Like Elizabeth, I was struck by that quote about controlling sexual behavior. When we Christians say the same thing about homosexuality, we are accused of heartlessly condemning people to a celibate life. How long before bleeding hearts make the same defense for pedophiles acting on their urges?

I once read an article that said if a person is having sexual desires toward children and immediately seeks help, he has a decent chance of not molesting. But once he actually commits that act, there seems to be a threshold that has been crossed, and he's gone. He is virtually hopeless at that point. I've seen television interviews with child molesters, and the honest ones flat-out say that if they get out they'll do it again.

That tells me two things. First, instead of making excuses for wrongdoing, society must be unequivocal in condemning pedophilia and demand that pedophiles get counseling instead of harming a child. Second, for the sake of protecting children from an unacceptably high risk of harm, we simply cannot let convicted child molesters go free, ever.

I was struck by the line "You are not guilty because of your sexual desire, but you are responsible for your sexual behavior." That's pretty much what I think about homosexuality. And if people really believed that, I might be willing to see pedophilia as an orientation. It's certainly a sin that not everyone is tempted by. However, since our society seems to think people are incapable of controlling desires that come from their sexual orientation, it's a very dangerous term to use.