Richard Dawkins defends mild pedophilia, says it does not cause lasting harm
by chrisuk 320 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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chrisuk
The whole paragraph. I don't think he should speak on behalf of everyone who's been abused. bohm, there's always going to be people on both sides of an argument like this. I will never agree with anything Dawkins says in this article. I'm not taking away from his work in other areas, there's no doubt he's brilliant in his chosen field/s, but these comments are wrong.
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bohm
Villagegirl: dawkins remark on mild pedophelia is purely autobiographical if you actually bother reading the quote: someone fondled dawkins and today he cant make himself condemn the abuser.
Your position is he should not be allowed not to condemn his old teacher?
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MadGiant
September 10, 2013
… I cannot know for certain that my companions’ experiences with the same teacher were are brief as mine, and theirs may have been recurrent where mine was not. That’s why I said only “I don’t think he did any of us lasting damage”. We discussed it among ourselves on many occasions, especially after his suicide, and there was indeed general agreement that his gassing himself was far more upsetting than his sexual depredations had been. If I am wrong about any particular individual; if any of my companions really was traumatised by the abuse long after it happened; if, perhaps it happened many times and amounted to more than the single disagreeable but brief fondling that I endured, I apologise. - See more at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/09/10/richard-dawkins-isnt-defending-mild-pedophilia-but-that-doesnt-make-his-comments-okay/#sthash.EATHahxt.dpuf
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bohm
Chrisuk: I don't think he should speak on behalf of everyone who's been abused.
he is speaking on behalf of himself... I suppose this is another instance of what dawkins seem to say vs. what he do say?
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bohm
It is so amusing how the moral outrage against dawkins is so strong no defence of him can be tolerated -- including pointing out what dawkins has actually said...
"i am so outraged i do not care what dawkins says even if he did not say what i am outraged about"
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problemaddict
Village girl is correct, racism is not analgous. Acceptable pedophilia could maybe be described as Greek era thinking. But after the age of enlightenment, and certainly inthe 20th century, it is universally agreed upon (minus NAMBLA) to be disgusting.
Dawkins said what he said. No doubt he meant it. its this type of lack of empathy or desire to comprehend experiences other than your own, that make this guy a polarizing figure, and kind of a dick.
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bohm
Problemaddict: so what exactly did he say? is it still his feelings re his own abuser he should not have according to you?
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chrisuk
If a governing body member had come out and said what Dawkins has, the very same people defending Dawkins now would be outraged at the WTS. But, Dawkins seems to be some sort of Demi-God to some people, so hey, let him say what he likes.
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chrisuk
Anyway, enjoy the rest of the discussion. For some people here it doesn't matter what Dawkins said they'd defend him. Just as they once defended the WTS. Couldn't possibly be wrong twice?