Why do people hate pedophiles?

I'm a celibate pedophile myself who follows these issues a fair amount. So a bunch of comments, mostly on the other answers:

I had heard about 1/2 of sex abuse was committed by pedophiles (primary attraction to children) and 1/2 by other men (some attraction but not primary, and more a 'crime of opportunity'). Saying 9/10 of pedophiles never abuse children means you have to know how many pedophiles there are staying hidden and never detected, and no one does. I've heard about 1-5% of men are pedophiles, but as the range implies, it's a very rough estimate.

"Because most people actually hate child molestors. How else would they know someone is a pedophile?" -- There you have the problem in a nutshell. One other way they find out is people who are caught with child porn. And the best data we have suggests that half of such men never have a sex offense with a child. The other crucial people are teen boys, when they realize they are pedophiles. They typically are incredibly upset and anxious about it. They can't tell anyone or they risk total rejection and isolation. If they mention it to any 'official' person, they may be turned over to the police for their thoughts, even if they haven't done anything. Or, with everyone else hating them, they can join online secret communities of pedophiles who may sometimes encourage each other to abuse children.

"Sexual repression is never a good thing, and the risk of such desires spiraling out of control in the future" -- You have an elaborate theory of human sexuality here with doubtful components. But I'd agree that pedophiles ought to seek help -- but one vital part of that is that they can talk to friends and family and not be hated, so the others can help them find help. If Joe can tell his sister that he's attracted to girls, then they can jointly work it out and talk about it if he feels he might lose control. But he won't tell his sister if he knows she'll disown him.

Pedophiles didn't choose their attraction and can't change it. Lots of pedophiles never molest children, and the way to make it even less is to let them come out and be accepted as people with a problem that can be controlled, not people to hate. See virped.org.

I wouldn't hate such a person as you describe. But there *is* a big problem with it and they should seek help. Sexual repression is never a good thing, and the risk of such desires spiraling out of control in the future (given that all people change over time) is simply too much to accept.

That's not to mention how such a person, even with the best intentions, would probably feel awkward around young children, (in the same way I might have trouble speaking with a beautiful woman). Our children are the most precious things on this earth and we must take every precaution to protect them.

EDIT: I did read your whole question, (although other posters clearly have not). But you should read my answer carefully. People cannot foresee how they (or their circumstances) might change in the future.

If Joe Bloggs is a really nice guy, but happens to have a mental illness where he's secretly attracted to young children, what does he do? Does he keep it hidden and continue acting nice, (while secretly getting more and more sexually frustrated year after year)? And when Joe is in a situation where he's forced to spend time with a child he's attracted to, what happens? Take for example, his unsuspecting sister who leaves Joe to play with her daughter (his niece). Does he show his niece affection, (like normal uncles should), and sit her on top of his lap, or would he be struggling to fight his arousal in such a situation?

It is a serious issue and cannot be ignored. That is why I said no matter how nice the person is, they need to seek help. Period.

How do you know that 9/10 paedophiles never touch children?? How many people will actually confess to being a paedophile anyhow?

Would you say to someone... phoar, I fancy that 9-year-old over there ( but I'd never molest her though)?

Not all paedophiles are child molesters... I can understand that, they fancy them but don't act on it.

BUT

Not all child molesters are paedophiles?... why would they molest them then??

Why WOULDN'T people hate pedophiles? Some or maybe even most pedophiles touch children. It's very disturbing to have a mind of sex with a child...

i do agree that the sexual attraction toward children(pedophilia) is not a choice. But i mean neither is dawns syndrome or autism, i mean sure autism isnt a choice, but if an autistic person can get treatment and get better, then they absolutly should, same for a pedophile, i do feel a bit of a sympathy at the same time hatred toward pedophiles who controls themself and not molest children. But i do think that they should get a castration, we probpaply shouldnt force them to do so, but we should convince them, i mean lets think rationally, castration only just turn u into asexual and make u unable to reproduce, i think we could all agree that a asexual that cant reproduce is better than a pedophile
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilia

Because most people actually hate child molestors. How else would they know someone is a pedophile?

This sounds like an episode of Law and Order: SVU.

The two big ones are the risk, and also the unconscious. The risk factor was already explained, but not the unconscious. White people naturally prefer other white people to other races. Straight people naturally prefer other straight people to gay people. Non pedophiles prefer other non pedophiles to pedophiles. Since pedophilia is generally the source of child molestation, which is DEFINITELY not socially acceptable, non-pedophiles don't have trouble agreeing with their unconscious about the subject, and don't make conscious attempts to conquer their unconscious like they do against people of a different race, religion, or sexual orientation. And since pedophiles only make up a small proportion of the population to non-pedophiles, they are set aside as perverts and outcasts. It's the natural flow of things. On the downside, conscious attempts just make people's behaviors toward others more fake and less natural. You can't rewrite your unconscious. So for all the pedophile's out there, at least the people who express their hatred for you are being real. That's the truth

Well, liking a child is wrong and stupid because they can't have a real relationship or sex. But remember, most people don't know what a real pedophile is. This is due to people easily or willingly being made ignorant and brainwashed by the media, which says attraction to anyone under 18 is pedophilia. But that is highly false, and is spewed to the masses by obnoxious ignorant religious ***** who hate everyone who is different and for reasons somewhat unknown feel its necessary to make sure all sex offenders are hated and lives are made miserable. In most cases, rape is worse than murder, and any sexual activity with a minor is considered worse than murder. Which is why there is no murder list but a sex offender list.

Basically at some point, around when Ronald Reagan became president, and from that moment on, a lot new kinds of of intolerance, elitism, ignorant, and hatred sprang up in the American people, and among the ignorance and new forms of hate, one of the rising hatreds was for sex offenders, whom were often mislabeled or misunderstood. USUALLY, BASED ON the idea that older people can manipulate younger people easily. But this is not true

Once upon a time, i was 16, and had involvement with a 13 yr old who i thought was 15. long story short, i went through alot of crap with that girl, but i made her a much better person along the way and we are great friends now. Just because she was 13 didn't make her super easy to manipulate though. Anyone of any age can be manipulated. And why i was even involved with her i dont know. but who cares.

The point is, anyone of any age can be manipulated. it doesn't take being 18 to do that. Alot of people who say they hate pedos dont' really understand what a pedo is. The main problem is, people don't know what ephebophilia is. If they did, maybe they wouldn't hate people who like 15-16 yr olds so much. And like you said, there's a big difference between liking a child and ******* a child. I Agree its wrong, but I dont think a 18 yr old having sex with a 16 yr old is necessarily wrong.

Because pedophiles can be anywhere. I had a possible pedophile case with one of my teachers last year so I decided to quit the school over this summer. Luckily I got accepted and I'mma be starting my new school soon

All fathers with 14 year old daughters are pedophiles because they are physically attracted to their own daughters.