Different countries have different ages for consent don't they?

-PB

Vatican City raises age of consent from 12 to 18 following scandals

Pope Francis has announced an overhaul of the Vatican City criminal code, with the age of consent raised and stiffer punishments for pedophiles within the city state
12 JULY 2013 | BY ANDREW POTTS
Pope Francis
Photo by Casa Rosada
Vatican City’s equal age of consent is being raised from 12 to 18 following the announcement of an overhaul of the Catholic Church’s criminal code by Pope Francis.

Francis has also ordered that Vatican City adopt international norms to prevent transnational criminal activities.

‘It is … necessary for the international community to adopt adequate legal instruments to prevent and counter criminal activities, by promoting international judicial cooperation on criminal matters,’ Francis said in a statement released by the Holy See yesterday.

‘In ratifying numerous international conventions in these areas, and acting also on behalf of Vatican City State, the Holy See has constantly maintained that such agreements are effective means to prevent criminal activities that threaten human dignity, the common good and peace.’

Until now Vatican City has had the lowest age of consent in Europe despite decades of child sex scandals within the church, while sex between people of the same sex has been legal in the city state since 1889.

Under the new rules, sex with a person under the age of 18, prostitution or possession of child pornography will be punished with up to 12 years in prison.

Previously such crimes would have been punished with a maximum sentence of 3 to 10 years.

However Francis has also made it a crime for agents of the church to leak Vatican information after Vatican butler to Pope Benedict XVI, Paolo Gabriele, leaked information about corruption within the Catholic church - potentially discouraging whistleblowers.

The US based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called the changes merely cosmetic.

‘While the headlines may proclaim “Pope makes new church rules about abuse,” the fine print makes it clear that there’s just one rule, and it purportedly makes more child sexual violence illegal on the 0.2 square miles of Vatican property,’ SNAP spokesman David Clohessy said.

‘In the real world, this changes virtually nothing. It’s is precisely the kind of ‘feel good’ gesture that Vatican officials have long specialized in: tweaking often-ignored and ineffective internal church abuse guidelines to generate positive headlines but nothing more.

‘The church hierarchy doesn't need new rules on abuse. It needs to follow long-established secular laws on abuse. And it needs to push for, not oppose, real reforms to archaic, predator-friendly secular laws - like the statute of limitations.

‘Church officials, starting with Pope Francis, need to actually punish those who conceal and enable abuse, which they have ample power to do but inadequate courage to do. Sacking even one of the hundreds of complicit bishops across the world would do far more to protect kids and deter cover ups than this small change to a rule that’s likely never been or never will be used.’

- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/vatican-city-raises-age-consent-12-18-following-scandals120713#sthash.6iJpsjWV.dpuf

Without jumping into the discussions about right/wrong and where the social norms should be set, I just had to say that as soon as I saw that this article came from Pat Dollard's website I stopped taking it seriously. Dollard is a paranoid right-wing f*ckknuckle who makes the likes of Sarah Palin look well balanced.

Meanwhile, what the bill referred to in the article is actually saying is that people shouldn't be discriminated against because of their orientation - rather that it should be about their actual behavior. So long as under-age sex remains illegal then there isn't an issue.

If your age is on the clock, get ready for the cock.

Nice segue in to the next 'what about'..

Brother, sister. Consenting adults. Using protection. Should it be ok?

Different countries have different ages for consent don't they?

-PB

Well, she was 6-7 when they were married, but Muhammad was gentleman enough to wait until she was 9 to consummate.

A mental disorder or psychiatric disorder is a psychological pattern or anomaly, potentially reflected in behavior, that is generally associated with distress or disability, and which is not considered part of normal development in a person's culture.

Well, she was 6-7 when they were married, but Muhammad was gentleman enough to wait until she was 9 to consummate.

Well, Mohammed does marry a 9 y/o Ayesha (I think that was her name). I've no idea if pedophilia was involved as he may have just married her as part of some kind of arrangement.

If he did then it well and truly belongs in this thread. Heck, I invoked Michelangelo.

Edited by thupercoach: 29/7/2013 11:54:24 PM

This thread is going to end well.

Ignoring the fact of course that it was Muhammad that took a 9 year old bride, not Allah.

Doesn't matter what you say, it's what they hear you say.

*ahem* I'll assume the role of your typical Islamic apologist here

"You don't understand their culture" "not everyone is like that" "Stop being such a bigot"

Edited by 433: 29/7/2013 10:43:40 PM

Well I expected some form of shit storm but I did not expect it to the blurring of normal. I don't think it is natural to go after children. I mean have you ever looked an eleven year old and thought 'damn dat ass?' No. Unless you were Allah. In that case, go ahead.

Don't care too much for religion. At no point did I say they were 'all like that'.

*ahem* I'll assume the role of your typical Islamic apologist here

"You don't understand their culture" "not everyone is like that" "Stop being such a bigot"

Edited by 433: 29/7/2013 10:43:40 PM

Well I expected some form of shit storm but I did not expect it to the blurring of normal. I don't think it is natural to go after children. I mean have you ever looked an eleven year old and thought 'damn dat ass?' No. Unless you were Allah. In that case, go ahead.

For me, wrong, but when it involves consenting adults it's really nobody's business but the consenting adults involved.

Isn't pedophilia genetically normal?

-PB

Nice segue in to the next 'what about'..

Brother, sister. Consenting adults. Using protection. Should it be ok?