This is holy week.
We are in the middle of a week of waiting, leading up to the most holy day of the year.
And as we do that, I’ve been thinking about the first two lines of a song we sung on Sunday,
Light of the world,
You stepped down into darkness…
What must that have been like? To leave somewhere perfect and holy and come down to this earth where there is so much darkness and distortion and evil.
Sometimes we don’t see the darkness. We live in our own bubbles, which can be pretty good. We love our husbands. We love our kids. We’re involved in church. We try to make the world a better place.
And we don’t always see the darkness that is around us.
I’ve talked at length on this blog about the negative effects of pornography, but what I’ve been learning a lot in the last few months, as I research more and more, is that I’ve been “depersonalizing” those effects. I’ve been thinking in terms of how porn makes guys lose their libidos for their wives; how it makes sex solely physical and often objectifying; how it makes them desire acts other than intercourse as the main event in their sex life.
Those are horrible things and really hurt a marriage.
But here’s something worse: pornography fuels sex trafficking of real, live human beings.
It doesn’t just hurt your marriage. It causes women and children to be horribly, horribly abused.
Here’s how it works: a porn addiction isn’t like an alcohol addiction. With an alcohol addiction, a person starts needing more and more alcohol to get a buzz. With porn, it’s not about “more”. It’s about “different”. The addict needs different types of images to get the same arousal response.
That’s why someone can dabble in porn when they’re 13 mostly looking at Playboy-lite, but after a number of years, they could need hard core stuff that involves children or something really disgusting. Few people start out in porn looking at children being abused or women being mutilated. But it can progress there because of this constant need for “different”.
That is how pornography fuels sex trafficking.
It fuels the desire for children and women to be brutalized on camera. But it also fuels the desire for real-life sexual encounters, and thus fuels the prostitution industry.
Here’s an infographic I found from Desert Solace, a sexual addiction rehabilitation center in Utah. I wanted to share it with you:
See more about this infographic here.
Jesus stepped down into darkness–He stepped into this dark world in order to redeem it and bring it to Himself, because He loves us.
Maybe we need to take a little step into darkness, too. Maybe we need to open our eyes to what is going on around us, and do something to help.
Action Steps to Help Stop Sex Trafficking
First, make sure that your sons and daughters (because girls use porn, too!) aren’t falling prey to porn. Most kids get addicted in their early teens. Once your children hit 10 or 11, really think seriously about getting filters on your computer. We can protect the next generation from fuelling sex trafficking!
Second, give generously. So many organizations are involved in stopping sex trafficking both here and abroad. Here are the links to the organizations in the infographic above:
- OperationUndergroundRailroad.org
- SharedHope.org
- ChildrenoftheNight.org
- PolarisProject.org
- Enditmovement.com
- Thecode.org
I’m also good friends with a woman who works for Life for the Innocent, which has an international arm rescuing children and girls in South Asia, but also a domestic arm engaged in rescuing those in the sex industry, educating people on what is happening here, and educating youth to prevent them falling prey. You can even volunteer and get involved in bringing some educational events to your area! Here’s more info.
Third, spread the word. Pin this infographic. Share it on Facebook. Let other people know what is going on right in our neighborhoods!
As my regular readers know, I’ve started a program where faithful readers can support me with a small monthly donation, and then they get tons of rewards (like chat sessions, free ebooks, weekly emails with what I’m thinking, podcasts, and more!), and then I use the money to hire help for this blog or to fund some marriage missions trips.
I’m almost at my first goal of $480 a month, which will cover the cost of hiring two university students to help me. But last month I didn’t spend all of that money. So I want to take that money and send it to help stop sex trafficking. So here’s what I’ll do: for every 100 shares on this infographic on Pinterest, or on the post on Facebook, I’ll donate $10 (with $5 going to domestic initiatives and $5 going internationally). So please share! And use the links above so I can trace it.
And if you want to help support me, you can do it here.
I’m trying to create a win-win for everyone, and find a way to help this community pool together to work towards healthy sexuality around the world–by supporting marriages, and also by fighting against pornography.
Fourth, talk to the men in your life about this. Talk to your pastor. Talk to your sons and your brothers. And talk to your husband, especially if he’s struggled with porn in the past (or is struggling now). Most men who use porn are good men. They’ve been tempted, and they’ve fallen, but they’re not too far gone yet. And they want to stop.
One of the best ways to get them to stop is to open their eyes to what the pornography industry is doing. Bring your husband in on this conversation. Show him the relationship between porn use and the desire for child porn or the desire to act things out in real life. Help him to see the lives that pornography eventually ruins.
Here’s the good news: Jesus stepped down into darkness, but He didn’t leave this world dark.
Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness,
Opened my eyes, let me see,
Beauty that made this heart adore you,
Hope of a life spent with you.
He gave us hope. In this holy week, can we share that hope with those who desperately, desperately need some?
Please share. Please give. Thank you.

Another statistic that isn’t on here, and I don’t have the exact number on me, is the number of adult prostitutes that were abused as children, and are brought up thinking that is all they are worth. I know it’s better than 3/4the…I want to say it’s close to 90%. So when you see or hear about the women trapped in that lifestyle, pray for them. Because as hard as they often are on the outside, on the inside is still a scared 10 year old that doesn’t know how to make the big men stop.
Yes, so true! That’s what makes me so angry about the “Prostitution Empowerment” movement, to “just let women choose”! This isn’t a real choice. And we need to help these women find their worth and their dignity. It’s just so sad.
In general, I am a big fan of let adults make their own choices. But when we know most of these women are mentally and emotionally children, it’s just too sad to think about.
Exactly!
I agree 100% Monica. Many women in porn or any other sex work are former abuse victims too. And people want to convince themselves that these poor people actually enjoy what they do. If you research the dark side of the porn industry then you see how many actors are victims of violence and abuse on the set but are to afraid to say something because they signed contracts and are pressured by the producers. These women are often choked and beaten and the male actor is so violent that they end up in hospital with their insides torn. It happens often. They often throw up on set because its just too much to handle. Then they are laughed at and shamed and called horrible, degrading names. I have seen heartbreaking testimonies of ex sex workers and what actually happens on porn sets. Shows like “date my pornstar” have actually made men question themselves and what they are doing when a few of the girls had to have ours of sex with their fans and then, even though they were almost in tears, had to have sex with the producers too. They interviewed the “fans” after and they were pretty shocked by what they had experienced and felt sorry for the girls. People need to inform themselves about these things, sadly many men I have tried to tell all of this dont want to hear it because they would rather continue in their sin. They tell me I’m crazy and that these women chose that job and so on. Anyway, there are sisters in Christ who used to be sex workers that now help others to get out. Check out Hookers for Jesus and Treasures by Harmony Dust.
I am so excited to see that you posted about human trafficking! My church has been actively involved in the fight for about 7 years now. In the U.S., the task forces are really coming into the understanding that they need to partner with faith organizations to help them win this battle (or at least make a difference in the numbers of girls/boys getting rescued and rehabilitated).
There are other organizations that are now getting into the public and private school systems to educated our children about the ways that traffickers pick up kids. I am definitely re-posting this one on Facebook! North America needs to understand that pornography fuels human trafficking! Have a blessed day!
Thanks, Donna! And that’s the message I really want to spread today: When we watch porn, we fuel sex trafficking. It isn’t a victimless crime. Even if YOU YOURSELF never watch child porn or hire a prostitute, others who watch porn will. And by you fueling the demand for porn in general, you contribute to roping people in to porn addiction and then sending them further down that road. If we could spread that message too when we talk about porn–not just that it’s a sin and it needs to stop, but that it hurts real, live human beings–maybe we’d do a better job of keeping our teens away from it. Teenagers are actually very attuned to arguments of justice and child endangerment. So let’s explain this to them!
Amen!
THANK YOU!!! I have tried to get other Christian marriage and sex bloggers to address to human beings in pornography, how users are contributing to their abuse and degradation, but I am blown off as “that’s not effective.”
Apparently, telling a dude he’s giving himself ED is more effective than telling him how many lives he is destroying every time he clicks. I have little hope for men that self absorbed and I think it is telling as to how low men are willing to go for self satisfaction.
It IS effective. It is what helped me break the porn habit. I started seeing them as humans. I looked in their eyes and saw empty brokenness and it broke me. Instead of masturbating to them, I found myself crying and praying and hurting so much inside. I hated porn then and I loathe it now.
The problem now, though, is when someone says they only look at willing porn….playboy, game of thrones, swimsuit issue, celebrities….they believe if someone willingly signs a contract and gets paid a bag of money, then it isn’t exploitation. You can get freebies anywhere. I bet I could get on Whisper right now and within 10 minutes get a dick pick.
What’s it going to take, folks, to stop porn, at least in your own life. It MUST stop! No excuses. No HBO series. No 50 Shades. No instagram. No excuses!!!
Applauding along with you!
Similar to Rethreaded, Trades of Hope also helps women out of sex trafficking. They partner with artisans around the world (including in the U.S.) to provide women with jobs and a living wage. Check out this video about women in California who are creating beautiful necklaces, beauty from ashes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x6Wpg27ga8
http://www.mytradesofhope.com/amandapower
Praise God for this information – we need to FIGHT!
We just moved from a town in Ontario to Washington state. We learned our new town is one of the top 5 in America for sex trafficking! This is not okay. I am doing a fundraiser to raise money for a local ministry that is a safe house for women once they are rescued, where they can restore hope and prepare for a brighter future. I am running every major street in my city and praying over the whole city. Please consider joining me in this fight through prayer or donation!!
Please check this out:
gofundme.com/3htyg3wc
Stop Human Trafficking Fundraising Fair,
Food,Games, 3on3 Basketball tournament, Face Painting, glitter tattoos,Self-defense demo (ladies only), Art sale, Bake Sale, TShirts and MORE!!!!
April 10th, 12:30-6pm
2235 Ocean Heights Ave EHT nj 08234
https://www.facebook.com/events/528246177357943/
Encouraging healthcare providers to be cognizant of potential signs/symptoms thatmay be displayed by patients who may be victims of human trafficking is important too. Five years ago, I designed and implemented a clinical simulation where the patient is a probable victim of human trafficking. Currently, every pre-licensure BSN student, in the university where I am a faculty member in the college of nursing, participates in this simulation (200 students/year). They are stunned and this experience really opens their eyes to the role of the RN in the fight against human trafficking.
Oh, how wonderful! That’s amazing.
Foster care children are a very high risk category. They are often already abused and then they get shunted back and forth. No stable, permanent home.
We should really prayerfully consider fostering and adopting more of these children. Fewer at risk children is a good thing. And of course do our best to make sure the children in our communities don’t get caught up with drugs. Drug habits are also associated with prostitution.
We have taken in 3 kids who aged out of foster care and their foster parents kicked them out as soon as they weren’t getting money for them. Luckily, since they were wards of the state, I could help them doing the paperwork to go into college (wards of the state automatically qualify for grants if they have the grades, but if they have moved homes a lot or never had good parents or social workers they don’t know how to get them). But there is a real lack of services for young adults that are technically adults, but do not have the education, jobs or credit to get a place to live without a cosigner. This includes kids aging pit of faster care, leaving abusive homes as soon as the legally can, or having parents that think “they’re adults, they need to manage on their own”. And a lot of them end up in really bad situations
Another excellent rescue organization is Refuge for Women, rescuing women from the porn trade and teaching them life skills and the Gospel of Christ.
Thank you for that! I’ll check them out.