Flirty Fishing
Flirty Fishing (FFing) was a form of personal evangelism involving sexual attraction, practiced by the new religious movement, the Children of God/The Family, from 1978 until 1987 (abandoned because of the AIDS scare). It involved the use of sexual attraction and sex itself to show God's love and win converts. Female members were told to be "whores for Jesus" in order to win converts and favors. "Flirty fishing" has been described as religious prostitution but that definition is disputed by members of the sect.
Some group members also joined escort services and otherwise used sexuality to garner donations, rather than solely converts.
The term "flirty fishing" has to a limited extent made its way into contemporary culture. See, for example, Love Bomb and Other Contemporary Pieces.
See also
- Love bombing
- "Loving Jesus" - Another unconventional doctrine of the Children of God/The Family
References
- Flirty Fishing and the Children of God - xFamily.org
- Lattin, Don (February 14, 2001). "Escaping a Free Love Legacy: Children of God sect hopes it can overcome sexy image" San Francisco Chronicle.
- [1] Tribunale Penale di Roma (Criminal Court of Rome), November 15, 1991, In re Berg and others, unpublished decision in the collection of CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions, Torino, Italy) and in the archives of the Criminal Court of Rome (RG 3841/84)