All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Strip Club
Rachelle Starrn was raised in a Christian home & had never been inside a strip club in her life. But she felt this calling from God to reach out to women in the sex industry. She knew that God had given her a passion for those women to know how much He loves them & how precious they were in His eyes. Whatever doubts, she knew God was calling her to take action. He didn't want her to just to feel compassion for them but to do something about it.
In 2008, she started Scarlet Hope, a ministry that reaches out to women involved in the sex industry. They take big, southern-comfort-style dinners to strip clubs. Their prayer is that they're not just feeding their stomachs but they're feeding a deeper spiritual hunger. In some clubs, they fix hair & make-up so they can get some one-on-one time with the girls. It gives them the opportunity to pray with women in the middle of the strip club.
She states that many hearts have been changed & lives touched & many turned to Christ for forgiveness & new beginnings. She says she has seen Jesus show up many times in the back of a strip club dressing room. Many dancers opened up to them, sharing their struggles, asking for prayers, & some have even accepted their invitations to church.
What are your thoughts on this testimony? When I read it I must admit doubts flooded me. I know Jesus goes to the sinners but He didn't put their make-up on before prostituting themselves. Am I wrong with my feelings? No one knows the mind of God but do you really believe God would have them take such drastic steps to reach others?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Roy, I hope this reply ends up in the correct spot. I apologize for misunderstanding your post. You said you was saddened to see everyone judging these girls & I automatically took it as we're judging the strippers. Sorry about that one. I would like to say that I, personally, have not judged the girls in the ministry. I just asked what others thought about it. I, personally, don't think it's what the Lord has called them to do but I also asked was I wrong. I'm always teachable & will accept any Scriptures leading me to change my mind. I haven't seen it yet but please understand, I don't judge these girls at all. I believe they are doing what they believe the Lord has called them to do. Doesn't mean they have it right. However, He may show me I'm wrong. I'm more then happy to admit my errors if He does. Again, apologies for the misunderstanding.
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Permalink Reply by RoyW on
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Yes, Tammy, I hope this goes to the right place. I put up a post of a survey I found online asking Christians how they felt about Christians going into bars to witness. The answers were very similar to our answers. I think the numbers that answered it was okay was 57% and the number that said it was wrong was around 29% with other answers in varying degrees in between. The majority thought it was okay but, as you know, it is not always good to be in the majority. That did not settle the issue or may have not even helped. It was interesting. What interested me was the reasons given were very similar to what I was reading on here. The sampling was 1500 Christians which is a pretty high number for such a survey. I couldn't figure out if the majority here thought it was okay or thought it was wrong. I would really like to see how everyone would answer based on our discussion. It was probably one of the best discussions I have been a part of. Congratulations!
Well, Tammy, I see this did not go to the right place. I hope you find it. Well, maybe it did go to the right place - very confusing.
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I did find it. I'll figure out where it should be if it didn't go to the right place. I'm still on page 13 & have about 15 more to go. I'm trying to catch up. lol
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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Prisons are places of wickedness filled with wicked and unrepentant people and ministries enter there.
Scarlet Hope feels the call upon them is from God to go into the clubs where the dancers are. It's true that many feel called to do certain actions that are not really mentioned in Scriptures. As I said, when I went to see the Superman movie I felt conviction. Why doesn't God convict them? Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. What does that mean?
They do a lot of other good works and if they just stopped going to the clubs, then no one would likely be offended. So maybe that will happen. If they are saved, they won't lose their salvation and God will work all things together for the good of those who love Him. They have seen over 100 women leave that lifestyle and profess Jesus as Lord and Savior since they started.
In all my replies I've said I can't write them off completely and don't even know if their going into the clubs is wrong but would like to see them stop simply because it alarms others. I've walked into places before where sin was being committed. I just did what I had to do while I was there and left. Maybe I missed great opportunities to sow the gospel but my calling was to viisit and comfort the sick.
Today, I just think any good they do is negated by entereing the clubs. I can compare it to a prison or even a self righteous church but it isn't a good comparison. Plus, I'm not God, and out of 100 women, maybe zero really fell on good ground. If only one did, then we could safely say this was the means God intended for that one to be reached and Jesus leaves the 99 for the one. Since I have no way of knowing if there is even one, then I can't really be for them anymore. I pray God will convict us all for we all err in many ways (James 3:2). I know that before I ever start serving God in any type of ministry, I'd better change a lot. In the past I made many mistakes in the way I served and loved others. Just for the record, all of what I'm saying here is just from me and my opinion and personal conviction.
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Amanda,
If my replies have caused any confusion, please don't give that any consideration. It matters not what I think. Keeping our hearts pure before God is what counts. Some of these girls are sold into sin by no choice of their own. I know some would disagree with me but circumstances do rule in many cases. Jesus knows those who are His and those who are not His.
However, it is too late to talk about before you enter a ministry. You have already entered into one here on AAG and you are a very valuable member. You are real and your comments are real. You don't hide a lot. There are many people following your comments and wonder mostly what Amanda thinks. You have been subjected to some things that none of the rest of us have been subjected to. You can see things that we cannot see. Entering a ministry - sorry, you are already there.
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Roy,
There are many ministries in the world like Scarlet Hope. They go to the red light district in Amsterdam and the brothels in Mumbai and to women in the Congo who are victims of violence and rape and throughout Asia, the Netherlands, Thailand, India, many places. They go right up to the windows of the women in Amsterdam who are sitting behind them on display because prostitution there is legal, and many of those ministries say what you've said -- many of those women had no real choice so they want to provide them with a choice. It's debatable I guess. I've read some of their stories. To me it seems they are in bondage and need help to break free. The ministries go right into the brothels and right into where the women are "working" and offer resources and they don't believe in using tactics of guilt. They offer the option for the woman to leave prostitution if she wants to leave it and they think she should be able to do so if it's what she wants -- many stop wanting it because they lose hope that it can happen and think there's no other way for them. The ministries believe women can be liberated. They believe women need to have an alternative. We can only see a small portion of this picture. They leave their business cards, Bibles, literature telling the stories of girls who have left that life, and they pray for them and this is happening in the world right now as I am writing this. Wellspring International is one of those ministries. People need hope. May God teach us how to give people hope. Jesus is the Way, the truth, and the life.
Thank you for your kind words, Roy.
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Permalink Reply by ribbon on
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Roy please calm down. I did not bring up "sarcastic" again to you. What are you talking about.
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Janie, at this point I have no idea what I am talking about. Did I say you were sarcastic again. I think I said that I was accepting the statement that you were NOT being sarcastic. That is what I meant to say.
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Roy I am very lost right now. Here is what I said to you in reply to your comment to me.
Roy please calm down. I did not bring up "sarcastic" again to you. What are you talking about.
There is absolutely no accusations to you in that statement. I was inly responding to you about what you said. I will have to look it up and I will post it.
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