Archbishop: pedaphilia is not a criminal condition

The Catholic Archbishop of Durban, Wilfrid Fox Napier, has described paedophilia as a psychological "illness, not a criminal condition".

The South African cardinal told the BBC that people who were themselves abused as children and then abused others needed to be examined by doctors

In an interview with the Stephen Nolan programme on BBC Radio 5 live, Cardinal Napier referred to paedophilia as "a psychological condition, a disorder".

"What do you do with disorders? You've got to try and put them right.

"If I - as a normal being - choose to break the law, knowing that I'm breaking the law, then I think I need to be punished."

He said he knew at least two priests, who became paedophiles after themselves being abused as children.

"Now don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that. I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished. He was himself damaged."

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier's comments triggered immediate criticism.

Barbara Dorries, who as a child was abused by a priest, works for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which is based in Chicago. She told the BBC: "If it is a disease that's fine, but it's also a crime and crimes are punished, criminals are held accountable for what they did and what they do.

"The bishops and the cardinals have gone to great lengths to cover these crimes to enable the predators to move on, to not be arrested, to keep the secrets within the church."

Michael Walsh, who has written a biography of late Pope John Paul II, said Cardinal Napier's remarks were similar to the position once taken by the Catholic Church in the UK and the US.

"They did actually at one time believe it was a condition that could be dealt with. Many bishops were simply moving priests and trying to disguise the fact that they'd been committing these crimes," Mr Walsh told the BBC.

Marie Collins, who is a victim of abuse, told the BBC: "I think it is appalling that we have a cardinal, a man at this level in the church that can still hold these views. He is totally ignoring the child."

While pedophilia can be tied to some treatable psychological and physiological abnormalities (I know some exist, but have no clue what percent of pedophiles fall into this category), the only place for a non-treated pedophile is in prison.

Well, it is an illness. A mental illness. But to act upon those impulses, is a crime and therefore someone who harms a child should be have the book thrown at them.

Actually it is sin that has invaded....a sin of the flesh. But no one is willing acknowlege that because of course...sin and God doesnt exist.

Just playing devils advocate here, dont we all sin, and arent all sins supposed to be just as bad, according to the book?

Yes. Well, there is one unforgivable sin, but yeah.

Isnt that believing on god bit denying his existence?

Bryant wrote:

While pedophilia can be tied to some treatable psychological and physiological abnormalities (I know some exist, but have no clue what percent of pedophiles fall into this category), the only place for a non-treated pedophile is in prison.

Lemme play devil's advocate here:

Why does society view one abnormal sexual behavior to be okay, yet condemn all others???

Think it hasto do with consent, minors being seen as too young to

Pun wrote:Think it hasto do with consent, minors being seen as too young to

Lemme rephrase:

One is seen as okay.

All others seen as "mental illness".

Regardless of consent, what makes urges/attraction an illness or not.

Is homosexuality seen as an illness? What about s&m? Orgy goers? Those who like anal? Fact is, only pedaphia and beastiality are seen as immoral and illegal. Why? What is it those two acts have in common that all the others dont?

Pun wrote:Is homosexuality seen as an illness? What about s&m? Orgy goers? Those who like anal? Fact is, only pedaphia and beastiality are seen as immoral and illegal. Why? What is it those two acts have in common that all the others dont?

That's what I'm getting at. They weren't always shunned......especially pedophilia. What we consider pedophilia used to be considered the norm in regards to young girls and grown men. Incest was also common especially among the ruling class.

Not gonna touch necrophilia here............

Not as common as boys and men. Throughout history a womans value was measured by her virginity until marriage, which often took place at 13-14 years of age, unless youre recerring to sex between married partners who have an age gap. And we live in the culture we live in, do we not? We dont live in ancient greece or rome. You start down the subjective path and it can lead anywhere

Basically it comes down to consent, but if we are to say that abnormal sexual preferences are a mental illness...........

..........then you are telling me that same sex couples are just consenting mentally ill individuals and mentally ill are, in most cases, not able to legally consent to anything.

Think about it....

I'm done playing devil's advocate.

So shud age of consent be the age at which one can reproduce?

Personally i dont view it as a mental illness, or homosexuality or any other sexual "deviance." Urges may be present but i dont view it as something that cant be helped, just as some people have the urge to rape.

Pun wrote:So shud age of consent be the age at which one can reproduce?

One individual cannot answer morality questions. That is up to society as a whole to decide. I agree with current US society in that one must be fully formed mentally to be able to form consent.

Pun wrote:Personally i dont view it as a mental illness, or homosexuality or any other sexual "deviance." Urges may be present but i dont view it as something that cant be helped, just as some people have the urge to rape.

Rape can be seen as a sexual abnormality. They gain sexual pleasure from the dominance and power they gain.

But then again, that would open the door to us asking same sex people to control their urges.

Not that I am trying to condemn homosexuality or promote rape, incest or pedophilia.......just thinking outside the prism.

Hetero people do control their urges lest we'd be screwing all the time. And the reason i brought up rape is because its usually hetero

Pun wrote:Is homosexuality seen as an illness? What about s&m? Orgy goers? Those who like anal? Fact is, only pedaphia and beastiality are seen as immoral and illegal. Why? What is it those two acts have in common that all the others dont?

I shouldnt have mentioned it as being a mental illness. I believe it is a sin of the flesh. Pure and simple. As is homosexuality, sexual deviancy or any sort, promiscuity, etc. (Just to be clear, sins of the flesh are not limited to sex.).

As for your question....yes pedophilia and beastiality is seen as being immoral. But most people are repulsed by the idea of the other things you mentioned. Yes it's true that the other things are being accepted today. Question is...why is it now accepted in society but a few years ago it wasnt? Why is it now ok for a major tv star to be openly gay but 15 years ago it wasnt? (Hint...we're and enlightened politically correct people now).

Imo, the reason these things are now accepted is because of gay activists combined with the liberal progressive / secular climate in hollywood. There is no denying that Conservative Christian values are frowned upon in hollywood and in the entertainment media. Being a Conservative or a Christian in hollywood can hurt your career. This is telling because it tells you the mindset of the people in power there...the people who control the airwaves and the film industry. Something has happened in the past 15 or 20 years whereby we went from some issues not being appropriate on tv, to these issues now being pushed.

But its not limited to hollywood. This is just where the movement gained the most support. Its in our Universities. Its been there for decades...probably since the late 50s and early 60s. Radicals grew up and are now teaching. And your kids are being indoctrinated with the radical liberal lifestyle, just as much as if you sent your child to a Christian University and they were indoctrinated with religious dogma. These college students graduate and get jobs and eventually become the powerful movers and shaker of this nation (whether it is in politics or education or the entertainment industry). Either way their viewpoint is pervasive.

And they are clever about it too. They say "its the parent's responsibility to change the channel or teach their kids" and this sounds right...but they know that many many parents wont do that for a variety of reason. Many parents dont ensure that their kids are watching whatever programming they feel is right. They think cartoons like Family Guy and the Simpsons are harmless entertainment and really dont pay attention to what their kids waatch. As a result, the powerful people in hollywood have inserted certain "themes" into their tv shows and since your kids are watching (in prime time mind you), your kids are being "programmed" by these powerful people. Then your kids grow up and become movers and shakers as well, raise their kids a certain way and so forth....

Its also the music industry, with certain themes and videos being pushed by channels like MTV. Some of the songs and videos actually glorify degradation of women and lawlessness. (And we wonder why teens dont seem to repsect themselves or anyone else these day). We live in an age where Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton are glorified, but Kirk Cameron, Lisa Welchel and Candace Cameron is ridiculed.

Christian Conservatives like myself are reviled when we point out these things. To me, these things are obvious. Seriously, it is as difficult to find good, quality decent family friendly programming on tv as it is to find products in the supermarket that are sugar free or not loaded with high fructose corn syrup. (Try it sometimes...read your labels).

So why is homosexualty, and just general promiscuity seen as being ok, but not Pedophilia? Just give it time. This, too, will become mainstream if things continue at the current rate.