”
Dawkins went on to say that one of his former school masters “pulled me on his knee and put his hand inside my shorts,” and that to condemn this “mild touching up” as sexual abuse today would somehow be unfair.
“I am very conscious that you can’t condemn people of an earlier era by the standards of ours. Just as we don’t look back at the 18th and 19th centuries and condemn people for racism in the same way as we would condemn a modern person for racism, I look back a few decades to my childhood and see things like caning, like mild pedophilia, and can’t find it in me to condemn it by the same standards as I or anyone would today,” he said.
Plus, he added, though his other classmates also experienced abuse at the hands of this teacher, “I don’t think he did any of us lasting harm.”
Child welfare experts responded to Dawkins’ remarks with outrage — and concern over their effect on survivors of abuse.
Dawkins is defending Pedophilia..
He`s a victim,minimalizing the crime..
He refuses to condemn what happened to him,by todays standards.....There by,protecting his abuser..
Plus, he added, though his other classmates also experienced abuse at the hands of this teacher, “I don’t think he did any of us lasting harm.”
So the harm the sexual abuse did cause,he was able to get over??!!
The guy is still messed up..
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bohm
chrisuk: lol
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frankiespeakin
Actually I think Richard's honesty helps make a good point about how attitudes change over time and when he looks back he doesn't view it with the same attitude that he would if it happened today.
I could easily see why some do take offense if not reading more carefully and by withdrawing some of our psychological projections that make us jump to conclusions without data(shortcuts).
And the more I read his statement the more I see it as true in my case, and I've done a fair amount of retrospective work in this area.
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problemaddict
Bohm,
You asked me my opinion earlier and it got buried. i did not mean to ignore you.....and then this discussion went a bit ugly.
I think its clear what Dawkins meant, and why he said it. I don't have an issue with the greater point he made which is that todays standards judging a different time period in human and cultural evolution is a little rough. However......we aren't talking centuries ago. We are talking about a few decades. WHat is more, is he is filtering everything related to what he classified poorly as "mild pedophilis (sp?)", through his own experience which "didn't cause much harm".
That is an arrogant statement at best, and ignornant and lacking in normal human empathy at worst. People react to things differently. A grown man "touching up" on a school boy could do crazy damage to that boy, and it has been proven over and over again that people who allow themselves to do that sort of thing, escalate, and treat different victims differently.
Conflating it with racism is simply I do not believe, analgous to this situation for a variety of reasons.
He might have been trying to make a greater point about cultural shifts and the evolving concious of humanity......but he did so by calling something that has and does cause harm to countless thousands.....not really a big deal.
In doing so, because he is under a microscope, he comes off as a loon to the general public and hurts his cause.
I am sure he would tell you he doesn't care.
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cofty
Outlaw - Your reading comprehension skills are letting you down.
You even highlighted the part that contradicts your conclusion.
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hamsterbait
NOBODY ON THIS THREAD IS ENTITLED TO AN OPINION THAT IS IN OPPPOSITION TO ANYBODY ELSES.
I GOT OVER being abused - don't any of you say that proves I have not gotten over it, just because I say so.
HB
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KateWild
Why are so many christians so unpleasant?-Cofty
She is only one....I am nice and pleasant, I have a laugh and I am a believer. Lets not generalise now. I did say forcing an apology is not appropriate. You owe me one now Cofty beacause I was right, totally predictable how VG responded.
So apologise please Cofty. I am right on this one mister
Kate xx
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cantleave
She is only one....I am nice and pleasant, I have a laugh and I am a believer.
A Christian??? Is that new? I didn't think your view of a creator was that of the Christian mythology.
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fulltimestudent
This is NOT pedophilia!
Why not?
Because the law in many countries says pedophilia within marriage is NOT a crime.
Here's a National Geographic video showing how widespread the practise is,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c_zppPutQw
Please note, this is not just a problem in Islam, its prevalent in some other religious areas also.
...OUTLAW