by John Ellis
Sex trafficking is a serious issue. An issue that followers of Jesus should mourn while seeking justice for the victims. Unfortunately, it’s an issue that is wildly misunderstood and that has been co-opted by self-serving, glory-seeking individuals and organizations. This past summer, the surprise hit movie Sound of Freedom propelled one such individual and the organization he founded into our cultural lexicon. Well-meaning followers of Jesus were swept up in the film’s hype. Words of caution about the Tim Ballard, OUR, and Sound of Freedom largely fell on deaf ears and were often met with angry denunciations by those captivated by the Hollywood depiction of the tragic problem of sex trafficking.
As the months have rolled on, more and more has been uncovered about Ballard and his methods. Keeping up with the latest news about Ballard, I’ve read with interest while contemplating shining a spotlight once again on his actions. Dr. Laura Robinson is a scholar who has done (is doing) the hard work of parsing through the stories and news and distilling them into helpful articles, equipping followers of Jesus with epistemic tools that enable us to better discern the serious issues that Ballard and OUR have left in their wake. Below, I’ve linked to three of Dr. Robinson’s articles. I encourage you to read them and pass them along to friends and family members caught up in the deceitful, harmful hype created by Sound of Freedom. The oppressions and injustices of sex trafficking deserve honest, Christ-like responses. Recognizing false, self-serving saviors is an important step to forming a Kingdom response to sex trafficking.
Click here to read Don’t Give Your Money to Operation Underground Railroad, Part 1.
Click here to read Don’t Give Your Money to Operation Underground Railroad, Part 2.
Click here to read When We Invented Trafficking, Part 1.
I encourage you to follow Dr. Robinson’s Substack to receive notifications about future articles.
Practically Known Theology 