PrintDecember 4, 2010
The Pedophile's Guide Is Another Sign of Our Moral Decline
A novice sailor will notice when a large vessel veers drastically from its charted course. But even experienced seamen may not realize the change when course deviations are slight. Societies react to cultural variations in similar fashion. People will balk when the moral code is abruptly altered. But when the transition is slow, over several generations, the original course is lost before the change is perceived.
Philip R. Greaves' book, The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-lover's Code of Conduct, indicates another change in America's moral bearing. It should shout "Warning!" at the top of its lungs, for it illustrates how a society can adapt to moral degeneration. The first step is to rationalize the irrational and defend the indefensible until deviant behavior is mainstreamed. Greaves is willing to give it a whirl. He claims his book doesn't endorse pedophilia, but establishes guidelines for pedophile relationships. Injurious acts are off-limits, and certain principles must be adopted to ensure safety for the child. Greaves explained, "I hope to achieve this by appealing to the better nature of pedosexuals."
Apparently, since pedophilia undeniably occurs, it should be woven into our cultural fabric. Notice the change? Child-molesters are no longer twisted pedophiles, but "pedosexuals." The word lends legitimacy to the act, similar to how "homosexual," "bisexual," and "transsexual" have legitimized behaviors once considered immoral.
Even if Greaves were correct in assuming that physical injuries common to pedophilia can be eradicated, the psychological traumas linger for years. Furthermore, adults who seek sexual fulfillment from children are exhibiting a complete disregard not only for long-established cultural boundaries, but also for plain good sense. If pedophiles were governed by the "better nature" Greaves references, they wouldn't molest kids to begin with.
Granted, The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure hasn't exactly mainstreamed the pedophile. The book was removed from Amazon.com amid a flood of customer complaints and, shall we say, "slow" sales. Still, it should prompt a thorough cultural examination. How did we arrive at the point where a child-molester's guidebook is available via a respected retail outlet? It is similar to how ships change course unbeknownst to their crews. The Pedophile's Guide is but another moral degree that our culture has strayed from its original course.
For instance, marriage was once the sacred domain of a man and a woman, with sexual relations reserved for matrimony. That cultural norm has changed. Four in ten Americans now consider marriage obsolete, and "shacking up" is nearly as common as matrimony. The thought of reserving intercourse for marriage is summarily dismissed, as evidenced by the increase[1] in unwed[2] pregnancies over the last forty years. Such pregnancies are now standard fare, where once they were cause for shame.
Homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality -- previously shunned as the domain of deviants -- are now alternative lifestyles. Homosexuality is even considered the superior attraction in some circles. In Hollywood, for example, it's "in" to be "out." The thought of same-sex marriage never crossed the mind a generation ago. But it's rapidly gaining popularity across the societal spectrum, reaching majority status among Americans under age thirty. Anyone who questions the purity in such activities is labeled homophobic, which is almost like being identified as a Klansman.
Moral bearings aren't lost overnight. It's the result of incremental course deviations. Bit by bit, the unthinkable becomes commonplace. Considering the slight alterations in cultural morality that produced our present state, is it beyond belief that future generations will consider "pedosexuality" an "alternative lifestyle"? We'd be foolish to dismiss the possibility.
Few people believe that mankind has ever practiced perfect virtue, in public or in private. But it's blatantly naïve to think the deviations we tolerate today wouldn't have caused our grandparents to wash our minds out with soap. Humanity's moral ship is adrift. The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure is the latest deviation toward a wayward destination.
Anthony W. Hager has authored more than 250 articles for various newspapers, periodicals, and websites. Contact him via his website, www.therightslant.com.
[1] National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2006, With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans, Hyattsville, MD: 2006, p. 145, Table 10 (pdf file, p. 162)
