Sexual ethics

As I tend to say over and over, ethics comes not from how we feel about things but from the basic principles of compassion, utility, and equality.

Now any sex act where one of the people involved either does not understand or does not want it is violation of equality, and is of course rape.

Even when both parties are willing, if it does harm, such as spread disease or hurt one or the other emotionally, then it violates utility and is again wrong. Infidelity too is wrong if it hurts one's spouse emotionally or otherwise, no matter how consenting the partners are.

It seems to me highly likely that adults having sex with minors is highly prone to hurt the minor emotionally, and to adversely affect their normal maturation. That being the case it should be avoided. I personally, as I have said before, have no attraction to teenagers. In fact my partner is my age -- we are both old codgers. However, it is too easy to condemn things we have no inclination toward -- this is hypocritical and lacks compassion and is also wrong.

Morality is not easy, and has to be settle not with rules but with reasoning derived from rational principles. There is no rule that stands up under all circumstances -- I would be perfectly capable of killing Pol Pot given the chance.