Homosexuality or Pedophilia

by | Dec 9, 2025 | Opinions, Politics, Queer Community

Homosexuality or Pedophilia Child sexual abuse

Recently I ran into a post online that asked whether people were more offended by homosexuality or pedophilia. I had my own ideas on this and I answered with what I knew at the time, but I felt like this topic deserved a little time to research. If you are interested, I hope you learn something from what I found.

I was raised being told homosexuality was an abomination to God, it was taught that way in my church. I don’t remember my parents saying much about it. But they tried to never talk about sex at all so that doesn’t seem off to me. My school teachers taught me about sex. They also taught me what to do if I was trapped by a kidnapper or abuser. Later, I learned about sex, health and rape from friends who had experienced situations I had not. I had begun working in childcare at 15 and was taking child development classes and reading books for these classes and also books that my friends were reading to help them heal.

When I was a young adult, I finally met a queer person. Then I met a few more. Although I was nervous of them, they didn’t seem to be very different than any other person I had ever known.

One night I was up late, ironing clothes, and there was a show on about a gay pastor. He was married and he and his husband had adopted 2 children. They were just like any other family I had ever known. They loved God, their community, and each other. It was beautiful and honest. I suddenly knew you could be gay and love God and God would love you back.

Years later, I realized I was queer. God did not leave me. He encouraged me. As I studied more, I learned that the word homosexual was not even in the bible until February 11,1946. Before that, sexual sin was rape between adults and children or in a situation where men were in a submissive position because the culture in the time the bible was written, would not allow for a man to be submissive.

Pedophilia (persistent sexual interest in children) is a paraphilia. Homosexuality is sexual interest in the same sex. Although in the people studied, in the article I read, there were similarities found between homosexuals and pedophiles, there were no similarities that were a causation. It is found that age and gender are a sexual interest (pedophilia) characteristic and affection an orientation definition. People who are willing to accept that they have an unacceptable sexual interest may be able to go through therapy to change their sexual interest from children to adults since genetics, sex drive, gender and orientation are not seen as part of their issue.

The terms have been confused or misused among professionals on many platforms. We know the definition of pedophilia and child molestation but hebephilia is sometimes used to describe adult sexual attractions to adolescents or children who have reached puberty. So where pedophilia and hebephilia describe a preference, child sexual abuse is used to describe actual. The legal age of consent in the state of Washington is 16, if you are interested.

Also many people want to refer to abusers as homosexual or heterosexual child molesters, this may not be the case. Many abusers are stuck in a state of fixation. Fixation means “a temporary or permanent arrestment of psychological maturation resulting from unresolved formative issues which persist and underlie the organization of subsequent phases of development.” In order for these abusers to be assigned an orientation, they would have to have an attraction to adult partners, but child abusers that are fixated on children, alone, are stuck in an early stage of development. These people require a more focused type of therapy.

I think people make a bigger deal out of homosexuality or queerness because it has been taught loudly. Gender norms have been shoved down our throats everywhere, especially the church. We have been taught that if a man wears a dress, he is a pervert, but men wore dresses and had long hair in the bible. In society we have been taught that being compassionate or sensitive is only for women, so our men are lonely. We have taught men that it a woman’s responsibility to make sure that men are not attracted to her. We don’t punish pedophiles and rapists like we do for crimes that are much less violent, violating and life altering.

In Washington State child molestation is a class A felony that is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison, and/or a fine of $50,000 when it can be proven that sexual contact has occurred between a victim under the age of 12 and an offender at least three years older than the victim. This sounds just and right, but I know a level 3 sex offender that did not serve a life sentence and they were a repeat offender in Washington State. So there are ways around these laws and people use them. RCW 9A.44.083.

In our society we have taken man’s natural need for emotional support and intimacy, that is not sexual, away from him and not made him accountable for his own actions. Most pedophiles are male. And most laws regarding child sex abuse and rape are made to protect the suspect, not the victim. Rape victims are often not believed. They often have to relive their abuse over and over and they have trouble proving what happened to them. It is part of the patriarchy we live in and continue to support.

Even many gay men choose to stay in the closet instead of being honest because society says it is better to be a pedophile than queer. I also know men that have been raped and chose to do nothing because of their fear of what other’s would do. This is why I think homosexuality bothers some people more than pedophilia.

For a long time homosexuality was seen as a mental health issue, but over time it has become proven to be part of our design as a human. Sexual orientation is defined as “attraction to members of the same sex, both sexes, or the other sex… behavior, attraction, identity and arousal…tend to go together, but not always. There is no evidence to suggest that individuals can consciously alter their genital arousal to fit a certain identity label.”

Pedophiles and sex abusers “intentionally and methodically seek out vulnerable children.” Sexual abuse is an act of power and control, not a reflection of sexual orientation. All victims, but especially LGBTQ victims, may internalize societal stigma or feel their sexual orientation is “caused” by abuse but studies show no direct causality between abuse and sexual orientation.

Jesus loves children and the bible has many verses that supports this (Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 127:3, Proverbs 22:6, Proverbs 31:6, Isaiah 54:13, Mark 10:14, Matthew 18:10, Luke 18:16, 1 Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 6:4, 2 Timothy 3:15, Colossians 3:21, James 1:27). The bible doesn’t specifically have words about child molestation and I am happy to let Jesus have the last words on this:

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

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