[TWohlford]

“If sexual perversion were truly a choice, why would anyone choose it??”

Therein lies the real moral discussion.

- If all sexual behavior is hard-wired, and gays and lesbians are “born this way”, then is pedophilia hard-wired as well? What about philanderers?

- And, if being “born this way” makes it a civil rights issue, then wouldn’t that same argument apply to pedophiles, philanderers, etc? To be moral, one must be a “free moral agent” (free to choose options), and “born this way” indicates that we are not free moral agents, right?

- Finally, if we can “cure” hard-wired pedophiles, can we then “cure” gays and lesbians? Or for that matter, make hetro people in bisexual beings so they can have a better chance at sexual pleasure?

[null and void]

Perfect. I can add nothing to that post, save that if we develop a cure for the urge does that make the crime worse? As in, if a pedophile chooses to rape children, while knowing that a treatment could blunt or eliminate the danger he (or she) poses to children is that somehow worse?

OTOH how does this affect punishment?

I think we pretty much all agree that a pedophile represents an ongoing danger. Therefore we are inclined to want long/life sentences. Does this change to some prison time, with release conditional on treatment?

[freespirited]

And, if being “born this way” makes it a civil rights issue, then wouldn’t that same argument apply to pedophiles, philanderers, etc? To be moral, one must be a “free moral agent” (free to choose options), and “born this way” indicates that we are not free moral agents, right?

As I see it, science is moving in the direction that the orientation is wired in. That is, pedophiles have an orientation that makes them attracted to young children. That does not mean that they are helpless against it. Whether they act on it is their choice.

With philandering, again, I would say the temptation is wired in. Whether one acts on it is a choice. The role of "society" in creating philanderers is to either inhibit or encourage a temptation that is already present in a large percentage of the population.

That's my read of the lit.