youtube.jpgA 12-year-old boy on YouTube is being hailed by some Christians as a martyr for enduring insults, although a better description would be “disturbed.”

Scott, whose screenname is ChristianU2uber, has received thousands of views for his videos, in which he decries same-sex marriage and seemingly admits to being ex-gay, saying that he used to be gay until he found out it was wrong, and “now I like girls.” He identifies himself as a Christian and says his videos are there to “Teach You What Christianity Is All About” (capitals his).

The videos have attracted a litany of reprehensible comments – amazingly, from so-called grown-ups – taunting him with epithets such as “fag” and “homo,” and telling him (in varying graphic detail) to commit suicide.

Now right-wing WorldNetDaily has decided to praise him, comparing him to the Protestants murdered for their faith in the 16th century, as written about in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (1653).

Both reactions are irresponsible. The boy has obvious psychological issues. In one video he smacks himself on the head repeatedly. In another he relates a story of being bullied at school, and says that when he came home he released his anger by smashing a brick “into a million pieces.” On his profile he says he plays violent video games because “It Is Good To Just Let Out That Violent Feeling Deep Inside” (again, capitals his). And what prepubescent child says he used to be gay, but started liking girls because he found out being gay was wrong?

This child is not in a healthy place. He is not being helped by the cruel and merciless bullying he has endured on YouTube (children have killed themselves over less), and nor is he helped by Christians hailing him as a martyr and giving him the attention he is clearly desperate for.

Where is YouTube while this shameless exploitation is going on under its nose? Where are Scott’s parents in all this?

Some aspects of seem a little calculated – the posters of male teen idols visible on the wall in some videos, for instance – and it has crossed my mind that ChristianU2uber is being used for a prank, perhaps by an older kid. But if this is real, some adults need to wake up and do something, because this is the kind of kid whose next attention-getting act will be to take a shotgun to school – or worse.

UPDATE:  If you have a YouTube account, please flag these videos. The kid needs help, not more exposure.

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