wfn.org | ELCA Council Adopts Message on Commercial Sexual Exploitation

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 13, 2001

ELCA COUNCIL ADOPTS MESSAGE ON COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
01-289-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a message on commercial
sexual exploitation "to raise awareness of the industry that sexually
exploits vulnerable persons, principally women and girls, but also
men and boys."  The council called on Lutherans "to examine how this
industry might affect their lives" and consider ways "to combat its
evils."
     The church council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves
as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide
assemblies.  The council met here Nov. 9-11. Assemblies are held
every other year; the next is Aug. 11-17, 2003, in Milwaukee.
     The Rev. Alvin S. "Al" Erickson Jr., an ELCA pastor and founder
of the Alliance for Speaking Truths on Prostitution (A-STOP),
Minneapolis, told the council, "The leadership of the ELCA bringing
this issue to light is remarkable."  He said he didn't know of any
other church body sending such a message.
     The pastor described a "dark world" of commercial sexual
exploitation that enslaved young women in a cult-like atmosphere --
promising love and support their family and friends cannot provide --
sometimes against their wills.  The product of that slavery enslaves
its users, he said.
     Erickson said much of what the sex industry does is legal --
strip clubs, Web pages and escort services.  "People will give us as
much nonsense as we have room for," he said, inviting council members
to open the phone books in their homes and look up "escort services"
to see how "mainstream" the sex industry has become.
     A-STOP has produced a number of educational programs for
churches and schools to help educate everyone from teen-agers to
pastors, said Erickson.  He compared pornography to quicksand in
which anyone can get bogged down.
     "Love born of faith in Jesus Christ calls us all to attend to,
discuss, resist, and reject the system of commercial sexual
exploitation," says the ELCA message.  "Members, congregations,
synods, churchwide units, and affiliated agencies and institutions
are encouraged to renew their care and concern for children and
youth, recognizing that there are those who prey upon young persons
in their dependency and vulnerability."
     "Commercial sexual exploitation includes the businesses of
prostitution, pornography, and stripping," says the message.  "It
includes what customers do by: viewing pornographic videos;
downloading pornography from the Internet; visiting strip clubs;
engaging in simulated sex by phone or computer; using escort
services; and participating in sex tourism."
     "While customers may think they harm no one but themselves, the
truth is that they are swept up in a system of sexual exploitation
that degrades all participants, both providers and customers," it
says.
     "Equally committed people may disagree on what laws should be
in place or what are the best measures to address prostitution,
pornography, and stripping.  In light of the scope and complexity of
the action required, a multitude of creative and courageous responses
are needed," says the message.
     The message provides several things that Lutherans and Lutheran
institutions can do to "combat" the sex industry.  "Find out what is
happening in your community," it says.  "Inquire about the legal
situation in your locale, consider joining with advocacy
organizations that address the issue, and support law enforcement
agencies when they constitutionally pursue and prosecute predators."
     "Prevent youth from becoming captives of the system of sexual
exploitation," says the message.  "Provide safe settings for men,
women and youth to talk about their attitudes toward and struggles
with prostitution, pornography and stripping and appropriate uses of
the Internet."
     "Examine spending and investments" and "support social agencies
that work with youth and adults who are in prostitution," recommends
the message.
     "This church supports international agreements and national
laws to stop sex trafficking and calls for the will and the resources
to enforce them," it says.  "This church supports Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service and Lutheran World Relief in their
efforts to assist these victims in the United States and other parts
of the world."
     Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a joint ministry of
the ELCA, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Latvian
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  It was established by
Lutheran churches in the United States to carry out the churches'
ministry with immigrants and refugees around the world.
     Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is the overseas relief and
development ministry of the ELCA and LCMS.  In addition to supporting
development projects worldwide, LWR is a member of Action by Churches
Together, an international alliance of churches and relief agencies
assisting thousands of people recovering from emergencies in more
than 50 countries.
     The council decided to delete a phrase contrasting sexual
exploitation and marriage.  The message reads: "The system of sexual
exploitation corrupts God's wonderful gift of sexuality by reducing
it to a marketable item.  It separates sex from mutual relationships
of trust, love, and equality intended by God."  An amendment deleted
what was to be the rest of the second sentence: "and mocks the
faithful, caring, life-long marital context for sexual intimacy."
-- -- --
     The ELCA Message on Commercial Sexual Exploitation is available
at http://www.elca.org/dcs/commercial_sexual_exploitation.html on the
World Wide Web.
     The Alliance for Speaking Truths on Prostitution (A-STOP) has a
home page at http://www.a-stop.org/ on the Web.
     Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has a home page at
http://www.lirs.org/ on the Web, and http://www.lwr.org/ is the home
page for Lutheran World Relief.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html