Ask Dr. Helen: Should Men Be Kicked Out of the Church Nursery?
I absolutely agree that the binary “child” or “adult” distinction falls down. Whether its abuse cases or juvenile crime, calling high schoolers mere “children” is grossly misleading and inadequate.
A related issue has come up in the back and forth within the Catholics Church over homosexuals in the priesthood and reforms aimed at preventing sex abuse. The strictest want no homosexuals in the priesthood at all.
I personally think that is a mistake — I’m sure thee have been countless gay men thru the centuries who found the priesthood the one place in society where they could sidestep marriage w/o question, and whom I sure went on to provide great service to their communities.
That said, I think the gay community is trying draw a phony distinction between calling it pedophilia rather than a gay act. I’m sorry, but their young victims have typically been post-puberty, reasonably physically mature “teens” and not first graders.
When a straight man gets in trouble for relations with a physically mature underage high school girl, it is properly considered sleazy, a criminal, but he is not considered mentally ill or a pedophile.
The blanket “child” label muddies thinking and, in the case of the priesthood, is being used to deliberately cloud the issues.
