The STOPLight

Wise women urgently needed

Back in 1993 a mother told me how her daughter's boyfriend had kept telling her daughter to "show a little skin" and how he had manipulated her into becoming a stripper. Now, nine years later, the fashion industry and the media have pimped their way into the life of American teenagers such that showing more skin is the thing to do. In fact, as one high school girl told me, pimping is a common word among the boys of her school, and a boy who is known as a pimping guy is looked up to in many cases. Our youth culture has changed, readers. It is time to wake up.

If it is the task of the "sex" industry to ruin the lives of youth, they have done their job exceedingly well. We now have over 300,000 pornographic web sites, which actually means 300,000 terrorists attacking our youth, with 6,500,000 American young people reporting receiving unwanted sexual material. Terrorists scope out vulnerability in order to destroy lives. This is exactly what the pornographers, strip club managers and other pimping operations do. Only they do not do it for the sake of any belief system but simply to make money. Lives taken for $$$$.

On September 10, 2001 researchers at the University of Pennsylvania announced this tragedy: Between 200,000 and 300,000 American juveniles are caught in the trap of being used sexually for money. That means for every person who lost his or her life in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, over 60 American youth are exploited day-in and day-out by American citizens. How many of us have the audacity and mean spiritedness to not even notice this new form of child sacrifice going on in our midst?

Maybe you are thinking, "Oh, no, it is not like that." Then I ask you to wake up and smell the roses on the reputations and graves of American youth who have met up with these predators only to discover too late what they were in for. American youth are being taught to use sex as a drug; to believe stripping is a career choice with no life-altering consequences; and that buying sexual "entertainment" has no long term effects on either the worker or the customer. The tragedies coming out of these deceptions and lies can hardly be overstated.

Can this be turned around where love and relationships and safety become a way of life?

Can we recover at all what it means to be a human being in the face of this? For that to happen we will need some very wise and courageous people and at first, these will need to be women.

The Old Testament, which is very patriarchal, even shows this. We only need to look at the experience of King David. Before he became king, he reacted furiously to a man named Nabal who refused him and his men food after they had done a favor for him. It was the quick-thinking Abigail, Nabal's wife, who calmed David down and kept him from doing something really foolish. (See I Samuel 25:1-42).

David gullibly did not see a scheme which set up his own daughter, Tamar, to be raped by her half brother Amnon. It was Tamar before and after the rape who spoke words of wisdom to Amnon. She was the one who saw the horrible outcome of this for everyone concerned and spoke wisely and plainly. No matter that none of the men in the story listened to her. She, at least, saw the tragedy forthcoming and spoke to it.

So in two years, Amnon was murdered by Absalom, Tamar's brother. Then Absalom tragically got caught up in the refusal of David to see him and ended up being killed himself. (See 2 Samuel 13 ­ 18).

We need wise women today who speak boldly and passionately for the lives of our young people. We need wise women who are willing and able to look beyond the immediate game, the cheap thrill, to see what this is all leading to. We men are slower on the uptake on these issues. Some of us will come along and some have. But women must be the Abigails, the Tamars, the Esthers if we are going to change people's minds and hearts.

We have seen wise women boldly accept a leadership partnership with Adults Saving Kids. Out of their leadership, congregations and communities are praying for their youth.

Pastors are waking up to this tragedy and equipping their youth using our materials and videos.

Women are making new contacts with law enforcement and community agencies.

Women are calling forth leadership in the church. Seminaries are addressing these difficult issues. Bishops are getting involved.

All this because some women had the fortitude and compassion in Christ to step out and change the course the river was running.

Sisters listen, God is calling! The lives of the children in your area are in your hands. You can make a difference. Accept the challenge, the responsibility, the calling, and watch God bless your salty leadership. The meal is there to be cooked. Cook it. The garment is there to be sewn. Sew it. Adults Saving Kids is looking for wise women to step forward and reverse the ongoing destruction of our young people. Reverse it!!

by Rev. Al Erickson, director and founder

START praying for our youth!

STOP the preying on our youth.

The STOPLight is a resource that illuminates the realities of commercial sexual exploitation and provides resources for preventing this exploitation.

Submissions

We reserve the right to select, reject, and edit any material we receive. Submissions must include your name and address; anonymity will be honored when requested.

Previously published material will be considered if source name and address is supplied and/or written permission accompanies the material.

Articles published are not necessarily the opinion of the Adults Saving Kids Board of Directors. Any references to specific treatments, programs, books or organizations do not constitute endorsement.

Reprints

If you wish to reprint any articles from The STOP Light in another publication, please contact our office. Call us for cost and availability of back issues.

Subscriptions

If you would like to be on our mailing list, contact our office. Our mailing list is kept strictly confidential.

Donations are needed and gratefully accepted to help defray production and mailing costs.

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.