Human Trafficking: A Christian Perspective
On October 18, 2018 at 7:00 PM, I will be moderating a class discussion on human trafficking: a Christian perspective for the Just Faith class at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marietta. I was asked to write an insert that will be included in the bulletin on the Sunday before the class. I felt that the information in this insert was important enough to include in the DVM for Hope blog. Some of this material appeared in a previous DVM For Hope post.
“Human trafficking is a horrific crime against the basic dignity and rights of the human person. All efforts must be expended to end it.”
– The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Human Trafficking: A Brief Overview
For most Americans, slavery is something they studied in the Civil War section of their American history class—a terrible and sordid thing of the past. The awful reality, though, is that because of the scourge of human trafficking, there are more slaves worldwide now than at any other time in history. Polaris, a leading organization in the fight against modern slavery, has this to say:
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery—a multimillion-dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. And no matter where you live, chances are it’s happening nearby. From the girl forced into prostitution at a truck stop, to the man discovered in a restaurant kitchen, stripped of his passport and held against his will. All trafficking victims share one essential experience: the loss of freedom.
If you think that the problem only occurs in far away places, guess again. Experts estimate that, here in the United States, between 100,000 and 300,000 children are trapped in the modern day evil of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). According to a report by The Shapiro Group, 7200 men purchase sex with adolescent females each month in Georgia alone. In fact, Polaris reports that Georgia ranks sixth overall in calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and that the underground sex economy in Atlanta represents a $290 million industry. The average age of entry into this economy is 13.
Human trafficking is a many-faceted problem. In some countries, India for example, debt bondage (the practice of charging workers exorbitant interest rates for the costs of food, housing, and transport) keeps people, and sometimes whole families, bound to the owners of factories and other businesses because of perceived debt they have no hope of ever repaying. Debt bondage is also employed to enslave domestic workers, agricultural workers, and sex trafficking victims in western countries—including in the United States, where sex traffickers commonly lure vulnerable American children into forced prostitution and keep them there by coercion and fear.
Human Trafficking: A Christian Perspective
“…in every one of our brothers and sisters, especially the least, the most vulnerable, the defenseless, and those in need, God’s very image is found. Indeed, with the scraps of this frail humanity, the Lord will shape his final work of art.”
-Pope Francis
No woman or girl wants to be a prostitute. They enter the life because they are lost, desperate, or trapped. They are frequently victims of previous abuse, poverty, or addiction. Just like the hungry, the sick, the prisoners, and the poor, they are in desperate need of our help. Christians are called to be the eyes, ears, hands, feet, and mouth of God on Earth, and we can’t look the other way while our sisters and brothers are trapped in slavery and exploitation. The organization I volunteer for, Out of Darkness, has a mission to “Reach, Rescue, and Restore victims of commercial sexual exploitation so that the glory of God may be known.” We do this through outreach programs like Encounter Group and Princess Night, our hotline number, rescue teams, and short and long-term recovery programs.
On October 18th at 7:00 PM, St. Joseph’s Just Faith class will be discussing the issue of human trafficking as it relates to the Apostolic Exhortation On The Call To Holiness In Today’s World (Gaudete et Exsultate). We will have a brief PowerPoint presentation about Out of Darkness and the problem of sex trafficking in Atlanta, followed by a class discussion about human trafficking. Please join us at the Sugar Hill House as we learn about this important subject.
Matt Nelson
St. Joseph Parishioner and Out of Darkness Volunteer
Author: Matthew J. Nelson
Matthew Nelson started DVM For Hope to educate people about human trafficking and other injustices. He volunteers with several anti-trafficking organizations, speaks about sex trafficking, and is active on social media as both a blogger and editor. By day he is a veterinarian.