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Is alcoholism a disease? Is pedophilia?

Enola

Enola

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No and No, in my opinion. I don't think either one can be classified as a "disease", but I am no medical scientist either.

What say you?

Meanwhile, Greece has decided that pedophilia IS a disease and therefore the "sufferer" of it can reap disability benefits. :shock:


(if this is in the wrong forum, please move it to the proper one, mods. It isn't really "health", and I don't think it's philosophical...so I wasn't sure where to place it).

Furor in Greece over pedophilia as a disability - Yahoo! News
 
Crikey, that's idiotic. (Greece.)

All addiction is weakness, not "disease." It may be partially in your genetic makeup, but it's still weakness.
 
From the article:

The new list gives pyromaniacs and pedophiles disability pay up to 35 percent, compared to 80 percent for heart transplant recipients.
Click to expand...


Wait a second here they get disability pay? The pedophiles and pyros belong in a confined situation. Three square and a cot should count for pay.
 
I know there is supposedly a gene that kicks in when someone has it, and takes that first drink. But mostly I agree with you. Maybe not a weakness, which sounds kind of bad....but more like...uncontrollable? Lack of self will? Which in essence is weakness, I guess, but sounds better. However, classifying it as a "disease"? That's stretching it a bit far in my humble opinion. More like a cop out term they can latch on to. Another form of co dependency on someone or in this case, someTHING (the word Disease) rather than the problem itself....their choice to drink.

In Greece, it IS a cop out and a great way to encourage pervs and molesters because it's not really their fault they raped a kid. It was not them. It was their DISEASE.:roll:

And to make it worse, they can claim benefits for it. That's just wrong on so many levels.
 
Enola said:
I know there is supposedly a gene that kicks in when someone has it, and takes that first drink. But mostly I agree with you. Maybe not a weakness, which sounds kind of bad....but more like...uncontrollable? Lack of self will? Which in essence is weakness, I guess, but sounds better. However, classifying it as a "disease"? That's stretching it a bit far in my humble opinion. More like a cop out term they can latch on to. Another form of co dependency on someone or in this case, someTHING (the word Disease) rather than the problem itself....their choice to drink.

In Greece, it IS a cop out and a great way to encourage pervs and molesters because it's not really their fault they raped a kid. It was not them. It was their DISEASE.:roll:

And to make it worse, they can claim benefits for it. That's just wrong on so many levels.
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It is ****ing idiotic! A potential heart transplant patient is in a situation where they can not work. I know this from first hand experience. A pedo a pyro can work there is nothing physically and IMO mentally keeping them from working in a confined situation.

Now if one is seeing hallucinations, schizophrenic yea there is a problem in regards to working. Pedos and pyro's though.?
 
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Enola said:
No and No, in my opinion. I don't think either one can be classified as a "disease", but I am no medical scientist either.

What say you?

Meanwhile, Greece has decided that pedophilia IS a disease and therefore the "sufferer" of it can reap disability benefits. :shock:


(if this is in the wrong forum, please move it to the proper one, mods. It isn't really "health", and I don't think it's philosophical...so I wasn't sure where to place it).

Furor in Greece over pedophilia as a disability - Yahoo! News
Click to expand...

Yes, alcoholism is categorized as a disease - specifically a neurological disorder.

Pedophilia is a psychological disorder.
 
[video]http://comedians.jokes.com/norm-macdonald/videos/norm-macdonald---comparing-diseases[/video]

Do watch. Embedding attempt failed miserably.
 
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We know that some people are more predisposed to it and that it can be a huge psychological prison. But it also involves character and choice. One must not take the 'disease' part of it as the whole and consider it just something that a person is a victim of with no choice, but nor should we forget that it is not a choice in the sense that the person can usually recover at whim and that it can be very hard.
 
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Wessexman said:
We know that some people are more predisposed to it and that it can be a huge psychological prison. But it also involves character and choice. One must not take the 'disease' part of it as the whole and consider it just something that a person is a victim of with no choice, but nor should we forget that it is not a choice in the sense that the person can usually recover at whim and that it can be very hard.
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Do you think they should get disability pay?
 
Regarding pedophilia specifically, I believe it is a disease, but... in such a way that warrants incarceration, not disability pay. Shoot, disability pay only gives them more time to do it.

Alcoholism? I don't know. Maybe.
 
I tend to think that if one considers pedophilia a disease, then one must likewise consider homosexuality one too. They are both a matter of sexual preference and these considerations cannot be divided by the prevailing standards of the times. Bestiality and incest have almost always been universally taboo, while the former have varied between acceptable and taboo over time and culture.

With pedophilia we run into what I consider grey areas in definition. I cannot accept that a 20 year old boinking a willing 15 year old should be considered either pedophilia or a crime.
 
Hey, go easy on the Greeks. Pederasts virtually created Greek civilisation. Socrates, Aristophanes, Pericles, Alexander the Great and Phillip of Macedonia, Archimedes, Theucidides...need I go on?)

Judge your attitude towards them as you would slave-owning presidents.
 
Meathead said:
I tend to think that if one considers pedophilia a disease, then one must likewise consider homosexuality one too. They are both a matter of sexual preference and these considerations cannot be divided by the prevailing standards of the times. Bestiality and incest have almost always been universally taboo, while the former have varied between acceptable and taboo over time and culture.

With pedophilia we run into what I consider grey areas in definition. I cannot accept that a 20 year old boinking a willing 15 year old should be considered either pedophilia or a crime.
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Good point. Of course the favored argument is that homosexuality is not a preference but "immutable." Born that way, as the song goes. Do pedophiles claim the same? I would assume so.
 
Andalublue said:
Hey, go easy on the Greeks. Pederasts virtually created Greek civilisation. Socrates, Aristophanes, Pericles, Alexander the Great and Phillip of Macedonia, Archimedes, Theucidides...need I go on?)

Judge your attitude towards them as you would slave-owning presidents.
Click to expand...

Slave owning presidents were born that way, I suppose. It took time and war to show that slavery was an option we could do without.
 
LuckyDan said:
Slave owning presidents were born that way, I suppose. It took time and war to show that slavery was an option we could do without.
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I was just joshing with you.

A little bit perturbed that the old homophobic nut of comparing paedophilia with homosexuality raised its head again though. When it does I always replace the word 'homosexual' with 'heterosexual' and see how that plays.
 
Andalublue said:
I was just joshing with you.

A little bit perturbed that the old homophobic nut of comparing paedophilia with homosexuality raised its head again though. When it does I always replace the word 'homosexual' with 'heterosexual' and see how that plays.
Click to expand...

I got it.

So Aristphanes and Alexander, too, huh? Dayum.
 
Andalublue said:
Hey, go easy on the Greeks. Pederasts virtually created Greek civilisation. Socrates, Aristophanes, Pericles, Alexander the Great and Phillip of Macedonia, Archimedes, Theucidides...need I go on?)

Judge your attitude towards them as you would slave-owning presidents.
Click to expand...
Was Aristophanes involved in it? From his work he seems peculiarly 'hetero' compared with the stereotypes of the ancient Greeks.
 
Haven't read all replies but those aren't diseases, they are CHOICES! Why should and alch, or a pedo get the same sympathy or wear the same title of a person suffering from a REAL disease such as parkinsons or cancer? I love how modern psychology is always trying to put a twist on things or ''redefine'' words.
 
Enola said:
No and No, in my opinion. I don't think either one can be classified as a "disease", but I am no medical scientist either.

What say you?

Meanwhile, Greece has decided that pedophilia IS a disease and therefore the "sufferer" of it can reap disability benefits. :shock:


(if this is in the wrong forum, please move it to the proper one, mods. It isn't really "health", and I don't think it's philosophical...so I wasn't sure where to place it).

Furor in Greece over pedophilia as a disability - Yahoo! News
Click to expand...

yes, it is.
 
Harshaw said:
Crikey, that's idiotic. (Greece.)

All addiction is weakness, not "disease." It may be partially in your genetic makeup, but it's still weakness.
Click to expand...

baloney. bologna. alcoholism is not a "weakness".
 
Enola said:
No and No, in my opinion. I don't think either one can be classified as a "disease", but I am no medical scientist either.

What say you?

Meanwhile, Greece has decided that pedophilia IS a disease and therefore the "sufferer" of it can reap disability benefits.
Click to expand...

Erm, no. Paedophiles and alcoholics cannot reap social benefits. The Greek government, whatever the reasons for the new classifications, have made it very clear.

The Greek Labour Ministry said a panel of medical experts had decided to include such behavioural disorders on the list, but the new categories did not signify benefit entitlement.
Click to expand...

BBC News - Greece disability list sparks welfare benefits row

No cash for flashers

So... nothing to see here, people. Move along.
 
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