Psychology

"There is little evidence to justify the widespread assumption that willing participation in pedophilia hurts children. Granted, children may not dare say no to an older relative, or may not realize they could say no; in that case, even if they do not overtly object, the relationship may still feel imposed to them. That's not willing participation, it's imposed participation, a different issue."

"I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. The arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren't voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea that their little baby is maturing."

"[P]rostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia … should be legal as long as no one is coerced. They are illegal only because of prejudice and narrowmindedness."

"Let's say you're a 6-month-old girl, no evidence whatsoever of any abuse. They're simply saying, 'You, in this culture, may grow up to be a child bride when you're 14. Therefore we're going to remove you now when you're 6 months old. Or, 'You're a 6-month-old boy; 25, 30 years, 40 years from now you're going to be a predator, so we're going to take you away now."

"The secrecy, the obstruction I saw during my investigation was unparalleled in my entire career as a DA...it was so difficult to obtain any information from the Church at all. The Church fails to acknowledge such a serious problem but more than that, it is not a passiveness but an openly obstructive way of not allowing authorities to try to stop the abuse within the Church. They fought us every step of the way."

"ninety-year suppression order suppressing the names of twenty-eight VIP alleged paedophiles"

"You are not guilty because of your sexual desire, but you are responsible for your sexual behavior. There is help! Don't become an offender!"

"The vast majority of the research on sexual abuse of minors didn't emerge until the early 1980s. So, it appeared reasonable at the time to treat these men and then return them to their priestly duties. In hindsight, this was a tragic mistake."

"We realise that paedophilia isn't going anywhere, so we ought to find a way to deal with the lust for children in a way that keeps actual kids out of the equation. Hence, robots. It's child molestation, without the children."

"[T]his sexual attraction has the potential to cause significant harm to others and is also not in the best interests of the individual."

"Despite knowing his history of abusing children, the Norbertine religious order moved Smyth to different dioceses where he abused more children."

"I think of those in religious orders and some of the clergy in Dublin who have to face these facts from their past, which instinctively and quite naturally they’d rather not look at. That takes courage, and also we shouldn’t forget that this account today will also overshadow all of the good that they also did."

"Dark web child sex offenders — some of whom are the very worst offenders — cannot hide from law enforcement. They're not as cloaked as they think they are, they're not as safe as they think they are."

"NAMBLA condemns sexual abuse and all forms of coercion. We insists there is a distinction between coercive and consesual sex. Laws that focus only on the age of the participants fail to capture that distinction, for they ignore the quality of the relationship. Differences in age do not preclude mutual, loving interaction between persons any more than differences in race or class. Some existing laws criminalize sexual relationships that are loving and fully consensual. These laws are ill-conceived and morally repugnant. As is our right, we advocate their repeal."

"Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as "nymphets"."

"The new must be seen as urgent and useful. Inapplicable abstractions have no place. We are weary of air castles... Such mastery as, for example, over a piece of ice or over the chemical heat of the sun, must enter the consciousness, as must also mastery of the minutest products of matter. The retardation of spiritual realization is caused by a lack of attention to the manifestations of nature. Losing the power of observation, man loses the ability to synthesize. The abolishment of the use of money will free humanity from the blinders that impair its vision. There are moments of evolution when the walls we erect to contain conventional knowledge become obstacles. The time has come for the emancipation of knowledge, and the assumption of personal responsibility for its use. A free mind has the privilege of searching out new designs based upon unusual combinations. These hitherto undetected threads will lead it to more exalted layers of matter. Beholding play that is timid and limited, the free mind is right to point out new and better combinations. 20."

"Darwin, Huxley, Spencer, and Tyndall, have not advanced a step nearer to the construction of the universe without the aid of a spiritual intelligence than Lucretius did in poems."

"We read - in the second chapter of the book of Genesis, "that the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Now this expression, being used with reference to man only, and to no other living animal, implies the divine afflation of a spiritual intelligence, — superinduced upon that principle of vitality, which is common to man, and to the whole animal"

"What is it which is shadowed in the human? What spiritual intelligence still superior looks down into the soul of man in admiration of those qualities which are most assimilated to its own? Might not such possibly, in comparison while contemplating some finer specimen of humanity, a Milton or a Newton - prefer in a Byronic vein."

"In the absence of any proof that man ever did arrive at the conviction of one supreme spiritual intelligence from the book of Nature," continues the Atheist, "tis vain for you to attempt to demonstrate than man can, by the use of his reason, or by all the suggestions of the book of Nature, possess himself of any one of the ideas which are essential to your creed. That he has never done it, is the best proof that he never can do it..." The Christian philosopher, listening to this triumphant Atheist, at this crisis most serenely interposes his dilemma — "You affirm," Mr. Atheist, says the Christian, "that the idea or the name of a supreme spiritual intelligence, called God, did not enter the human mind by supernatural revelation, and that it could not enter the human mind by reason: but the idea and the name are now in the human mind, entertained by millions of the wisest and the best men in the world. idea which it represents, first took possession of the human understanding?"

"If a spiritual intelligence discovers itself only to us by the economy of the material universe, then man's spiritual part is concerned only with the safety and happiness of his body. The truth of this is verified by observation ; for the most enlarged and successful exertions of his intelligence have been for the benefit of our duration here: All his fine talents are bemisted whenever he launches into the spiritual world, and he can do nothing but toss over incoherent material imagery which he knows not to apply how, where, or to what. When he can discover a Supreme Mind engaged in spiritual exercises, or in any thing above the care of the universe, then let him also turn his attention to spiritual life and exercises, over and above the attention due to his present existence."

"From the worship paid to these mystic shrines, and symbolic representation, intelligible to few but their priests, it was natural for a new sect to form itself, fond of a real image, or rather a fancied likeness of the favorite planet. This they made of such metal as they imaged was most consonant to its nature; of gold, to the Sun, or silver, to the Moon, or iron to Mars; - and thereby fixed the tradition of the names given to the metals by the chemists, which is equally received over the world, as their doctrine of the days of the week. Then offering, at the proper hour and precise minute of the day consecrated to the planet, the most grateful perfumes and sacrifices, which they always burnt entire, they believed that the pure spiritual intelligence, descending from its Orb at their Prayer, alighted on its mystic Symbol, said the better fort ; on its real Image, said the more sensual, which it animated, and made sometimes to speak, and at other times appear in dreams and visions, to reveal the Will of the most High God, and direct its pious Votaries to their own Advantage."

"The diabolical kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from love of self and thence in foolishness; for this love is opposite to celestial love, and its foolishness is opposite to celestial wisdom; but the satanic kingdom consists of those who are in the love of dominion from the pride of their own intelligence, and thence in insanity; for this love is opposite to spiritual love, and its insanity is opposite to spiritual intelligence."

"Man can be raised therefore from natural knowledge into spiritual intelligence and on into celestial wisdom. From the two, intelligence and wisdom, he can look to the Lord, be conjoined with Him, and thereby live to eternity."

"An invisible spiritual intelligence is an object too refined for vulgar apprehension"

"Intellectual, (Lat.) belonging to the Intellect, Spiritual."

"Against the reasoning it would be in vain to argue, as the Protestants did in their confessions, and elsewhere. "that if the saints heard the prayers of "their votaries, they must be omnipotent." There was hardly a protestant among them, that in those days, would venture to deny the indubitable maxim of St Austin, and having once placed the saints in heaven, nothing would disparage them so much as to suppose they had not as much spiritual intelligence as the Devils."

"According to the Taoists and Buddhists, as far as the individual self is concerned, it may be divided into a physical body and a spiritual intelligence, the latter being primary. Extending this idea upward, they regard this spiritual intelligence as the primary factor in Heaven and Earth, from which they go on to seek for whatever lacks shape and form, regarding it as genuine existence, whereas whatever possesses shape and form they look upon as illusory. As for the Sung Confucianists, they regard the physical body and spiritual intelligence as equally personal and private whereas Principle, for them, is derived from Heaven."

"Widow, I have been a meer Stranger for these Parts that you live in, nor did I ever know the Husband of you, and Father of them, but I truly know by certain spiritual Intelligence, that he is in Purgatory."

"I often hear the women set out this intelligence as entirely spiritual, and disdain to put the interest of the senses they have into consideration; everything there serves; but I can say that I have often seen that we have excused the weakness of their understandings in favour of their outward beauty, but have never seen that in favour of a mind, how mature and well-disposed soever, any one would lend a hand to a body that was never so little decayed. Why does not some one of them take it into her head to make that noble Socratical bargain between body and soul, purchasing a philosophical and spiritual intelligence and generation at the price of her thighs, which is the highest price she can get for them ? Plato ordains in his Laws that he who has performed any signal and advantageous exploit in war may not be refused during the whole expedition, whatever his age or deformity may be, a kiss or any other amorous favour from any woman whatever..."

"'Being watchful over oneself while alone' is to have a mind which is watchful over its own knowing. It is the same whether one is with others or by oneself. Even when one is with others, one's private thoughts are not known by others. When pursuing the solitary knowledge of one's mind, there are no external restrictions. Having no depraved thoughts, allowing no self-deception, making the will sincere - this is the meaning of 'being watchful over oneself while alone.' When a thought arises in one's mind, one spontaneously knows if it is good or evil-this is knowing. Knowing is the spiritual intelligence of the mind. It is originally without good or evil. Thus it illumines good and evil. It is like the mouth not having the five flavors, yet being able to distinguish them; or like the ear not having the five sounds and yet able to distinguish them. To take solitary knowledge as one's ruler and to watch over it - this is the meaning of honoring the virtuous nature."

"It is God's delight to converse with Men. I was for many Years in the opinion that Men did sensibly hear the voice of God. I have since learned from experience that this is not true; for their actions in every way aim'd and directed to the Earth, to the honors, riches and Pleasures of this Life, which would be impossible for one that heard the voice of God to do. This Voice is not heard with the Ear of Flesh, but by the Spiritual intelligence, because God is Spirit and the Soul Spirit and they do more sensibly understand one another in Spirit, than by any Vocal words."

"In his later years Dōgen often severely criticized the Senika heresy (sennigedo), which is the erroneous view that the mind abides while the form perishes. According to this view, there is a bright spiritual intelligence contained in our body that is the source of self-understanding. When the body dies, the spiritual intelligence alone does not perish but abides immutably. This view, Dōgen argues, when "hearing of the doctrine of this very mind (itself is buddha), takes it to mean that the discriminating knowledge of sentient beings is itself the buddha""

"While a man of superior spiritual intelligence might penetrate quickly into the nature of mind-and- heart-in-itself... the less talented must learn how to do good and avoid evil in thought and intention, until his mind-and-heart-in-itself becomes clear and manifest."

"Streisand Effect: Online phenomenon in which an attempt to censor or block information has the unintended result of drawing additional attention to it."

"How long is it going to take before lawyers realize that the simple act of trying to repress something they don't like online is likely to make it so that something that most people would never, ever see (like a photo of a urinal in some random beach resort) is now seen by many more people? Let's call it the Streisand Effect."

"There's an Internet phenomenon called the Streisand Effect. It happens when a person or company tries to suppress a piece of information and, in so doing, unintentionally popularizes it."

"Streisand Effect: When an attempt to censor or hide something from the general public results in its unexpected/sudden rise in popularity."

"Since then, the tendency of cease-and-desist letters to spread unwanted or damaging information or images has been called the Streisand Effect. So it is almost impossible for an offended person to compel the total removal of something off the web that has already achieved some notoriety without making it more widespread."

"Recently, a judge ordered some leaked documents concerning the Swiss bank Julius Baer to be removed from a Web site. But, instead of hiding the documents from public view, the judge's action drew more attention to them. The episode is the latest example of a phenomenon known as the "Streisand Effect." Robert Siegel talks with Mike Masnick, CEO of Techdirt Inc., who coined the term."

"The phenomenon is known as the Streisand Effect. The term refers to the likelihood that efforts to censor information will draw greater attention to it."

"Though, the action of the US government was intended to suppress the leaks, the ‘Streisand effect’ made sure that the outcome was exactly the opposite. People all over the world, who hadn’t even heard of the Website, were typing WikiLeaks.org on their keyboards only to find a site-unavailable message, which increased their curiosity. People sympathetic to WikiLeaks, in the meantime, had voluntarily mirrored the website in order to keep it online."

"The logic behind the Streisand Effect, however, does not have much to do with the Internet. Throughout history there has hardly been a more effective way to ensure that people talk about something than to ban discussions about it."

"As the Streisand Effect gradually becomes required textbook material for any student of public relations, it's surprising to see that some organizations and individuals still prefer to operate in the pre-Streisand age of threats and court orders. For better or worse, the Internet does not adequately respond to the threat of legal action: One simply can't sue so many often anonymous individuals from so many jurisdictions."

"It fell victim to what is often called the “Streisand effect,” in which an attempt to repress information attracts more attention to it. The controversy over the album cover sparked millions of downloads and distributions of the Virgin Killer image from other sources."

"Say you discover that people aren't just talking about you, they're bashing you. Should you step in and try to stop them? Again, the answer is absolutely no! Leave them alone – you'll only make the problems worse and create a Streisand Effect if you try to hush them up."

"More recently, in May 2011, the use of injunctions to gag the press led to a “Streisand effect” for the litigant footballer who sought an injunction to prevent the publication of details of his alleged affair."

"When the Streisand effect takes hold, contraband doesn't disappear quietly. Instead, it infects the online community in a pandemic of free-speech-fueled defiance, gaining far more attention than it would have had the information's original owners simply kept quiet."

"Mike Masnick, a blogger for Techdirt, coined the term 'Streisand effect' for events where attempts to remove content from the Internet cause it to spread broadly instead."

"The “Streisand Effect” describes what happens when an attempt to get rid of content causes it to become even more permanent."