http://www.cblf.org/

Well the only argument I can think of to that, is that what, 100 years ago or less it was ok for 13 year old girls (or younger) to be married off to adult men. Depends on how history repeats itself. The age of kids having sex is declining rapidly. Just in the past couple of years I know in Alabama, not sure if it's state law or what, 13 years old is age of patient-doctor confidentiality. This was to accomodate pregnant 13 year olds initially, so they didn't have to face the consequences if their parents found out. They are children, but being given adult responsibilities.

I have asked that this thread be removed by the moderators. I do not mind that anyone knows that I have done this.

Why not just don't click it if it bothers you?

I have asked that this thread be removed by the moderators. I do not mind that anyone knows that I have done this.

That is just so typical.

I think you are a very bright lady mousecrazy and I agree with a good portion of what you say. But censorship is not the answer. How can the moderators be in a position of deciding which content is unacceptable? The fact is, so much of what has been said on various threads here is highly offensive to me. So, should those threads be removed?

If you don't like this thread, don't read it. This is the rants and raves section. If you don't like it, don't read it. You conservative religious folks simply do not get to dictate to others what they can read, or, more significantly, how they live. This precise confrontation is the exact reason I posted this thread. Thank you for helping.

And by the way, I want to reiterate, I have nothing personal against you at all and, indeed, even find myself agreeing with you from time to time.

Hey, anyone can ask at any time that something be removed. That doesn't mean we're going to DO it.

I have asked that this thread be removed by the moderators. I do not mind that anyone knows that I have done this.

That is just so typical.

I think you are a very bright lady mousecrazy and I agree with a good portion of what you say. But censorship is not the answer. How can the moderators be in a position of deciding which content is unacceptable? The fact is, so much of what has been said on various threads here is highly offensive to me. So, should those threads be removed?

If you don't like this thread, don't read it. This is the rants and raves section. If you don't like it, don't read it. You conservative religious folks simply do not get to dictate to others what they can read, or, more significantly, how they live. This precise confrontation is the exact reason I posted this thread. Thank you for helping.

And by the way, I want to reiterate, I have nothing personal against you at all and, indeed, even find myself agreeing with you from time to time.

I agree with this. The only people here who have the right to determine what the rest of us can or can't read are the moderators. Like Alexandra said, anyone here has the right to complain, but the final decision lies with them. The thread may offend your sensibilities, but if we deleted or locked all threads that anyone found offensive, there wouldn't be any threads in RnR. I am personally highly offended by several of the threads and posts here in RnR, but you haven't seen me asking the moderators to delete those threads, have you?

The fact is, it is a parent's responsibility to keep their kids out of certain websites and away from certain threads here, if they wish. If you don't want your kids seeing it, don't let them. It's that simple. You have no right, however, to determine what WE can look at. We aren't your kids.

Sad. Truly sad. I'm wondering, however - if those things that were not acceptable say 20 years ago should now be acceptable due to our current state of enlightenment; will this be yet another one of those things that we find unacceptable today, but as our 'enlightenment' continues will someday become acceptable?

I hope I'm not around to see it. And no - no Christian I know would condone this.

I don't think most people regardless of faith condone this!

I read your comment, then Carlene's below. And started to wonder if things have changed all that much in 20 years. What I mean is a lot of what is done in the open now was done then, but hidden. How harmful was it I wonder for that child to find out that her birth as such a shameful thing?

I have faith that most of us have a good enough moral compass that some things won't be acceptable.

I agree, Lisah25. Things really haven't changed very much. Things may be more open today, but they still happened 30 or 40 years ago. That doesn't necessarily mean that they are more acceptable, just that we're more honest. Of course, certain things are more acceptable, simply because we have come to the realization that it really doesn't matter whether Jane had sex before she was married or if Jim is gay or if LuAnn had a child six months after she got married. It doesn't make them immoral or bad people. The fact remains, though, that there is a difference between things like that and having sex with a child. Pedophilia will NEVER be acceptable in our society.

I think some things have changed. I think many of them make our society better. Things like racism and discrimination based on sexual orientation -- still exist, but I'm so glad that I live in a time where they are no longer tabboo. I do believe (agree) that some things will always be tabboo, and rightfully so - IMO. I don't think I'd ever want to see a day where I could run down to the corner grocery store and buy a leg of Larry or Chriskabob for dinner.

As for the not so nice stuff, I think we see more of it than we did 30 years ago. We also have a lot more people than we did 30 years ago, so statistically we have to expect to see more (worldwide population has grown more than 50% in the last 30 years). But I'm certainly not saying that's the culprit. We also see parents playing different roles, and society in general playing a much different role. With that, and all of the things it touches, I think people are generally much different than they were. I believe you have to be a different "kind" of kid to make it today than when I was a kid. And everything that has to change is going to have an effect on something else.

I know that when I was a kid, living in one of of country's most populated cities (in the top 10) there was never an issue with walking or riding bikes to the grocery store, or walking to/from school, going to the park at night, etc. If I were a parent today, there's no way I would be as comfortable letting my child do that as my parents (and my friends' parents) were then.

Umm...taboo. I did it twice.

Never? I'm sure someone, some time ago, must have said this very thing about things that are currently acceptable. Never say never.. this is one lesson we all learn as we gain experience in life.

Currently acceptable or currently acknowledged? Something being talked about and acknowledged in today's world doesn't mean that it is accepted. The exception to this, of course, are those things that don't hurt anyone. Jim being gay doesn't hurt anyone. Jill not being a virgin on her wedding night doesn't hurt anyone. LuAnn having a baby 6 months after her wedding night doesn't hurt anyone. Those things are acceptable because they harm no one.

Pedophilia may be talked about and the occurance of it may be acknowledged, but it will never be accepted, simply because of the fact that it is, by definition, rape.

Never? I'm sure someone, some time ago, must have said this very thing about things that are currently acceptable. Never say never.. this is one lesson we all learn as we gain experience in life.

I'm sure some people 20 years ago did indeed say that they would never accept a woman getting pregant out of wedlock. And there are a few nuts now who are OK with pedophila.

For me, the difference is in who is harmed. A woman getting pregant but not married doesn't really have a victim, no in the way a child being molested does. So it's easier to see as acceptable. Does that make any sense?

I see it as less of a gap now between how people really live and how they want others to believe they do then there was some years ago. I think we are just more open, I'm not sure that's always a good thing.

But I was concieved out of wedlock 44 years ago. My birth mother was a 17 YO who didn't marry my birth father. My father had an affair that broke up his marriage to my mom and produced my 1/2 sibs 30 some years ago.

You know, I really find all the fuss over this thread quite amusing. Heck, people even started a whole other thread just to bitch! Hasn't it occured to any of them that the more they fuss, the more attention they bring to this thread? Common sense says that if you want a thread to die, you stop posting to it, and you stop posting to a thread complaining about the first one. The more you bump a thread to the top, and the more you fuss about a certain thread, the more people are curious and interested. The end result? The thread that you want to die goes on. On the other hand, if you ignore said thread, eventually other people will too (especially if there isn't any controversy).

I'm wondering, however - if those things that were not acceptable say 20 years ago should now be acceptable due to our current state of enlightenment; will this be yet another one of those things that we find unacceptable today, but as our 'enlightenment' continues will someday become acceptable?

To what "things" are you referring?

Because I, for one, can't think of one single thing in our society today that is acceptable due to "enlightenment" that is as reprehensible and morally bankrupt as pedophilia.

To what "things" are you referring?

Because I, for one, can't think of one single thing in our society today that is acceptable due to "enlightenment" that is as reprehensible and morally bankrupt as pedophilia.

I was thinking the same thing, Sunta. It's more than highly offensive to me to equate homosexuality or unwed pregnancy to pedophilia.