@1robin (and for anyone who wants to read with interest and info)
I remember you were asking for me to give you statistics:
Facts about Homosexuality and Child Molestation. The Bible doesn't link homosexuality to child molestation, murder, abuse, or anything of that nature as a study. Many believers assume homosexuals will be in a homosexual relationship 100 percent of the time; and, conclude, it's a sin.
Outside of religion, this link shares what a timeline of how homosexuality had been viewed and defined by medical "experts" and specialists in psychiatry. A lot of the discrimination of homosexuals with the religious is because the religious place religious standards on people they do not know.
Members of disliked minority groups are often stereotyped as representing a danger to the majority's most vulnerable members. For example, Jews in the Middle Ages were accused of murdering Christian babies in ritual sacrifices. Black men in the United States were often lynched after being falsely accused of raping White women.
The number of Americans who believe the myth that gay people are child molesters has declined substantially.
1
By contrast, in a
1999 national poll, the belief that most gay men are likely to molest or abuse children was endorsed by only 19% of heterosexual men and 10% of heterosexual women. Even fewer – 9% of men and 6% of women – regarded most lesbians as child molesters.
Unfortunately, studies back when are not very easily compared to studies today... especially when we have no knowledge of what homosexuality is in regards to things like pedophilia, hemophilia, child molester, and child abuse.
Even though most Americans don't regard gay people as child molesters, confusion remains widespread in this area. To understand the facts, it is important to examine the results of scientific research. However, when we evaluate research on child molestation, our task is complicated by several problems.
One problem is that none of the studies in this area have obtained data from a probability sample, that is, a sample that can be assumed to be representative of the population of all child molesters. Rather, most research has been conducted only with convicted perpetrators or with pedophiles who sought professional help. Consequently, they may not accurately describe child molesters who have never been caught or have not sought treatment.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with seeing homosexuality as an action and linked to sexual promiscuity and crimes (like child abuse) is not knowing the terminology. If we go by the facts and statistics rather than biblical definitions that were way before the 1970s, we'd have a general idea of why people have bias not just because they think its a sin but because they do not understand or know studies done today, they are still stuck with believing facts in the year 200 B.C., for example, is more applicable than facts today.
A second problem is that the terminology used in this area is often confusing and can even be misleading. We can begin to address that problem by defining some basic terms.
Homosexuality after 1970s has started to move its definition from a disorder to more of a dysfunction that needed to be fixed. Later on in the years, probably year 2,000 if I remember correctly, ideas started to change outside the religious community for the better. Yet, religion, specifically Christianity, has put a huge taint on the progress of
proper understanding regardless if the person agrees or disagrees with the facts presented in front of him.
On that note:
Pedophilia usually refers to an adult psychological disorder characterized by a preference for prepubescent children as sexual partners; this preference may or may not be acted upon. The term hebephilia is sometimes used to describe adult sexual attractions to adolescents or children who have reached puberty.
I won't quote the entire article, but I have read it. This has changed recently because studies show (read the article if you'd like the statistics), studies show that a person's sexual orientation is can be hetero, bi, or homo but these attractions above does not have to do with sexual oriented attraction to the child as with an adult but because of the child's
age.
In other words, sexual orientation is focused on spiritual, mental, and physical attraction to members of their own, opposite, or both genders (LGBTQ and S). Sexual attraction related to pedophilia is specifically linked to a child's age not the pedephile's sexual orientation.
2 is often referred to as "homosexual molestation." The adjective "homosexual" (or "heterosexual" when a man abuses a female child) refers to the victim's gender in relation to that of the perpetrator. Unfortunately, people sometimes mistakenly interpret it as referring to the perpetrator's sexual orientation.
To sum up, the derogatory phrase "homosexual actions" and "homosexual behavior" was replaced with "same-sex actions" and "same-sex" behaviors without referring to the person's sexual orientation in relation to the actions doctors used to think caused homosexuals to commit actions. However, studies show (in the article) that it does not matter the sexual orientation of the molester but many molesters, GLBTQS
are not all molesters and identities are not related to as such. As people, we have the option to commit criminal actions (Sexual abuse for example) without regards to who we are attracted to beyond physicological influences.
There was a study done to show the similarities of responses between LGBTQS people when watching video tapes researches showed on different subjects, appearances, based on age and activities they listened to on audio tape as well.
There is no significant reaction in regards to gender but
in regards to age.
Interesting study
The distinction between a victim's gender and a perpetrator's sexual orientation is important because many child molesters don't really have an adult sexual orientation. They have never developed the capacity for mature sexual relationships with other adults, either men or women. Instead, their sexual attractions focus on children – boys, girls, or children of both sexes.
Whether this is true completely, you'd need to go into psychiatry and so forth before stating statistics as more facts rather than researched conclusions based on studies that may or may not have been biased in application.
As for Biblical connection to what I just said above, the Bible does not talk about case studies and cannot be connected with a person's sexual orientation and their behaviors. For example, a straight person (someone attracted to opposite gender) have committed sins of lust just as a homosexual would have. However, the Bible does not differentiate people by sexual orientations but by gender and
motive not who they are attracted to and why.
With that in mind, believers who are stuck with homosexuality being a sin should understand when debating the topic, a clear definition needs to be given so the other party won't be debating sexual orientation while the other action. Another note is that many believers do not consider that attraction does not always lead to lust. Pansexuals are attracted to people but not because of gender. While an asexual is not attracted to people physically, and still have a means to be spiritually and mentally attracted to people of his own sex or the opposite sex.
So, sexual orientation and attractions are on a sliding scale. Unless we are knowledgeable about the facts and/or statistics used as facts, unfortunately, we'd have a better discussion. Until then, this is just a bit of information for anyone who cares to read it.
It is a summary of the article as well but if you're interested in understanding it from a psychological and informative perspective, it's a nicely and well put together article. Read at your own time.
No debate.
