The way I read it, the comment is restricted to what makes one an adult... not what makes one a worthy member of society.

But I like your car analogy, BTW. And I don't think anyone would disagree with you on whether the arbitrary age of 18 makes one (magically) an adult. The difference is, whether you're ready or not (at 18 ), the legal system will hold you accountable. Some 16 year olds are more mature than some 21 year olds. But generally speaking, the opposite is probably true (hopefully).

Great discussion.

__________________
"Tweeter was a Boyscout before she went to Vietnam and found out the hard way... nobody gives a d@mn."

Not necessarily, those that haven't reached legal adulthood simple fulfill there roles as best they can, by living the life of a teenager, having fun, preparing for the road ahead, forming an identity and know what it's like to be an adult.

Kind of like test-driving adulthood, to go along with the witty car analogy.

but I thought polygamy wasn't the next step from gay marriage. It's no shock that the ACLU supports it. Marrying animals is next. Maybe then kids. Actually a 13 year old can marry with parental consent.

__________________
All you need to know about the energy crisis:
ANWR Exploration Republicans: 91% Supported. Democrats: 86% Opposed.
Coal-to-liquid R's: 90% YES. D's: 78% NO.
Oil Shale Exploration R's: 90% YES. D's: 86% NO.
Outer Continental Shelf Exploration R's: 81% YES. D's: 83% NO.
Increased Refinery Capacity R's: 97% YES. D's: 96% NO

SUMMARY: 91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of America’s own oil and gas. 86% of House Democrats have historically voted against.

Polygamy isn't the next step from gay marriage. There is NO next step from gay marriage for reasonable people who support gay marriage. Linking what the ACLU believes with what reasonable people believe with regard to gay marriage is a lot like linking what Ann Coulter believes with what reasonable people believe.

__________________
"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

"granting consent" will be next.

Who wants to argue age of consent and state's rights with me?

__________________
I was banned from godlike productions(over 400 times)... and loved it.

"I haven't made you angry, have I?" -Malcolm Reynolds

Why do you assume that? The slippery slope argument has long been known as one of the logical fallacies. Polygamy can be right or wrong depending on context: Are all the adults in the relationship sharing power, or is there a harem effect: Are all of the people in the polygamous (the new word, far less sexist, is polyamorous, and I like it much better) adults and able to make decisions?

Pedophilia, however, despite being widely practiced and sanctioned in many cultures in many times and places, has no place in modern society. More and more scientific evidence shows that children and teens are not able to make the rational decisions necessary for a sexual relationship to not be harmful, and Western society has drawn a clear line of demarcation.

And in case you're wondering, no, I'm not polyamorous, I'm monogamous, but (literally) some of my best friends are polyamorous. I'm not brave enough to risk my happy marriage for any potential benefits, and I'm too curmudgeonly to have more than one love, however.

__________________
"Speak your mind even if your voice shakes" -- Maggie Kuhn

Bad argument. No, Adam did not have sex with his children, but several other biblical patriarchs did, and indeed God himself appears to be a pedophile, as Mary is believed to have been around 14 years old when Jesus was born.

The patriarchs of the old testament were not above setting their daughters out to be raped by mobs, or killing their children at God's whim. Pedophilia was the least of their sins.

A better argument is that Western society has drawn a new line regarding pedophilia, and that the creation of children as a protected class, which did not exist before Victorian times, is a better safety factor for children in society than Biblical learnings.

__________________
"Speak your mind even if your voice shakes" -- Maggie Kuhn

I'm fine with polygamy. What do I care? As long as everyone is of age and of sound mind it's none of my business what they do. It does not affect me in the least nor does it harm anyone. Hence, I'm fine with it.

__________________
I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

"Pedophilia, however, despite being widely practiced and sanctioned in many cultures in many times and places, has no place in modern society. More and more scientific evidence shows that children and teens are not able to make the rational decisions necessary for a sexual relationship to not be harmful, and Western society has drawn a clear line of demarcation. "


The problem is that you are not looking at this from both sides of the fence. As distasteful as it sounds, you have to see this as the pedophiles do. And they see this as an open chance to legitimize their behaviour in the context of society.

The slippery slope is a logical fallacy..... unless someone is working to actually implement the slippery slope... it is a fallacy until it is a reality.

__________________
I was banned from godlike productions(over 400 times)... and loved it.

"I haven't made you angry, have I?" -Malcolm Reynolds

However, in this case I don't think it's relevant. While sexual freedom for adults has been extended a great deal in the last generation or so, concurrently sexual freedoms for minors (and for those who prey on minors) has been curtailed. When I was a teen in New Mexico, the age of consent was 14.

Now most states have ages of consent from 16-18, and several of them have "Romeo and Juliet" policies either written or unwritten, where if the two parties are close enough in age but one is a legal adult and the other isn't they'll look the other way. While teens have been accomodated in their urges to explore by these policies, the penalties for being a child predator keep multiplying. I think society is heading toward stronger protections (in many areas) for children and greater freedoms for adults. I don't think that the extremely marginalized population of pedophiles can make a dent in this environment.

__________________
"Speak your mind even if your voice shakes" -- Maggie Kuhn