Another outsider's view of CBF
Submitted by Heather on October 24 1999 at 16:08:58
In reply to Reponse to Mr Bach from another message board! Submitted by Pamella (BlackWolf) on October 24 1999 at 12:19:14
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It's awfully hard to judge a group of people with widespread beliefs and behavior. Here I was a year and a half ago, ready to sternly condemn a member of NAMBLA, and then I discovered that I was talking to a boylover who was a fundamentalist Christian. (You will find, for example, that a number of members of the Christian Boylove Forum hold views on sexuality that are more conservative than your own.) If you're interested in getting a flavor of what the Christian Boylove Forum is like, you might want to read this selection of posts from the board that is reprinted at one of my sites on religion and pedophilia: Christian Boylove Lives You might also be interested in this FAQ, which was posted by an occasional member of CBF. It describes only his views on this matter, but it addresses some of the concerns you expressed in your post. The Pedophilia and Christianity FAQ You wrote, "Why do 'Boylovers' feels the need for young children instead of a healthy gay relationship with adults" I'm sure that the other CBF members can do a better job than I can of expressing the distinction they see between attraction and behavior; they can also discuss their thoughts on whether such attraction can always be changed. However, you might be interested in this passage from the CBF FAQ: "Christian Boylove Forum participants believe that a distinction must be made between feelings of attraction (which are not chosen) and behavior (for which one must be held responsible). We believe that boylovers can control and channel their feelings so that their relationships with boys are beneficial and honor God. We are strictly opposed to any treatment of children which is contrary to the love that God intends us to have for them. This includes the manipulation, coercion and abuse of children. "We provide a forum for both support and accountability for our posters, attempting to help them critically examine their decisions and actions. Posts which do not reflect the webmaster's point of view are not deleted. Dialogue is begun to help all parties reflect on their views. All views are permitted and challenged." I should add that my work brings me into frequent contact with both boylove groups and recovering offender groups. CBF is at the moment the only online forum for Christian adults who are attracted to minors. (A German-language forum, run by a Protestant pastor, is presently undergoing revisions.) The number of real-life support groups for minor-attracted Christians is quite small. In an ideal world, there would be dozens of places available for minor-attracted adults to seek support and accountability. CBF is certainly not an ideal support group – no online support group can be, given the public nature of the medium – but it fills a void that existed prior to its creation. Heather Elizabeth Peterson Editor, Philia (interfaith news on religion and pedophilia) |