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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Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 14, 2013 at 6:37am

Hi Amanda,

Why are you saying that this is a bad ministry? Is it because the lady combed a lady's hair and helped her with her makeup? How many times has Jesus helped you? Yet, you continue to go out and sin. Wouldn't Jesus just be better off taking you out of this evil world rather than giving you the means to continue sinning? Why would he assist you? He gives you means to continue your sinning. How can we judge this ministry as being bad? I hope we have more than just a lady assisting another lady with her hair and makeup.

Jesus came into this evil world to get me. The things that go on in the business world are so much worse than what goes on in a strip club. I could tell you some things people have done to me that would make you very angry. This world is full of evil. Yet, Jesus came into this evil dark world that is full of sin to get me. He picked me up, dusted me off, cleaned me up, washed my evil feet, dried the tears from my eyes and saved my wicked evil soul. What did I do in return? I'm not going to tell you as you might judge me unrighteous and unworthy of the Kingdom. I have continued my sinful ways. I so don't ever want to sin again, but then I do.

I can tell you that Jesus has been in much worse places than a strip club. He has been in some of our homes. How many out there have HBO and watched shows you shouldn't watch? How many out there have wasted money on yourselves while so many go hungry? How many of us have had thoughts that are as evil as any stripper has ever had? Yet, Jesus tells us to think it is as evil as participating.

I can tell you that I am no better than the most evil person in this world, yet Jesus continues to help me. Yes, I want desperately never to lose my temper again, but I do. I have to admit I have not yet reached sinless perfection. I want to reach that plateau, but I have not. Sometimes I am selfish, sometimes I am jealous, sometimes I am angry when I should be forgiving, sometimes I am lazy, sometimes I have bad thoughts and on and on I could go. Yet, Jesus continues to help me. He has blessed me beyond measure. I do not deserve any of His blessings and yet I continue to receive blessing after blessing.

We are all evil sinners. I am the worse. I know Paul said he was but I think I top him. Maybe I have never committed the act of murder, adultery, or sins like that but does that make me righteous? I know better. Put me in the right situation and I will be as evil as the next guy. The only hope I have is Jesus. I have no other hope. I put no confidence in myself. I stand completely in Him and in Him alone. I am very blessed.

Amanda, I think you are just being facetious (Previous word was changed to the intended word that is now posted). Just remember, Jesus came into this extremely evil world and helped us all out knowing that none of us would stop our sinning. We are very fortunate to have Jesus as our Lord.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 14, 2013 at 7:11am

Roy,
I know I have had many sins and I've had to enter places where people were openly engaged in sinning and I felt I was called by God to do that work -- I'm talking about going into a home where family members were partying and drinking while their loved one was dying in another room (hospice worker) and also before hospice I worked for home health and often visited the homes of the disabled and those with chronic illnesses, like MS, and many times the families were having cook outs with kegs of beer, etc ... I never felt led to start preaching to them. I knew I'd likely get fired from my job if I offended families of patients but I still went in and did what I felt Jesus was calling me to do -- care and visit the sick. Scarlet Hope is offending people by what they do. I'm not sure Romans 14 applies here, but if it does, then it's wrong for strong Christians, too, to practice their freedoms in front of those whose consciences are easily wounded. I'm not sure what the biblical reason is for why Scarlet Hope is erring -- it looks like in many ways. The biggest way is wanting to sow the message of faith in the hearts of the women while they are dancing and actively sinning. They could do this ministry without needing to go into the clubs. I'm sorry for flip flopping. I always repent though when I realize I am wrong. I changed my mind about them. If they would change the part about going into the clubs, no one would probably be offended by the rest of what they do. In my job I once stooped to wash and take care of the feet of an AIDS patient who had about two more months to live and I did it while his lover, another man, was watching us. I felt I wasn't wrong then but now I feel I was. I thought I was being loving.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 15, 2013 at 12:42pm

Michelle,

Roy doesn't really think I was being vicious. He is a very kind gentleman and always encourages me and helps me when I'm struggling to figure out things.

As for Scarlet Hope, I think they really feel called by God and the testimonies of the girls they've impacted are very moving. I couldn't enter a strip club. I'd be afraid and feel unsafe around all the men and I would even fear some of the women and their anger or wrath. Some of them are very hardened. That's why they were fixing hair and makeup -- just to break down walls with the girls and gain their trust.

Now, after the many comments that others have shared and after realizing that I was just commenting too much anyway and being redundant I've just decided it isn't worth it and no ministry is perfect and I'm not going to be for any ministry or against any but just let them all be who and what they are and let God be the judge and let God convict them, transform them, or whatever pleases Him.

I have never had anything bad to say about the Scarlet Hope ministry but have always wished they didn't go into the clubs and I just over looked that aspect and focused on the other aspects of the ministry's good works. Now my mind has changed once again and I was wrong for saying they are a bad ministry just as much as I would be wrong to judge them as good. I can be neutral. I can pray for them. I can refrain from condemning them and I don't need to praise them. Others are to see our good works and praise God not praise us for them. So the girls that are reached and helped in any way by Scarlet Hope - to that I say praise God!

I love you all.

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 15, 2013 at 10:08pm

Mischelle,

As I look at the word, I realize I used the wrong word. I am trying to find the right word but it is definitely not vicious. The word is something like "vicisious" but I am not finding that online. I am very sorry for that mistake. Someone please help me with the correct spelling. I can't find it or the meaning. The word I was using was intended to mean something like this: to speak something to lead someone to a different conclusion. However, I cannot find this word of the internet. I know someone out there knows the correct word. Amanda is not vicious. She is not even close. I am sorry for the confusion. I think I should look up these words before I use them.

I have been on the road today between Wyoming and Kansas and just now seeing this post from Mischelle. The word I was intending to use is a complimentary word giving credit to a person's intelligence which I believe Amanda has very much of. However, I can't find the word. Maybe it is not even a word.

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on July 16, 2013 at 1:02am

It depends on what the definition of what "is" is.

Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 16, 2013 at 6:21am

Last night after I wrote this comment, I realized I was starting the word with a "v" instead of an "f" but the word "facetious" really looks a lot different. Looking up that definition I don't like it either but it is close - not right on - to the definition I gave. I felt that maybe Amanda was trying to go in a certain direction to get me to go in another.

Anyway, that was the word I meant to put in that comment. I was very happy to see that Amanda looked past my reply and knowing me knew that I would not speak evil of her. :)

Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 16, 2013 at 6:31am

By the way, Janie, if you leave this forum, it will lose its punch. Friendly disagreement is a lot of fun. Being willing to share your thoughts is what makes AAG go. So many are afraid to really share what they think. I noticed that you are not afraid. That is good. We all will develop our thinking better through these discussions.

Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 16, 2013 at 7:17am

Roy,

I actually laughed out loud when I saw the word vicious. I can be mean. I prefer irony over sarcasm though and if anyone hasn't identified this about me yet, then in many of my comments there is irony. Also I am vicarious. I try to put myself in the shoes of others. Scarlet Hope is nothing like the group that Grace posted info about. They no longer fix hair even and the make up thing was just something that a couple of volunteers used at two or three clubs and not the norm. Their intention wasn't to prepare the girls to go out there and sin. They grabbed the moments while the girls were doings their own makeup and hair themselves anyway and their intention was to plant faith in the hearts of the girls. Was that Ok? We are all still in the flesh and make mistakes. The good news is we can learn from mistakes. They only take the meal now and Jesus fed multitudes. I don't think they need to go to the clubs anymore. This discussion was about the makeup and hair but became about going into the clubs altogether.

vi·car·i·ous (v-kâr-s, -kr-, v-)
adj.
1. Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another: read about mountain climbing and experienced vicarious thrills.
2. Endured or done by one person substituting for another: vicarious punishment.
3.
a. Acting or serving in place of someone or something else; substituted.
b. Committed or entrusted to another, as powers or authority; delegated.
4. Physiology Occurring in or performed by a part of the body not normally associated with a certain function.

Permalink Reply by ribbon on July 16, 2013 at 11:41am

Roy , I spent at least an hour ... maybe from 3 am to 4 am... trying to find your V word that would fit in your post. I even looked at the Scrabble choices. I was bored I guess, or more curious of what word could it be. Roy I wasn't running from the forum because of people disagreeing with me. If that were so I wouldn't ever get to step foot in them. Its my mind set here lately, that's all. Thank you for the incouragement.. But I don't know what you mean by "punch". I think that's what you said.

Permalink Reply by RoyW on July 16, 2013 at 1:00pm

Did everyone see that the word I was meaning to say was"facetious" rather than "vicious."

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on July 16, 2013 at 1:05pm