Nonsense. Far better to "protect" your daughters by being well-informed of reality than by hurling random insults and running away. I also disagree that they needed any protection at all from this discussion. And, how many of those so offended actually have teen daughters? Not many I suspect. It's perhaps more likely that they have single daughters in their mid-20s, but I don't really believe that's true either.

I agree with you.  Hurling random insults and running away is no way to communicate.

I think the problem lies with some women may have had some emotional baggage that they have not dealt with like having boys or men be inappropriate with them when they were that age or younger.  Maybe they are still dealing with shame and guilt.  So maybe this conversation triggered some old hurts.  I don't know. And since the people don't really share stuff like that, and some women become emotional not even knowing why, we will probably never know the real answer.

It looks like it has calmed down for now.  And it is sad that so many women jumped ship. Maybe they will be back.

The visceral reaction had nothing to do with feminism and everything to do with a mama bears protection of her daughters in that age range.

So AnthonyPadua, please stop bringing up feminism. We are woman that have been formed by the society we live in. We are trying to become good Catholics. We are not becoming feminists, nor encouraging other women to do so, if it appears that way then there is a misunderstanding., or we are truly not Catholic. Period. End. Of. Story.

'mama bears' calling men pedos is not normal human behaviour, it is a testament of the times, the ideology of feminism.

I don't know why women haven't figured out the desire for a younger wife is probably linked to the desire to marry a virgin.  Men can't be certain of that with women in their 20s anymore.

I disagree somewhat. I would pick a 27yr old virgin over a 17yr old non-virgin any day. I would expect traditionally raised girls to be virgins, and any converts to tell me the truth when asked.

Younger is just usually better as youth is attractive has has no benefits/less risks in other things.

For secular women sure, you would need to find someone around 14 as most girls aren't virgins by 16 in the secular world. In fact around 50% at 14 aren't virgins...

Judging by when I graduated high school in 1977, I’ll guess 2/3 to 3/4 of the girls were virgins.  Now? 

By 18? Probably 90% not virgins.

I don't think the age of someone's daughter should matter.  I would imagine that mothers of young daughters can also have such a reaction; however, I also think that having a daughter was only one reason for some of the reactions. I think other things were at play.

I disagree, if the women have older daughters they may be worried that the 'good' (attractive) men will skip them for the teen girls. Hence a need to stop other women's daughters from being options by social engineering (making it socially unacceptable for men, eg calling them pedos).

I have a daughter. If she was 16 and she was being courted by a much older man (let's say 30 year old), I think I would be cautious but I would try not to meddle. A young man can take advantage of your daughter as well. But I'd hope that I raised her right to be able to pick the best husband. In the olden days, didn't parents marry their daughters off or at least choose their suitors?

The verses below describe protecting your daughters from losing their virginity (fornication). I think that's more critical than some older man courting your daughter.


26 Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gαy towards them. 27 Marry thy daughter well, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man. (Sirach 7:26-27)

9 The father waketh for the daughter when no man knoweth, and the care for her taketh away his sleep, when she is young, lest she pass away the flower of her age, and when she is married, lest she should be hateful: 10 In her virginity, lest she should be corrupted, and be found with child in her father's house: and having a husband, lest she should misbehave herself, or at the least become barren.

11 Keep a sure watch over a shameless daughter: lest at any time she make thee become a laughingstock to thy enemies, and a byword in the city, and a reproach among the people, and she make thee ashamed before all the multitude. 12 Behold not everybody's beauty: and tarry not among women. 13 For from garments cometh a moth, and from a woman the iniquity of a man. 14 For better is the iniquity of a man, than a woman doing a good turn, and a woman bringing shame and reproach. 15 I will now remember the works of the Lord, and I will declare the things I have seen. By the words of the Lord are his works. (Sirach 42:9-15)

Too bad secular people don't understand this. So many women who will never be be married. As time goes on more and more men have realised that the juice is not worth the squeeze. In the past if a women fornicated she would mostly have a child and have no support for it. Now she can use contraception, murder the child or have the government pay for it and force the male to pay for it (also all men by tax which is unjust)

These verses are excellent and all the "mama bears" should read them multiple times.

Marry thy daughter well, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.

when she is young, lest she pass away the flower of her age

Really think about the terms 'flower of her age'.

From Haydock

Ver. 27. Man. The Jews in general embraced the married state in their youth. S. Paul prefers virginity. 1 Cor. vii. 8.

Ver. 9. Knoweth. Lit. "who is hidden." H. --- An unmarried woman was styled Halma, or "hidden." Is. vii. 11. C. --- Pass away. Gr. "abuse." H. --- Some read adultera, (Sixt. V. Jans.) instead of adulta, improperly. It was deemed shameful for a parent not to have his daughter married soon. 1 Cor. vii. 36. --- Hateful. Deut. xxiv.

Ver. 10. Barren. And thus fall into contempt. Deut. vii. 14. If she committed adultery she must die; or if she were only suspected, she must drink the waters of jealousy. Num. v. 17. Husbands would often seek a divorce, on such occasions; which would involve the father in fresh difficulties.

Ver. 11. Multitude, who will accuse thee of negligence. C.

Ver. 12. Body's. Lit. "man's." But females are included in this term. H. --- It was also necessary to guard the Greeks, and pagans in general, against a criminal affection for boys.

Ver. 13. Man. Gr. "woman." Malice is natural to her. Beauty becomes her ruin, as well as that of others. C. --- The Fathers compare women to a load-stone. S. Bas. --- Men who come near them, are greatly exposed. C.

Ver. 14. Better, &c. That is, there is, commonly speaking, less danger to be apprehended to the soul from the churlishness, or injuries we receive from men, than from the flattering favours and familiarity of women. Ch. --- Josephus (c. Ap. ii.) attributes this sentence to Moses, and prefers the worst man to the best woman, as Euripides does in Clem. Strom. iv. C. --- But this is ridiculous. --- Reproach. This explains what sort of good the woman aforesaid has done; she had fostered the passions of men, and brought them to shame, which all the malevolence of an enemy could not have done. H. --- The company of women is therefore more dangerous. C. ix. W.

At 23 a women is not longer in her youth. Even early 20s is being generous. Mainly due to fertility peaking in late teens/early 20s and at 19 cellular aging changes to be similar to 40 yr old men.

There is usually quite a different in how a women looks at 24 compared to 18.

For those downvoting, consider biology. The average age of menarche is 12. By 22 that's 10 yrs of youth. The flower of her age. Do you think a women's fertility being lower than her peak is the flower of her age? Her youth? Ridiculous. If a flower has started to wither then it's past its prime, it's visibly in its decline.