Thank you for fighting the good fight on this thread and pointing out the simple truth. I have led bible studies in various prisons for almost 20 years and in so doing spent a great deal of time with pedophiles, child molesters, and rapists. Many of the comments on these threads have been identical to the excuses these convicted felons have told me for their wicked behavior. At the heart of it, I suspect both here and there, is a envious hatred of the victims. A true man would never be sexually attracted to a child, let alone engage them sexually. Regardless of what the media, academia, and even society might say, this kind of behavior is always wrong and real men know it.
I have too seen some of those. Some are clever sophistry. Others are just plain obscene.
I was once in youth ministry. One of the great frustrations I had was in knowing what certain predatory males were doing, but how none of the adults (except me) wanted to admit it, much less deal with it. Yes, I saw young women ruined by males, and then blamed for it.
I once had a young woman come to me for advice - she had no one else. She was vivacious and attractive, and the males who dated her tried to molest her, essentially accusing her of being a tease. I kept it civil and formal, but I told her it was not her fault, and to avoid them.
Years later, she married one of the worst womanizers in that church during my time (which greatly saddened me). I got a letter from her at her husband’s demand, denouncing me for my candid counseling with her when she was younger, proclaiming it as “indecent.” (For the record, my association with that young woman was strictly platonic, and in part because I was a close friend of one of her older brothers.)
So I, the chaste male, was indecent for speaking respectfully about God’s Creation, but the inveterate womanizer was not indecent for actually abusing it.
I found that the males who were least able to discuss human sexuality in a respectful manner, as a creation of God - who Himself proclaimed it as good - were often the ones who most abused it.
In other words: Sex is real dirty, but we really like it. We can do it - and do it - but cannot talk about it.
Thanks all for helpful backup.
Yes the arguments put forward by the “teens are willing whores” crowd seem to be much the same as Epstein’s and his “friends.”
FReepers, if you have similar sentiments about this subject as Epstein or any other child molester, consider that your stand needs to change. You are on the wrong side.