Just a note of caution: beliefs that make no room for individual variations among people can create a great deal of misery. I was brought up by a mother who was so stuck in her ideas that she could never see her four daughters as the very different people, with very different emotional needs, that we are. All of us grew up with major "issues," and none of us considers our childhoods happy, or conducive to healthy maturity or adult success.
Now, my mom is a fairly extreme case, but I hear her voice in your comment that you "don't believe" in pacifiers. You also don't mention your baby's age, or how long she does cry if left alone in her crib. As Momma L notes, Ferber himself finally changed his recommendations that babies younger than 6 months should not be expected to sleep without comforting. Some babies can with no trouble, but some simply never will.
Your boyfriend wants to do what seems most convenient for him. May I point out that you do, too? You apparently think that comforting your crying baby is not going to be convenient in the long term.
I hope you'll at least consider some alternative approaches to balance your beliefs. One particularly good one, with a track record of success and backed by actual studies, is Dr. Harvey Karp's system as presented in The Happiest Baby on the Block. You can see a few short videos showing his techniques here:
How-to's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6KnVPUdEgQ&feature=re...
Enhanced sleep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk5MUOMecHI&NR=1
Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu0TtxO-ocY&feature=re...
I'm wishing your family well.