Originally posted by Amsterdam Originally posted by sven @Amsterdam Although I don't agree with the idea of child brides, these child marriages don't mean there is pedofilia involved. Many muslim countries have ages of consent, just like ours. The fact that they are married does not impliate they are allowed to have sex, nor does it implicate the brides live with their husband until they reach the age of consent. It was not long ago that the age of consent in the US was 10 (19th century).     Who knows Sven to be honest. Things wont change in Islam and i dont think there is a law for this there either, its their culture. (If anyone wants a more detailed explanation i will be happy to provide it). I dont want to get too detailed on this but would fondling your 9 year old wife be seen a paedophilia in the rest of the world.   Terry mentioned a Taboo here in Brazil, well many arabs decendants live in Brazil, mainly Syrians and Lebanese i believe, more than most people realize i think, so they may have brought some of their culture here, but that would be just a guess as to why it does happen here, but i am fairly convinced of it, coupled with the fact that there is widespread poverty here.   Edit. And although Wiki makes reference to the Arab Brazilian decendants being mainly in the the southern regions, believe me, i dont think they are. I have travelled around the middle east and there are plenty of people up here in the northeast that look distinctly arabic looking to me.  I have thought it for a long time. I was talking to a doctor the other month and his name was Tariq.   The question remains though, why did they come to Brazil?   Quote "The Arabs arrived by themselves. Even though they did not appreciate having a Turkish passport because they were their enemies at the time, it made it possible for the Arabs to disembark here and freely cross the Brazilian territory. Unlike many other European immigrants who were confined to a coffee plantation, the Arabs were a bridge between the city and Brazil countryside, the main house and the hut. They could take goods and culture to all over Brazil, from the north to the south, generating a new model of commerce in Brazil."   Aikman, and Michel Temer, the current Vice President of Brazil and both of Lebanese descent.

Edited by Amsterdam - 27 August 2012 at 22:57

Originally posted by Steven Aside from the horrific and senseless massacre in Colorodo, another story making the national news in the U.S. is the disappearance of two young girls in the state of Iowa. Foul play is suspected in this case which raised a question from my Brazilian wife as to why pedophilia is so prevalent in the U.S.? She remarked that these stories are never heard in Brazil. (i.e. Jerry Sandusky - Penn State). My question on the topic is whether or not the same degree of pedophilia exists in Brazil or whether there are simply so many more horrible things to report about that pedophilia falls off of the news radar? I have to agree with her - during our years in Brazil I don't recall seeing much on this topic in the news. Any opinions?

Interesting - my Brazilian wife used to say the same thing in the UK, expressing surprise at 'how much' there was going on, based on news reports, and always following up with a declaration that it doesn't happen in Brazil. I think it's more a case of it being thought distasteful to report on the news, who prefer a good juicy murder between adults to sensationalise and pontificate about!

Strangely, there appears to be an attempt to change the act regarding age of consent, and lowering it from 14 to 12, which would then save Brazil having to worry about this too much anyway. So I would say it's just as rife here as anywhere else, potentially more so in smaller remote communities where the aggressor can more easily 'get away with it' and with the change in laws proposed, a 12 year old girl will soon be fair game for many a drunken Uncle or neighbour..

Conversely, with regards to culpability for committing crime, that 12 year old would only be considered an adult in the eyes of the law once they turn 18, so we could see a situation where said 12 year old shoots a male 'partner' in the head after he claims he had legal consensual sexual relations with her, and not be tried for committing a criminal act on the basis of being a minor? Go figure...it's a funny world.

Originally posted by jacare Last night, if you had watched the live feed of rover Curiosity's landing on Mars, on the web from NASA control in Pasadena, you might have seen something to be proud of as an American.

I'm actually offended that we effectively defunded NASA to pay for the Iraq war, about which George Bush said, that in the face of overwhelmingly negative popular opinion, he spoke with God and God told him that the war was the right thing to do.

I'm going to come clean and just say that I hate Christians, and they don't bother me nearly as much here as they do there.

I'm going to come clean and just say that I hate Christians, and they don't bother me nearly as much here as they do there.
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