If Santorum had instead said that an adult man in a position of authority having sex with a minor is horrible, and akin to bestiality no one would blink. Maybe in his head he can't distinguish between pedophilia and homosexuality? If the two are confused in his brain- if he thinks a normal homosexual is one that will rape a child then the vitriol makes sense. Every conversation should start with precise definitions of what people are talking about.
Though if it were right I'm not sure it'd be much of an excuse. Just because - to take a different example - some people can't distinguish in their heads between Americans and the actions of the American government, or between Jews and the actions of the Israeli government, doesn't absolve those people from the responsibility for the bigoted views that result from that.
Anyway, to get back to the pedophilia - homosexuality issue, it doesn't make much sense to suppose he can't distinguish between the two. But there certainly is a fundamental disconnect between someone like Santorum and someone like, well, me for one on this issue: for him, the concept of a sexual act involving two male persons is so problematic that his very first and most fundamental category for sexual acts is that: the genders of the people involved. Priests sexually abusing young boys, by that logic, is first and foremost a sexual act involving two men, and problematic for that reason; the abuse of power, violation of trust and heavy damage to the child's psyche comes only after that.
For someone like that, the scientific view that genders are of secondary importance in pedophilia and that such a priest's "normal" (= non-pedophiliac) sexual urges (if he has any) in most cases are still oriented to women, makes no sense. That definitely does not mean they think all homosexuals are pedophiles; it does mean they think all (male) pedophiles who abuse boys are homosexuals.
I haven't seen the exact quote Roland is referring to, but I strongly suspect you'll find that what Santorum said - or intended, at least - was something in that vein. Not that priests abusing boys wasn't rape or wasn't horrible, but that he considered those priests to be homosexuals, while the gay community (obviously) does not. Of course the latter has science on its side (and myself, to avoid misunderstandings), but then Santorum is the kind of guy who actually likes being on the other side from science, one would suspect.
Santorum is #2 in Iowa
04/01/2012 01:24:13 PM
- 1747 Views
would you stop using that word? It is gross. *NM*
04/01/2012 01:48:45 PM
- 572 Views
What's your word for it? *NM*
04/01/2012 03:43:44 PM
- 523 Views
Well, there's nothing wrong with Santoruming in the privacy of one's home.
04/01/2012 02:35:56 PM
- 1064 Views
yeah that it so funny
04/01/2012 03:05:59 PM
- 932 Views
he kind of brought it on himself by being so decidedly anti-gay that it pissed lots of people off
04/01/2012 04:36:39 PM
- 974 Views
maybe the gays brought all the gay bashing on themselves
05/01/2012 03:18:15 PM
- 1173 Views
Civility is a social contract
05/01/2012 04:39:46 PM
- 941 Views
so now that the gays have broken that contract they are fair game?
05/01/2012 06:37:52 PM
- 691 Views
Re: so now that the gays have broken that contract they are fair game?
06/01/2012 05:29:49 PM
- 948 Views
So is it OK if just insult the gays who are politically active and push their agenda?
06/01/2012 06:16:30 PM
- 976 Views
If you call them out by name for hypocrisy, then sure.
10/01/2012 05:22:34 PM
- 998 Views
yes but once you have thrown out all civil decency why start getting nuanced?
11/01/2012 09:09:13 PM
- 920 Views
Actually, your response was expected
04/01/2012 10:08:33 PM
- 1028 Views
do you still pretend that it isn't political?
05/01/2012 03:14:25 PM
- 868 Views
I'm sorry
05/01/2012 03:52:57 PM
- 972 Views
funny how it always woks out that way
05/01/2012 06:44:55 PM
- 774 Views
Believe what you will, but my wok skills are poor
05/01/2012 07:32:17 PM
- 936 Views
You should ask one of the gays to help you. I hear the gays are good at cooking. *NM*
06/01/2012 01:54:21 AM
- 613 Views
Santorum is a man who believes you must compare homosexual love to bestiality and pedophilia
05/01/2012 04:42:26 AM
- 944 Views
and Savage is a Man who believes that vulgar personal attacks
05/01/2012 03:12:42 PM
- 1091 Views
Why should a person tolerate intolerance? (Serious question.) *NM*
05/01/2012 08:46:05 PM
- 645 Views
The question boils down to why should someone tolerate what they think is wrong.
05/01/2012 10:53:40 PM
- 905 Views
and when santorum tells you that your lifestyle is worse than pedophilia and bestiality?
06/01/2012 03:34:52 AM
- 860 Views
To be fair...
06/01/2012 05:32:31 AM
- 1004 Views
You are correct
06/01/2012 01:21:18 PM
- 1058 Views
Then it seems like it's a problem of definitions more than anything else.
06/01/2012 09:48:49 PM
- 964 Views
Following the logic to its bitter end. Why do I do this to myself???
06/01/2012 10:14:01 PM
- 1029 Views
I'm fairly sure your theory is wrong.
06/01/2012 10:42:14 PM
- 1031 Views
Those are really not equivalent.
06/01/2012 04:18:37 PM
- 822 Views
Re: Those are really not equivalent.
06/01/2012 10:27:11 PM
- 952 Views
I don't like your definition of tolerance and you're not consistent with it anyway.
07/01/2012 01:49:05 AM
- 986 Views
In case you were curious, I really disagree with your understanding of tolerance. *NM*
09/01/2012 08:24:45 PM
- 602 Views
So at this point, most of the candidates had a moment at the top. Kind of awesome.
05/01/2012 11:22:50 PM
- 932 Views
that is why Perry is staying in the race
06/01/2012 06:20:54 PM
- 900 Views
He should stay, they should all stay. Trump should get back into it and Palin should jump in too.
06/01/2012 07:00:52 PM
- 843 Views
It would be the joke of the year if Huntsman got a turn.
06/01/2012 10:59:36 PM
- 852 Views
Is he a bigger long shot than Santorum, though? Gingrich? Bachman? CAIN!?
07/01/2012 01:34:47 AM
- 950 Views
Yes, for the reason you state.
07/01/2012 03:04:39 PM
- 910 Views
I really do not agree.
09/01/2012 08:51:46 PM
- 943 Views
Like I said, check Obamas numbers any time in the last year and a half.
10/01/2012 11:41:47 AM
- 820 Views
More like everyone has had a moment running second to Romney.
07/01/2012 01:59:25 PM
- 842 Views
It's not a foregone conclusion yet.
07/01/2012 04:03:51 PM
- 952 Views
It kinda is; Paul cannot even win a majority of Republicans, let alone the country.
07/01/2012 09:09:07 PM
- 926 Views
Ironically, Paul has a better chance of winning the general election than the republican primary.
07/01/2012 10:14:07 PM
- 1015 Views
What's the likelihood of Paul running as an independent/3rd party if he doesn't get the GOP nod? *NM*
07/01/2012 10:21:23 PM
- 348 Views
Not very high, I think. He didn't try it last time either, and it would hand Obama the election. *NM*
08/01/2012 01:29:01 AM
- 467 Views
many states have laws that you cannot run 3rd party after being on the ballot for a party primary
08/01/2012 06:12:36 AM
- 1050 Views
Yes, he and Romney have that in common, but Pauls positions are (mostly) sincere.
10/01/2012 03:46:04 PM
- 1027 Views
give up the hope it is nothing more than a pipe dream
09/01/2012 02:57:03 PM
- 963 Views
All of the republican candidates are pipe dreams.
09/01/2012 08:56:57 PM
- 763 Views
I find Ron Paul absolutely infuriating.
09/01/2012 10:44:09 PM
- 1026 Views
Um...
10/01/2012 03:54:53 PM
- 859 Views
Paul is an equal opportunity infuriator, to borrow Vivien's word.
09/01/2012 10:56:57 PM
- 923 Views
The original santorum 2003 interview for those who want to know
07/01/2012 05:32:00 AM
- 1144 Views
And here is the 2002 op ed where he blamed liberalism causing the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal
07/01/2012 05:36:39 AM
- 952 Views