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Talking points on Christianity and Prostitution from a Liberation Theology point of view

by Avaren Ipsen, PhD Candidate at the GTU

*”Sin” has traditionally been sexual for women. But feminist theologians have questioned whether sex is really a sin or instead just an abrogation of male prerogatives under patriarchy.Sex as “sin” is a convenient way to blame prostitutes who are victims of violence, stigma and abuse. Liberation Theology focuses upon structural sin, not individual sin.We should be asking ourselves why so many women have repeatedly resorted to sex work throughout the ages to make ends meet.This makes it a structural issue, not an issue of personal morality.The label of “sinner” may be a convenient way of dismissing the voices of prostitutes…i.e. because prostitutes need to be saved, not listened to, according to the conventional Christian view.

*Women have traditionally been divided into castes of sexually good and bad women.This was the view of St. Thomas Aquinas who stated the necessity of prostitution in this way: “sewers are necessary to guarantee the wholesomeness of palaces.”This makes it acceptable to denigrate and abuse those located in the sexualized (“sewer”) castes--- most often poor women.This generally means that poor women need to be sexually respectable, pure or asexual in order to obtain human rights or social supports.

*Official Christian theology under girds U.S. law and social policy on prostitution, which criminalizes sex.Prostitutes as “sinners” are transmuted into prostitutes as sexual criminals.This substratum of current law needs to be addressed to move forward on the issue.Prostitution law currently still focuses on regulating and punishing the sexual behavior of those least powerful and responsible for systems of exploitation in prostitution.This focus does nothing to end the abuse and exploitation of prostitutes but rather exacerbates it.Current law and religious mores are complicit in harming prostitutes instead of helping them, especially if they are children or coerced women.

*Prostitution is not prohibited in the Hebrew bible unless it is done by a woman whose sexuality is “owned” by a guardian, such as a father or husband.

*Jesus consistently refused to scapegoat women for sexual “sins” and he even had some prostitute women in his family tree (Mt 1:4, Jn 8:1-11, Lk 7:36-50).

*Jesus had a preferential option for prostitutes, see Mt 21:31. The prostitutes are promised the kingdom of God ahead of the self-righteous religious leaders.

*It is the duty of the church to be in solidarity with prostitutes, the most marginalized of the marginalized, according to Brazilian Liberation Theologian Leonardo Boff.

*Prostitutes are an oppressed group. It is absolutely crucial to listen to prostitutes who are organizing for their human rights.This is the approach of Liberation Theology: to have a preferential option for the poor and the oppressed.

*Prostitutes are experts on their own oppression, not psychologists, social scientists or religious moralists.A Liberation Theology approach foregrounds the agency and self-organization of the oppressed group.

*Harm reduction approaches to sex work also highlight the agency of prostitutes just as Liberation Theology.Harm reduction approaches are currently under attack by the Bush Administration, which tends to view prostitution as old-fashioned“sin.”