Australian Slavery

When we think of human trafficking, we usually think of past systems of oppression, such as the slave trade that provided much of the work force of the antebellum South. But in truth, human trafficking is alive and well all over the globe. There are still plenty of weak and powerless people in this world who are forced into sub-human roles by their more powerful oppressors.

But that stuff only happens in lawless third world countries right? Those of us who belong to “civilized” Western societies would never allow such things to happen in our midst, right? If only that were true...

Unfortunately, hedonism has become one of the hallmarks of rich Western societies. And one of the great injustices that our culture fuels is a multi-billion dollar sex industry. From porn to prostitution, we just can’t get enough…we’re addicted. But what is the human cost involved? The conventional wisdom of today says that any action is permissible so long as no one is hurt by it. As someone who believes in a holy God I strongly question this “wisdom.” But even if we were to take God out of the equation and, for the sake of argument, accept this line of thinking, would the sex industry measure up to those standards?

The short answer…no.

Fourteen years ago, the Australian government decided to legalize prostitution. It was argued that legalization would provide regulation and oversight and ensure that the (mostly) women involved would have a safe and healthy “work” environment. It hasn’t. Instead, it has simply increased the number of women who are trafficked into prostitution. Not only are there now legal brothels all over Australia, but there are still plenty of illegal ones that don’t want to go through the hassle of registering with the government.

So how does one become a prostitute in Australia? Step one: become desperate. There are two main sources of women for pimps to draw from, drug addicts and illegal aliens. In the case of illegal aliens, they often pay every penny they have to be smuggled into a rich country hoping they will be able find better lives for themselves. The problem is that the little bit of money they have isn’t anywhere close enough to pay for their journey. But that’s ok they’re told, they can “work off” their debt. The truth is that these smugglers are usually directly contracting with the pimps. They’re modern day slave traders. Once the women arrive, they are given over to the brothels.

The conditions are usually atrocious (one brothel in Melbourne was found to keep the women in cages), and the women are usually raped (I’ll just call it what it is) hundreds or even thousands of times before they have paid off their debt and are set free. Some women probably don’t make it out alive, but when you’re nameless and undocumented who’s to know? But even if they are allowed to leave, they are likely to be physically and psychologically scarred for life. It’s almost impossible to escape before your debts are paid. Besides the threats and beatings, who do you go to when you are illegal and don’t speak the local language? They are completely powerless. Some women found in illegal brothels don’t even know what country they are in.

If you would like to read a report on the trafficking of women on Australia, you can do so here:
http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/catwaust/files/austtraffic.htm

There is so much money involved in the prostitution industry, that anyone who dares oppose it (or even criticize it) gets shouted down. The behind the scenes powers have even formed a sex workers union to act as a front for their interest. If anyone speaks out against the sex trade, this union quickly takes action against them. This is what happened to the Salvation Army in Australia. You can read about that here: http://blog.sojo.net/2009/06/01/should-we-tolerate-legalized-prostitution/ The union appeals to the ideals of Western society by (hypocritically) asserting that they are standing up for women’s rights and women’s liberation. Only the father of lies could twist oppression into liberation.

What does this have to do with Christians? We serve a holy God. God’s holiness is never strictly defined in scripture, but it is consistently characterized by two dual aspects of God’s nature – love and justice. Not only this, but God calls on us to imitate his holy character. I don’t have the space go into detail on this, but even a cursory overview of scripture reveals that more often than not God uses his people to show his love and justice. That’s right – he works through us. God calls us to be his agents of love and justice in the world. But how?

I confess I feel powerless in the face of something that is seemingly so powerful. I sense that the sex industry, both here and globally, is a dark and demonic presence on the earth…and that scares me. But at the same time, I know that our God hasn’t given us a spirit of timidity, but rather a spirit of power, love, and self discipline. And I also know that the gates of hell cannot stand up to the coming of God’s kingdom.

There are several brothels in our city (as well as street prostitutes, etc.). In fact, there is a brothel just a couple of blocks from our teammates’ house. How can we faithfully serve our God as agents of love and justice in our community? How can we shine the light of Christ into this situation? I’m not just asking rhetorical questions – I’d like some ideas. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? What would you do?

Even if you don’t have any ideas, one thing that you can do is to join us in prayer. Pray not only for the women here who are in this abusive situation, but pray also for the oppressed that may be in your own city or nation. Pray that God would reveal to you ways you can serve them. And never stop praying that God’s kingdom will come and that his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.