In November I was invited to a screening of Nefarious I, Merchant of Souls, a documentary on the “modern slavery” movement. I had no knowledge of Exodus Cry nor the impact this film would have on my spirit. Nefarious I, Merchant of Souls is, if I’m honest, a sickening film to view. However it carries with it a hope: hope that exists because Jesus exists.
This month ICDevos and The Daily Grind Counter are asking that, as we collectively seek to live intentionally in 2012, you will join us in educating yourself and those in your sphere of influence about the reality of the modern slavery movement. We hope that the links and the videos that follow will encourage you to understand what “modern slavery” is; and if it causes you to become angry and rocked to your core, then that is sometimes what living intentionally does.
Modern slavery exists. It is likely living nearer to you than you’d care to notice and it’s breaking God’s heart.
“Modern slavery.” It sounds like a paradox. Hasn’t humanity progressed? Didn’t we leave slavery dead on the battlefields of the American Civil War? Didn’t social reformers like Lincoln and Wilberforce legislate against such cruelty over a hundred years ago? So we had thought. But, with over 27 million enslaved people in the world, human trafficking is once again the battlefront of the century.
Nefarious, Merchant of Souls, is a hard-hitting documentary that exposes the disturbing trends in modern sex slavery. From the very first scene, Nefarious ushers you into the nightmare of sex slavery that hundreds of thousands experience daily. You’ll see where slaves are sold (often in developed, affluent countries), where they work, and where they are confined. You’ll hear first-hand interviews with real victims and traffickers, along with expert analysis from international humanitarian leaders.”
The Cold Facts of Modern Slavery
- A child is trafficked every 30 seconds. – UNICEF
- The average age of entry into commercial sex slavery in the United States is 13 years old. – United States Department of Justice
- Human Trafficking occurs in 161 out of 192 countries. – The United Nations
- Pornography is a 96 billion dollar per year industry. – The Internet Filter Review
- Up to 96% of women in prostitution want to escape but feel they can’t. – United Labor Organization
- Human Trafficking is a 32 billion dollar per year industry. – The United Nations
- In some countries it is estimated that 70% of men purchase sex. – Victor Malarek; The Johns
- Over 27 million people are enslaved around the world. This is more than double the number of Africans enslaved during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. – Kevin Bales; Free the Slaves
“If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most ‘incurable fanatics’ ever permitted to be at large.” —William Wilberforce
It’s clear that the modern sex industry is alive and well. We are choosing to be blind to the exploitation and dehumanization of women and children. We can not as Christians simply look the other way or in our minds “oppose” such degradation. We live in a culture that promotes and embraces the objectification of women, a culture we are a part of.
We collectively have a voice in an issue that has no grey areas. It’s wrong on every level and we have been asked to move and become “incurable fanatics.” As we know, simply opposing trafficking is not enough. We are called to do more and the Nefarious, Merchant of Souls folks have outlined some incredible ways that you can be involved in the movement.
Take the time to educate yourself.
Take the time to allow your heart to break, and in doing so we’ll be feeling the heart of God.
We must do more than oppose sex slavery. To disrupt the culture of exploitation we must challenge the attitudes that lie behind the demand for illicit sex. Like Wilberforce, though it will be viewed as politically incorrect, we must take a stand against prevailing societal mores and recover the dignity of our humanity.
We are passionate about recruiting an army of incurable fanatics who will join arms with us in this fight to end sex trafficking. We define the commitment of an incurable fanatic in three ways:
Prayer
Slavery is first and foremost a form of spiritual oppression that must be addressed through spiritual means. Wilberforce once said, “Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.” Through prayer we can defeat the spiritual forces of darkness that today enslave over 27 million people worldwide. Pray once per day for the ending of sex trafficking.
Awareness
Critical to Wilberforce’s anti-slavery efforts was an aggressive grass-roots awareness campaign that sought to sway public opinion. To invoke the cultural heart-level change required to end sexual exploitation, we must first expose it. Abraham Lincoln said, “Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.” Tell at least 10 other people about this issue and about Nefarious: Merchant of Souls.Spread the Word »
Giving
In addition to his spiritual and physical labors, Wilberforce was a philanthropist. In other words, he put his money where his heart was. Money is a critical component in driving the sex trade and it is a critical component needed to end it. Give $3 per week towards Exodus Cry’s efforts to end sex trafficking and restore the victims of this grave injustice. Give »
Nefarious: Merchant of Souls Official Trailer from Exodus Cry on Vimeo.
Bless you for sharing this information.
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Makes me angry – but so thankful for those who are working. Better get busy myself.
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Yeah Jo, it should…it honestly made me sick to watch the film, but what HOPE it delivered at the end…hope that with awareness and action lives can be changed. It’s perhaps one of the ugliest faces of humanity that exists, but shining light brings it out of the darkness…spread the word friend.
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The Lord convicted me of the horrendousness of this a couple of years ago. When I published my Bible study,(http://www.leahadams.org/legacy/)I made a committment to tithe the income from the sale of the study books to Wellspring Living (http://www.wellspringliving.org/). Mary Frances Bowley and the Wellspring organization are working hard to combat this in Georgia. Thank you for posting this. What a tragedy!
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