On August 17th, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, another symposium was held by the 501(c)(3) organization known as B4U-ACT. The name of the symposium was “Pedophilia, Minor-Attracted Persons, and the DSM: Issues and Controversies.” The keynote of the symposium, “On the Paraphilias, including Pedophilia, from a Psychiatric Perspective”  was presented by Fred S. Berlin, M.D., Ph.D., the Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at John Hopkins University School of Medicine. Among the other presenters were professors from the University of Texas, University of Louisville, Beth Israel Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, London School of Economics and Political Science, and several other prestigious Ivy League schools. 

The underlying objective of this symposium, as with the prior symposiums and workshops dating back to 2008, was to decriminalize and/or destigmatize what they call Minor-Attracted People (MAP). In this particular symposium, an effort to push the American Psychological Association (APA) to establish pedophilia as a recognized sexual orientation was centerstage. Those who lobbied for such change were deeply aware of the APA’s 1974 decision to declare homosexuality as a normative sexual orientation and the torrent of changes that began to show up in sexual education curricula. 

Many of you may remember the independent TEDx talk presented by medical student Mirjam Heine at the University of Wurzburg in May of 2018. Her presentation sought to establish pedophilia as a natural sexual orientation. Using a litany of poorly research statistics, she presented the idea that pedophilia is an unchangeable sexual orientation just like heterosexuality. As long as the pedophile doesn’t abuse a child, she claimed, they have done nothing wrong and society should no longer shame or blame those would are attracted to minors. Then she dropped her despicable shaming tactic of her own by expressing the idea that blaming or shaming the pedophile who does not act lends toward their isolation and an increased risk of child sexual abuse. Yes, you read that correctly! Society, not just the offender, now shares in the guilt of child molestation due to its inability to provide a safe, shame-free environment for the non-offending pedophile. Oh, and let us not forget the op-ed piece in 2014 by Rutgers Law Professor, Margo Kaplan, who opined from her “professional pedestal ‘that pedophilia is not a choice nor a crime. 

While the orientation effort has yet to be realized, a pathway toward it is gaining steam following the APA’s decision in 2013 to include pedophilia as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V) under Paraphiliac Disorders. B4U-ACT’s most recent 2018 symposium, “Expanding the Focus of Research on Minor-Attracted People” shows further evidence that their emphasis is being channeled with purpose on the therapeutic and research domains as a way to broaden the conversation in a way that helps to change the narrative on non-offending pedophiles. The playbook for this is simple. If Mental Health Practitioners can begin to engage in the dialogue that shifts societal attitudes and conversations regarding Minor-Attraction People, then perhaps true robust changes can more thoroughly impact those with the power to make lasting changes. 

It doesn’t take long to look around and recognize the effectiveness of the “orientation playbook” when considering homosexuality today. In fact, many of our churches have adopted a user-friendly approach that minimizes the depth and scope of same-sex attraction and sexual interaction. While I believe in absolute terms that redemption is available for those who are caught up in sexual deviances, we must continue to strongly uphold our position on homosexuality in the church. Adultery, porn addiction, and fornication are all deeply wrong but to play out the narrative of “all sin is sin,” fundamentally undermines biblical principles that do indeed strengthen the narrative that some sins do hold a lower position on the “depravity scale” of sinful degradation (see chapter one of Romans). However, I am not here to argue this point…

Consider what Margo Kaplan writes in her law opinion titled “Taking Pedophilia Seriously:”

Pedophilia is not the same as sexual abuse. Sexual abuse of a child is a criminal and morally reprehensible behavior. An individual who sexually abuses a child makes a decision to act, and that action harms a child. Pedophilia, in contrast, refers to a type of sexual interest—specifically an intense and persistent sexual interest in prepubescent children. Pedophilia need not entail any behavior; one may be a celibate pedophile, similar to how one may have sexual desires for adults while remaining celibate.

For the rest of the article, visit https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr/vol72/iss1/4/

Did anything stand out to you in this paragraph? How about, “Pedophilia need not entail any behavior; one may be a celibate pedophile, similar to how one may have sexual desires for adults while remaining celibate.” Yes, the very same argument being utilized by many “gay Christians” today. I know of a “Christian” therapist who has long advocated for this position and the fruit of this position has become evident around many closest to such beliefs. I mean, let’s be honest. It’s a slippery slope we find ourselves on when we begin to accept these kinds of positions. Why? At some point, almost anything goes as long as you don’t “actually commit” what is in your brain.

The Bible flies directly in the face of this sinful fallacy in that even the thoughts and intents of the heart matter in the eyes of God! The very same people who proclaim, “the outside doesn’t matter, just the inside” suddenly counter this very attempt to find a loophole for the external and now claim, “what you think doesn’t matter as long as you don’t do what you are thinking.” Make up your mind! Mark my words–should the Lord tarry–we will find ourselves tripping over blurry lines regarding taboos we once thought to be reprehensible.

Am I homophobic to consider homosexuality a reprehensible act? Well, since I consider pornography, adultery, fornication, sowing discord, violence, abuse, and a myriad of other activities reprehensible then I guess I am “phobic” in many, many senses! Did we ever think we would reach a point where sexual orientations were likened to civil and/or human rights issues? No, we did not. How did we get there? The exact same way we are seeing the “Minor Attracted Persons” effort playing out. The push to normalize “attraction” is a means by which one can claim another “normative orientation.” Now, for clarification, I am not likening the homosexual with the pedophile, but both attractions and actions are distortions of creative intent and both are sinful.

“But adultery is a sin…” Shhh! I don’t have time for your “circle-back” tactics…

There is only one thing for the church community to do in these perilous times; love people but take a strong stand against practices and beliefs that violate biblical norms. We have to stop our “woke” efforts that seek to satisfy and please everyone around us and be very clear that there is still clean and unclean behaviors, holy and unholy affections, and righteous or unrighteous lifestyles. If we are not careful, ambiguity will become the ladder used to breach sacred walls.