Okay a few things incorrect here:
1: p*dophilia is nature/innate. No it’s usually caused, that’s what science says. Can be caused by trauma, early exposure to porn, CSA (p*dos can make the children they abuse into p*dos), porn addiction, desensitisation to name a few.
2. Whether or not ML was bad for being attracted to ML since he was young but never acted upon it. I need you to put yourself in his shoes. Your friend’s younger brother who’s idk 10ish is playing at your house. He sits in your lap with exposed thighs. Are you going to feel something? Think of how disgusting and fucked up that is. How are you going to feel sexualising a purely innocent child? It feels wrong. BECAUSE ITS BAD. ITS A BAD THING. So yes. It’s bad. It’s not that fucking complicated. It doesn’t matter if he acted on it his character is bad and awful. If you wanna read it bc it’s a fictional character than u do that. I’m not into the ML being a weird ass p*do Shotacon so I’m giving up on this. Idk how this is even a question that needs to be asked TT
Actually MC was 13. But that does not make it any better.
Newer research shows that it's a mixture of both nature and nurture and each case is different. The question came up because of this. It's just a fun little thought experiment about the morality about this issue in grey areas. What if it's completely innate for ML? what if he was molested as a child and now developed pedophilia in response to that? etc. etc.
And to answer your second question, yes, I'd feel disgusted if I KNOW what's going on in that person's head, but (1) I won't know if it's not shown, and (2) that doesn't mean I can't separate the issue between "my brother sits on a pedo's lap" and "the pedo as a complex human being".
But I'm glad to hear some thoughts! After all, that's what this thread was for xD
I was telling you to imagine yourself as the pedo, not some else. If those feelings make u feel gross then it’s wrong is what I’m saying. to me this isn’t a grey area. He’s not “not” acting on it. If this were real life we’d hope he’d immediately remove himself from the situation and get therapy but he doesn’t do that. He continues to maintain contact with the boy. Doesn’t matter if he says he hates him. Then in the future after he’s an adult pursuers a relationship with him anyway. Which is what therapy would tell you exactly not to do. So it’s not like he’s been trying to be good? What’s the grey area? It’s also not like this is an OCD intrusive thought. He’s thinking those thoughts and even tho he’s acting on it after he’s an adult his interest was initiated when he was 13. To me this is the same as teachers falling in love with students and marrying them after graduation. That’s might be a LEGAL grey area but to me there is no grey at all. My moral compass just says it’s straight up wrong. Like…how is this a grey area I don’t even fathom. Because he didn’t act on it? Idk that’s just not enough for me
Sorry, I misread the question. I'd feel distressed about the situation and that happens with a lot of "pedo" as well.
Tbh, your moral compass can be whatever you decide and you can think however you want, but there's a part that kinda contradicts your other parts. You said it's not intrusive thoughts like OCD, but that's precisely what I'm talking about. What if it is? It's not like you can stop your attraction, so is it not intrusive especially if it distresses you?
that’s not what an intrusive thought is sorry. That is straight up just guilt. He feels guilty and disgusted that’s what that is. Those feelings of self guilt and disgust are not synonymous with intrusive thought. Intrusive thought is a defined term meaning a sudden unwanted thought. It has to be sudden, not consistent (like genuine attraction to little boys) and I cannot stress this enough: intrusive thoughts stem from a deep seated phobia or anxiety. That’s why conditions like OCD exacerbate intrusive thoughts and make them debilitating. If he’s terrified of being a p*do and is a p*do that’s not an intrusive thought, that’s guilt. And many p*dos feel disgusted with themselves yet not enough of them make changes to improve or get help. Research doesn’t even show that therapy can help. They should just remove all contact with minors but they don’t even do that. This is too close to home so it just pmo.
Well, I'm just saying it's similar to intrusive thoughts in that they're both uncontrollable. It's a mental disorder as well.. there's not enough research and people don't seek help because of the stigma.
Well, anyway, at least I've got some interaction over this topic and you've got a firm stand on it, so you do you.
Well, for any other passerby, I came across an interesting journal discussing this topic similar to my question. https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/etikk_i_praksis/article/download/1718/1836?inline=1%C2%A0Her
Ok, so how the author portrayed this story is problematic, but there's a bit I'm curious about.
To start off, there's a theory then pedophilia is partly nature or innate, so is it bad when it's not acted upon? Like in this case, ML never gets handsy with MC when he was young. He didn't even show MC how he was lusting after him (since MC said he never noticed ML's weird gaze before).
And let's not think about whether the author did a bad job or is the story is harmful, but just whether ML was bad for being attracted to ML since he was young but never act upon or allude to it.