MODERN DAY INJUSTICE
Pornography might seem like a harmless past time, safely tucked away in the privacy of your web browser. Many argue that it doesn’t hurt anyone. That porn can be ethically produced. But the porn industry and the sex trafficking industry are intrinsically connected.
What happens on the screen isn’t always consensual, and even when it checks all the boxes of “consent”, we never truly know what’s going on behind the lens. Our willingness to deny the dignity of the human body and turn people into profit reveals something deeper going on in the sanctuary of our hearts. How we value a human life and how we treat others is not only an issue of justice, but a matter of worship.
How we value a human life and how we treat others is not only an issue of justice, but a matter of worship.
Ashley Giovannucci, Across My Heart
The reality is, demand drives supply. The increasing desire for porn is increasing demands of production. With such a high demand, fewer porn stars are willing to do the violent sex acts that the increasingly volatile sexual appetite demands. Enter sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is a $99 billion industry annually.1 Greedy hearts see a lot of money to be made. Webroot Cyber security estimates that 28,258 users consume porn every second, accounting for 35% of all internet downloads. And 80% of that content involved physical violence.
So what is sex trafficking exactly? Sex trafficking is a “modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years.”2 The words force, fraud or coercion are important. Sometimes actresses show up to sets being told it’s a “modeling shoot” or a “solo act”, only to be forced to do more on set than originally agreed upon. Their agent may threaten to cancel all their bookings or withhold pay. Sometimes the “safe words” are ignored during filming and women are suffocated and physically injured. The instances of webcam hackings and illegal recordings make it even harder to know what’s real and what’s not. The intrinsic connection between the two industries is cyclical. Pornographic content is produced by victims of sex trafficking, uploaded online for profit, and in turn that same content is used to groom other women and children into performing sex acts, desensitizing the victims to increasingly violent acts.3 By some estimates, 4.8 million people are trapped or forced into sexual exploitation globally.4
But aren’t there countless porn stars who willingly participate? Yes. Even so, we don’t know the pressures that led her there, manipulating her image of herself, twisting her idea of empowerment, until she finally caved to the pressure to objectify her body for money. Statistics show that 66-90 % of women in the industry were sexually abused as children. They are given the false promises of love, security or a better life. They are often tricked into the business with money up front then introduced to drugs and substances that keep them complicit when the glamor of the flashy high life wears off. The bottomline is, you never know if what you’re watching is consensual or rape. And the end result is never harmless.
Each click fuels the demand to create more content and make more money. Who benefits? The pimps, the johns, the family members who are grooming children. Even when the content is self-produced, platforms like OnlyFans come out on top. Content creators make less than $200 a month with the top 1% of accounts making 33% of all the money, and the top 10% making 73%.5 Sadly, many young people are believing the lie that self-exploitation will lead to fortune and fame, putting themselves in dangerous situations that lead to blackmail and in-person meet ups. The appetite for child pornography is driving the exploitation of younger and younger children. In a study of over 400 million web searches, the most popular search term related to sexual content was “youth”. And the word “teen” has remained in the top ten search terms on Pornhub for six years. The Richmond Justice Initiative website reported in September 2011, that one out of every five pornographic images is of a child and that 55% of child pornography comes from the U.S. with the average age they are first filmed being only 12.8 years old.6 Child porn and the sex trafficking are connected, not only through the exploitation of innocent children to produce it, but the even darker reality is that anywhere from 40% to 80% of consumers of child pornography go on to abuse and molest another child.7 This is no small problem.
From the violent exploitation of people created in the image of God to the apathy of the end consumer, this is clearly a justice issue. And, it all comes down to who we worship.
AMOS’ PROPHECY
The prophet Amos understood God’s heart for justice. Amos 5:24 tells us His justice has no beginning and no end, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Justice is part of God’s character. God cares about how we treat people, who were made in His image.
The book of Amos begins by warning the Israelites about the sins of the surrounding nations, only to reveal that they themselves are guilty of even greater transgressions. Gaza is guilty of taking whole communities captive and selling them to Edom, and God says He will punish them with fire (Amos 2:6-7). Tyre participated in the slave trade as well, selling whole communities to Edom, and they too are consumed by fire (Amos 2:9-10). What will be Israel’s fate?
As the first prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Amos delivered a powerful word to King Jeroboam II and King Uzziah, prophesying against their idolatry and injustice toward their people. A driving theme of the book is the Israelites’ unfaithfulness to Yahweh and their exploitation of the poor. Israel was cheating the poor and worshiping false gods at the temples in Gilgal and Bethel (2 Ki. 17:32-33, 41). Because worship is at the heart of justice, who and what we worship will determine how we treat others, made in the Image of God.
Because worship is at the heart of justice, who and what we worship will determine how we treat others, made in the Image of God.
Ashley Giovannucci, Across My Heart
The idolatrous shrines erected at Bethel and Gigal did not recognize Yahweh as the one true God (1 Kings 12:28). Instead, idols of calves resembled the Canaanite gods which promised them prosperity if they sacrificed their children and participated in ritual sex acts with the temple prostitutes (Amos 5:5). Rather than recognizing the image of God in each person, these false gods caused the Israelites to take advantage of others for their own gain. Rather than worshiping the One True God and allowing His holy law to rule the land with His righteous decree, they worshiped false gods to get what they wanted – fertility, success, and riches all at the costs of others. They turned a blind eye to the needs of others. Amos 6 gives a Woe to the complacent, “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!”
And we see this same complacency when it comes to porn consumption. Around 67% of young men and 49% of young women think pornography is acceptable. The idea that “anything goes between consenting adults” or “if you don’t like it, just don’t watch it” is a false narrative. Much like the apathy of Northern Israel, we have become desensitized to the violence and exploitation that is not only tolerated but encouraged in the production of porn. However, justice doesn’t turn a blind eye. True justice stands up for the oppressed.
BIBLICAL JUSTICE
While Northern Israel was getting fat off their self-centered practices of sacrificing to pagan gods at the high places, having sex with cult prostitutes and worshipping false idols, Amos warned them that God’s justice would come! They were comfortable in their sins, viewing their financial success as a sign of blessing and prosperity (Amos 6:4). But the success of a greed-fueled industry is no indication of God’s blessing. Make no mistake, God will have the final word. And we will be responsible for how we respond to the injustices around us.
Do we take part in other’s exploitation? Do we fuel an industry that violates women and children? Or do we stand up for the oppressed? This is a theme throughout the Bible. God had rescued the people of Israel from Egyptian captivity (Amos 2:10). How dare they enslave others when they were once slaves (Deuteronomy 15:12-15)? One person is not better than the other. Christ’s death was for all and any prejudice we have must be left at the foot of the cross. While tribalism has pitted people groups against each other for all of human history, we are all equals in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Rather than elevating ourselves over others, we must see the dignity in each and every human person, their body included. Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” 2 Peter 2:23 warns us against greed making profit off of dishonesty, Matthew 5:27-28 warns of lust in the heart, Galatians 5:18 reveals that self-indulgence leads to sexual vices, and 1 Timothy 6:10 shows how greed gives way to all kinds of sin.
Sexual sin is especially heinous to God because our sexuality is meant to be a picture of His faithful love. While this theme is much stronger in other minor prophets like Hosea, we still see the sentiment in Amos 2:7, “Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.”Amos compares Israel’s sexual promiscuity to profanity. Yahweh had declared that marriage is the only context for sexual intercourse and denies family members to have sex with eachother (Lev 18:8, 15, 17, 20:10-20; Deut 27:20). They are using God’s holy name in vain by participating in sexual sin that destroys the image of His love.
How much more do we profane God’s holy name by turning the act of sexual love into a soulless machine of profit and greed, violating other’s human dignity for our own sexual pleasure?
MODERN DAY RESPONSE
Sex trafficking is especially unjust because it takes advantage of the vulnerable, targeting women and children. Underage sex trafficking victims who are most vulnerable are those who have run away from home (63%), been in foster care (22%) use substances (18%), experienced homelessness (9%) or have been trafficked in the past (9%). The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The Polaris Project shared that “the economic fallout of racism is the most direct connection between why people of color are more likely to be trafficked” than their white counterparts. Economic fallout is directly related to sexual exploitation. According to Rights4Girls, “black children account for 53% of all juvenile prostitution arrests—more than any other racial group.” Pornography compounds other issues of biblical justice. There is nothing good about this industry.
We must pray. Raise awareness like our ministry, Across My Heart, is doing. Speak to your friends and family. Install accountability software like Covenant Eyes. Start a Bible study like Proven Men or Proven Women at your church to help others who are struggling with porn addiction. And if you find yourself in the 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women who say they watch porn at least once a month, stop. Repent. Call it out for what it is. And seek help and accountability from others. Pornography is a serious addiction that can not be overcome alone.
Do what is right while there is still the opportunity. Amos gave Israel the chance to turn from their wickedness, and they did not. But it isn’t too late for you. Amos 5:14 says, “Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” God is merciful by giving us the opportunity to repent.
Ultimately, we must worship the One true God. Every issue of justice is an issue of worship. When we worship Him, we love His law and see His law as love. God’s ways are the best ways to live because they truly honor the other and see the image of God in each and every person. But when we put false gods on the throne of our heart it causes us to chase after our own self-indulgences, exploiting others for our own selfish gain and hurting the weakest and most vulnerable. The book of Amos shows us that the purpose of worshiping God – in true reverence and authentic praise – is to elevate Him over and above every area of our life. His law will shape what we love. And His ways will shape the way we live.
Cited Resources:
1 International Labour Office. (2014). Profits and poverty: The economics of forced labour. Geneva: International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—declaration/documents/publication/wcms_243391.pdf
2 Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106–386, Section 102(a), 114 Stat. 1464. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-106hr3244enr/pdf/BILLS-106hr3244enr.pdf
3 Lanning, K. V. (2010). Child molesters: A behavioral analysis for professionals investigating the sexual exploitation of children. (No. 5). National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. https://www.missingkids.org
4 International Labour Office. (2017). Global estimates of modern slavery: Forced labour and forced marriage. Geneva: International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public
5 “Why So Many Teen Girls Are Planning on Becoming Only Fan Stars.” Fight the New Drug (2022). https://fightthenewdrug.org/many-teen-girls-planning-on-becoming-onlyfans-stars/?fbclid=IwAR0jU1RjM-E8C5RWcl7aI82JyJzASFPrXo1nolYlyNL5aqkl24Ui0hburoc
6 Bouché, V. (2018). Survivor insights: The role of technology in domestic minor sex trafficking. Thorn. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Thorn_Survivor_Insights_090519.pdf
6 Citizen Link. https://familypolicyalliance.com/issues/tag/citizenlink/
Other Resources:
Polaris. (2020). 2019 data report: The U.S. national human trafficking hotline. Retrieved from https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Polaris-2019-US-National-Human-Trafficking-Hotline-Data-Report.pdf
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106–386, Section 102(a), 114 Stat. 1464. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-106hr3244enr/pdf/BILLS-106hr3244enr.pdf
Thorn. (2015). A report on the use of technology to recruit, groom, and sell domesttic minor sex trafficking victims. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Survivor_Survey_r5.pdf
Thorn. (2015). A report on the use of technology to recruit, groom, and sell domesttic minor sex trafficking victims. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Survivor_Survey_r5.pdf
Feehs, K., & Currier Wheeler, A. (2021). Human Trafficking Institute. Retrieved from https://www.traffickinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2020-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-Low-Res.pdf
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (2021). The issues: Child sex trafficking. Retrieved from https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/trafficking
Gervais, S. J., & Eagan, S. (2017). Sexual objectification: The common thread connecting myriad forms of sexual violence against women. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(3), 226–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000257
Demand Abolition. (2018). Who buys sex? understanding and disrupting illicit market demand. Retrieved from https://www.demandabolition.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Demand-Buyer-Report-July-2019.pdf
Herrington, R., & McEachern, P. (2018). “Breaking her spirit” through objectification, fragmentation, and consumption: A conceptual framework for understanding domestic sex trafficking. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 27, 1-14. doi:10.1080/10926771.2017.1420723
Tollini, C., & Diamond-Welch, B. (2021). American adult pornography consumers’ beliefs and behaviors related to pornography studios mistreating their performers. Sexuality & Culture, doi:10.1007/s12119-021-09872-3
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. (2017). Online grooming of children for sexual purposes: Model legislation & global review. ( No. 1). https://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Grooming-of-Children_FINAL_9-18-17.pd
