In Reply to: is the only standard you recognize.. posted by ray on July 12, 2004 at 21:53:50:
I would not compare pedophilia to homosexuality, criminal behavior, pathological behavior or call it a moral wrong.
I realize that many people do that. But I also realize that there were times in recent history when women could not vote, blacks could not ride in the front of the bus, there were restaurants, restrooms, water fountains, parks, ad infinitum where blacks were not allowed. In some states, even after civil rights movement took hold, interracial marriage was considered morally wrong and reprehensible by the majority. It still is considered wrong and "sin" by many.
So lets get down to an objective standard. In most societies and cultures sex with children is virtually universally taboo. The objective standard behind that imo, is that children, like animals or impaired adults do not have the position of power and reasoning to protect themselves in many cases, so the law does that for them. When it comes to same sex consenting adults, I believe that by an objective standard in our country, USA, that government has no right to legislate what a religious or predjudicial majority dictates. No vote should be taken on basic human rights.