> Colin, you're right about pedophilia, I would guess, but the effect won't be > such a direct one as preventing it from occurring because priests would have > now have a healthy outlet for their sexuality instead.
You are right. But peodohilia is not an unhealthy 'sexaul outlet'. It is about power and shame and fear and guilt, not sex. There are many people, who are not priests, who have adult sexual relationships, who still sexually abuse chuildren. In fact most people who abuse children in this way, are parents of the children they abuse. As for all forms of abuse. The majority is committted by parents. And sociey in general, does what the RC chuch has done for years. Keeps quiet. Even adults like me, who are open about their own abuse, are hectored by people who think they should be silent about it, or ridiculed in the hope they will be silenced. Or harrassed, or any number of ways of silencing. I had a spate of mails from someone hoping to shame me into silence, which has happened here on this list to me personally so i know how it works. In my case it doesn't, and will not, work. bw colin
