Who wouldn’t want human trafficking abolished?
Because the problem is so large, many people ask themselves, “What can I do?” We, at the American Decency Association, would like to help you be involved in standing against this global, heinous crime. We invite you to join us and Women At Risk, Int’l on March 13, 2015, at 7:00 pm, for an event focused on human trafficking. They will be informing the public of practical ways to get involved, to help those victims who have gotten caught up in the sex-slave trade.
Women At Risk, Int’l (WAR) is a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit organization, established to create circles of protection around at-risk women and children. They have many programs offered around the world to get women and children out of the slave trade and work proactively to keep others from being pulled in as well.
They offer both international and domestic safe houses where these women can be taken out of the human trafficking loop, helping them to begin their path of spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. Many opportunities are offered as they start their road to recovery.
WAR also offers education, vocational training, and microenterprise opportunities for these ladies, for their empowerment, and so they can take care of themselves, thereby breaking the cycle of poverty. This is one of the ways this organization offers “a hand up, not a hand out.”
Other programs this organization offers in an attempt to break the chains of human trafficking are running orphanages, offering medical aid, and giving emergency intervention.
At their website each of these eight programs are described in detail and explain how they are promoted in different countries in different ways. To get a better understanding of what WAR does, please click here, and then click on the program that interests you.
Going to a website is good; getting your information first hand is even better. So we urge you to join us on Friday, March 13, at 7:00 pm, as a WAR representative informs us about human trafficking and what we can do to help those who have fallen victim to it. We sincerely hope you will join us at ADA headquarters (203 E. Main St.) in Fremont, Michigan; bring your friends, your family, and your questions.
Did you know that human trafficking and pornography are a little like the “pushmi-pullyu” (pronounced "push-me—pull-you") of Dr. Doolittle lore? There are a lot of people who think that human trafficking is wrong and that the sex trade should be abolished, yet they themselves continue to view pornography. The average person doesn’t realize there is such a strong tie between these two issues, but there is. For some reason, people don’t connect the two; Pastor David Platt gives an example of this in his book, Counter Culture. The Christian Post reports from this book, “that many college students, if asked, would express a desire to end sexual slavery. Yet studies such as a 2008 Barna Research report shows that adults under the age of 25 are twice as likely than Baby Boomers to watch pornography.”
Most of you probably don’t view pornography, but there’s a very big probability that you know someone who does, even though their porn use may be a secret. That being the case, I really hope you’ll talk about the information in this article with others and invite them to come with you to ADA’s “Women At Risk” event on March 13th, at 7:00 pm. Although this event is specifically about human trafficking and helping women who are caught up in it, I’d like to briefly show you how pornography is strongly connected to the human trafficking issue.
Viewing pornography contributes to the sex trade in a few different ways. First of all, many of the adults and children “performing” in those sex scenes are people who have been abducted, coerced, or forced into it. According to the law of supply and demand, if people refused to participate by viewing pornography, the forced supply would lessen. In the same article mentioned above, Pastor Platt states, "Every time someone views pornography online or on a mobile phone in a living room or office or wherever… they're contributing to a cycle of sex slavery from the privacy of [their] own computer or [their] own smart phone." Have you ever thought about it that way? Every time someone views pornography, they’re helping to perpetuate human trafficking; they are bolstering the sex trade.
Covenant Eyes adds, “Many women and children who are being sexually exploited and trafficked are also being used for the production of pornography. Sometimes acts of prostitution are filmed without the consent of the victim and distributed. On other occasions victims are trafficked for the sole purpose of porn production. In today’s era of webcams and chatrooms, the lines between interactive pornography and virtual prostitution websites have been blurred. According to Donna Hughes, “porn and internet sex shows are markets for trafficked victims.” Truly, pornography is another avenue for women to be trafficked.”
Secondly, using pornography changes the way one views things; it actually changes the way one’s brain thinks. It damages a person physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pornography, like any other addiction, drives one to push the envelope further and further. A porn addict needs more and stronger “doses” until he finds himself acting out what he has seen and/or participating in harder and more deviant forms of pornographic material. Platt also asserts,"The more people who watch pornography, the more they'll want sexual fulfillment through prostitution and so that desire drives men and women to engage in physical prostitution, even virtual prostitution. And so you've got this relationship between pornography feeding prostitution and that increasing the demand for sex trafficking."
Please take some time to listen to Covenant Eyes’ important interview with Liz Yore, a former legal child advocate, getting her perspective on pornography and human trafficking, by clicking here. Near the end of the interview she gives some good advice to parents regarding their children’s internet usage.
We are called to live in holiness, showing the love and compassion of Christ. We are called to share the gospel with others, thereby showing them true freedom. Let’s keep ourselves pure, and encourage others also, to put no unclean thing before their eyes, lending a helping hand to stop human trafficking. Let’s do what we can to protect others as we would desire to see our own children protected.
It’s our hope that you will Get informed and help others to get informed as well. One way to learn more about this is to attend our “Women At Risk” event on March 13th at 7:00pm.
We urge you to talk about this information with others, thereby shining the light of truth on this dark topic. Please come and learn more about the important issue of human trafficking. You’ll have an opportunity to look over their displays and learn how you can help.
If you’d like more information on the ties between pornography and human trafficking, click here or here.
For more information about our “Women At Risk”event, please call the ADA at 231-924-4050.
To support our efforts please click hereor mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.
American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
photo credit: Vice.com
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