It is hard to fathom the evil that exists in this world.
To sit with the fact that child sex trafficking occurs makes me sick to my stomach.
And to consider that there are over 300,000 children trafficked globally every year is…unconscionable to say the very least.
If you haven’t seen The Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel and produced by Angel Studios – you need to clear some time on your calendar this week and watch it.
And just be ready for an onslaught of emotions. Watching this movie — motionless and completely captured for 125 minutes — I cried with deep sadness, I was angry with the fury and thirst for justice, I was shaken and disturbed to my core, and to be honest, I was also left with a tinge of hopelessness, considering the magnitude and breadth of the problem on a global scale, and the covert operations that have successfully made it larger than the arms race and bigger than drug trafficking.
I’m late to the movement to see this film, so I won’t go in depth with plot or things like that on here for redundancy’s sake…plus I don’t just want to add noise to this important discussion.
You and I, now having seen this film: we now have a responsibility. There is no more “darkness of ignorance” that we can bury our heads into. We have seen the truth of the heinous child sex trafficking world, and the question stands: now what.
Because seeing how the mainstream media has tried to bury, discredit and blacklist this movie — and paint its supporters as QAnon or bigots or right-wing conspiracy theorists — is more than disheartening. And it seriously makes me wonder why there’s so much pushback to this film. Why has there been an industry wide-gag order on the film. What’s in it for them? And that’s a whole can of worms I won’t get into on here, but their efforts to suppress and discredit the movie certainly have my eyebrows raised.
When asked in the story why this Homeland Security Agent is fighting for these children sold into sex trafficking, he answers, “Because God’s children are not for sale.”
And that is truly one of the only overt references to Christianity in the film. Sure, there are undertones that every Christian and their brother picks up on, but I think it was really smart of Angel Studios not to make this film too blatantly “churchy” — otherwise it would have been immediately written off as a cheesy Christian film, a la: Left Behind.
But I digress.
God’s children are not for sale.
One of the things that I think people struggle with when sitting with this movie is…how could God allow such terrible, despicable, truly unthinkable things to happen to innocent children. Where is His protection in all of this? How is He okay with child sex trafficking?
And I can’t pretend that I know the answers to those questions. Not even for a second.
But our free will is something that is not to be taken lightly.
Because with it, comes the ability to do unspeakable evil.
God is light. His love warms and illuminates the world. And when people close themselves off to God and shut Him out, they are shutting out that light and that love and warmth too. And in that void of darkness without God is where evil thrives and breeds and strengthens and truly, that is the only way that I can wrap my head around how a person could possibly partake in either the selling, the buying, the abusing, the watching, etc….that Godless existence ruled by the darkest of evil is the only thing that I can fathom.
Because the whole thing just is almost too much to comprehend.
And at the end of the day, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know why God allows this to continue.
Maybe you have a better understanding of our Creator than I do. But I just don’t feel like, “everything happens for a reason” — or “God can create good from every situation” — suffices for such an evil thing as child sex trafficking.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this movie and the aftermath of emotions you’ve felt since watching it.
And I would love to know what you think the answer to the question, what now, is. Because we’ve seen the truth, and the truth demands action. But we can’t just go catch the next boat into the Colombian bush and battle the rebels to rescue the trafficked children there.
Truly. What now. Because all I can think of is getting as many people to see this movie as possible, in the hopes that maybe someone else might have a creative solution to solve this heartbreaking global issue.
In the meantime, let’s just pray for all those defenseless, innocent children who need our protection, and for the strength and courage of those who are fighting to save them.
Until next time…
Caralyn
34 responses to “The Sound of Freedom”
God gave us free will, consequently this free will comes with personal responsibility. Evil is a choice encouraged by the “Evil One” satan. God allows life to happen and we can influence others by words, actions, and prayer. We must “keep the faith.” You are a wonderful influencer with positive messages; we love and respect you and your messages. You are one of the good guys, stay positive and self motivated and we will do the same and support you. Hugs and Love 🤗 & ❤️!!!
Hi Caralyn, Congrats on your wedding. Blessings to you and Steven. Sadly, child abduction doesn’t make the news, especially during divorce/custody cases where one parent has fled with the child to another country. Yes, there are international protections and treaties, but good luck enforcing them and trying to find the absconding parent. However, there are plenty of good lawyers and investigators working hard to find those children.
Loved the movie. It was very needed. I went on opening day, July 4. I also sent $$ to Operation Underground Railroad and will support it again if I can, since I can’t physically go and do something about trafficking myself.
Thank you. I won’t watch the movie. I didn’t watch The Passion for the same reason. I can’t take some things and I have a very short fuse. I am in tears just reading the Scriptures about Jesus’crucifixion. Child porn and trafficking are two (the same?) issues I simply boil over about.
I simply cannot understand how some people live with their actions. Anyway, we all can do something, and I do as much as possible. Maybe I make a slight difference. First thing we can all do is PRAY! Don’t underestimate the power of prayer. Our God is an awesome God and accomplishes much when His children (that’s us) pray.
Pray. Without Ceasing. Pray against Evil and those who purvey it.
And what Tim said. Add to that abortion.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18.6
There’s a special place in Hell for those people.
My wife and I watched the movie. It was eye-opening to the magnitude of the problem and heart-breaking to know little children are caught up in this terrible evil. One possible answer to the “Why does God allow this to happen?” We live in a Fallen World. Even though there are a lot of good people in this world, mankind’s propensity is toward sin not righteousness–we are all sinners. Sin always wants more and the more we give in to sin, the deeper the hole of hell we slide into. Jesus was Heaven’s invasion to earth. Evil is defeated one heart at a time as people surrender their hearts and lives to follow Jesus. Many people may find a lot of “Yeah, but…” to my comment. I am not looking for arguments, just sharing my perspective. Blessings to you.
I saw the movie and thought it was very well done. This is a cause I have supported for a while. There are good organizations fighting trafficking of children and young women like Love Justice and Operation Underground Railroad. It is so important to me that I am donating from royaltiies of my book Jesus Understands Trauma to efforts to fight trafficking.
Anita and I have chosen not to see the movie because we are already on the same page with the producers. We are pleased it has had such an effect on those who do not know about human trafficking (and not just children), and more so for the pushback, to show who those people are who want to tolerate thus horrible sin.
Love and prayers for you and Steven as you plan for your own precious children.
We cannot isolate ourselves nor our children from “the evil that men do,” but we can insulate them with the same protection Father offers us. And whenever we can, we must make clear that our laws and culture must protect children.
Luke 17:2
Seeing a movie is fine. It may be cathartic — a feel-good that you have seen the problem and have taken the moral high ground. On the side of the angles, so to speak, but seeing a film doesn’t absolve you of moral responsibility. No, you don’t have to go into the field and try to stop this abomination yourself. But If you want to know what you can do simply Google child trafficking, and you’ll find lots of ways to help.
Emil Hesse, SJ
A Divine Image
BY WILLIAM BLAKE
Cruelty has a Human Heart
And Jealousy a Human Face
Terror the Human Form Divine
And Secrecy, the Human Dress
The Human Dress, is forged Iron
The Human Form, a fiery Forge.
The Human Face, a Furnace seal’d
The Human Heart, its hungry Gorge.
The question is not How/Why does God allow this to happen? It’s What if God went all Old Testament on child traffickers and assorted wrong doers? Would people be genuinely thankful for His actions or would they call Him a tyrant and a monster? Would they love Him more or hate Him more?
I also cried a lot when watching this movie recently. One thing that gives me hope is that when Jesus comes back, He will judge with perfect Justice and avenge the afflicted and marginalized. It leads me to prayer and makes me want to stand up for justice– to find maybe a non-profit helping in this fight or something of that sort.
A church in Northern Colorado has a human trafficking campaign called U Count (https://ucountcampaign.org/), where women from the sex trade make products– and its product’s profits go to the women, giving them an income and moreso, dignity. It is a start. I hope this helps.
Much Love, Annalee
Well we all know where the origin of evil commenced and that is the devil. We look at the history of this world and the wars and injustices committed during that time and say why doesn’t God do something? Firstly we have to remember we measure time by the rotation of the earth so history seems ancient. But the Bible says in heaven and eternity to God a day is like a thousand years so in heavenly time our history is a blip on the screen. If God had dealt with sin at its origin created beings would have served Him out of fear of being punished but God is love and wants us to serve Him out of love. When the whole universal family understands why God has to deal with evil because it is destructive to creation generally then we will understand when God deals with it and we won’t fear Him we will praise Him for his wisdom in allowing us to understand why He has to destroy evil and love but not fear Him through all eternity. The good news is God is almost at the point of bring an end to the history of evil. Just hang in there a bit longer.
[…] The Sound of Freedom […]
I was also impressed with the film, but as a foster and adoptive parent of children who were abused by family and trafficked, I had questions about some of the things the Ballards say and the numbers OUR puts out. Please consider reading my posts on S of F. Trafficked and abused children deserve to be seen and rescued, but OUR has serious problems and Ballard contradicts his own narratives. I contacted them about a real-time case of child abuse and they sent me a form letter stating that they do not work in the US.
Caralyn, I have not watched the movie because I worked with sexually trafficked children and found it very difficult. There is much money involved and many of the rich and powerful engage in it. It is my belief that the southern border of the USA to Mexico will reveal many horrors, soon. They are not only involved in sex trafficking in every state in the union but they are also harvesting organs such as eyes of children for profit. The believers in Christ, need to take their authority and say, ‘NO MORE!” Pray that these perps can no longer hide behind their wealth and bribes and will be exposed and brought to justice! 🙏🙏🙏❤️
I think it’s good to put our money where our mouth is. We may not be able or called to directly help trafficked children, but we can donate to those who are. And we can also educated ourselves on the signs that a child may be trafficked or in the process of being trafficked or in fact that anyone may have been trafficked, regardless of their age. This is a UK resource, but it has some important things to look out for. https://www.unseenuk.org/about-modern-slavery/spot-the-signs/
Now you can add the American Federation of Teachers, the largest teachers union in US to your prayer list. THIS came in my LifeSite news today! If someone in Cincinatti showed these books to kids at your schools, she or he would be arrested! They are grooming children for pedophiles!
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/teachers-union-boss-joins-banned-book-tour-giving-away-free-graphic-porn-to-kids
“We are not called upon to do all the good possible, but only that which we can do.” – Mother Theodore Guerin (1798-1856)
What can we do? It might be best to start with prayer. Some demons “can only be cast out through prayer and fasting,” and fasting need not be related to food. One can fast or abstain from television on certain days, or go for a walk and say the rosary rather than remain indoors and read, perhaps. I have known people to give up certain foods entirely as an offering to God to help bring about a change in society – and it has worked.
The next best thing to do would be to get involved locally. Everyone wants to help with the big picture, but the big picture is made up of lots of little pictures. What can be done in your neighborhood with your resources? Are there places to volunteer? Prayer groups you can attend? Does your church have votive candles available in the sanctuary which you can light and pray before? Again, I return to prayer, for we fight “not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities.” Our opponents are not flesh and blood alone; those are the foot soldiers. The generals are far beyond our capacity to duel in person.
Prayer is our best weapon. There were saints who were slaves or ministered to slaves. Perhaps asking their intercession would be helpful, if not in finding a solution, then in saving lives and preserving souls, for we are told not to fear those who can kill the body but the soul. The soul is at risk more in such slavery than even the body.
Beyond that, learn the signs that may indicate someone is being trafficked or held against his or her will. Recognize that the trafficking goes both ways across both American borders – there was a seventeen-year-old American girl rescued in the middle of the country last year by police. Her abductors were taking her from Ohio (I think) to sell her in Mexico City. If they had gotten across the border and brought her to Mexico City, she would never have been found again, according to the police. Someone’s prayers – perhaps her guardian angel’s – saved her and allowed the police to rescue her.
The world is far too big for mere humans to handle. If we focus on our part of it – particularly ourselves – we have a chance to make the rest better by inspiring examples elsewhere. Ora et labora. Work and pray. If God has other ways for us to help, He will show them to us in His time. Our job is to be open to hear Him when He calls, so we can answer as did Samuel and Isaiah: “Here I am! Send me!”
In the US, we can pay attention to which political leaders are scoffing at the movie and which are motivated by it, and vote accordingly next election. I think we’re too caught up on party lines and don’t actually listen to what individual candidates have to say. It is more important to find leaders who will stand against this than to keep a county or state blue or red. And I saw a stat that said children make up 27% of sex slaves. That is way too many- but we need to be protecting the other 73% as well. Nobody should be forced into that life.
I felt horrible after watching this. Also brings to light that 41 percent kids who are trafficked are done by family members. The Catholic Church has its own dark issues with this subject. There has been a lot of SA with the immigrant kids from Mexico who were taken by Trump. Save the children.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/27/us/immigrant-children-sexual-abuse.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/02/us/catholic-church-sex-abuse-investigations.html#:~:text=More%20than%20300%20priests%20were,and%20sorrow%E2%80%9D%20over%20the%20findings.
https://www.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl486/files/our_work/DMM/MAD/Counter-trafficking%20Data%20Brief%20081217.pdf
Just want to pose a few questions considering you make your political leanings very clear on this blog. According to the NCMEC, risk factors for child trafficking include: involvement in child welfare or juvenile justice systems, lack of acceptance of gender identity or sexual orientation, housing instability/homelessness, immigration status. The Republican Party – including Donald Trump, who endorsed this film (likely why it’s so polarizing) – ostracizes many people (and children) who fall into those categories. How can we be more accepting of LGBTQ youth so they aren’t in danger of being trafficked? How can we provide more affordable housing so kids aren’t at risk of being taken off the street? How do we better fund foster care and school systems to better care for children in need?
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Lasting, systematic change starts by loving our neighbors.
Sorry, but this entire movie is one big lie, told to you by con artists, for people gullible enough to think that the danger to children comes from outside the home and immediate community. The truth is that children are far more likely to be trafficked by people they know—relatives, neighbors, prominent members of the community—than by random strangers.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sound-of-freedom-child-trafficking-experts-1234786352/
https://opuszine.us/posts/is-anti-sex-trafficking-film-sound-of-freedom-based-on-lies
You’ve been lied to by people with highly dubious history and motivations, who aren’t very good at their stated jobs, and who want to distract you from the real threats to children: your own community, which is what the stats actually tell us. Were Ballard and his group at all honest, they’d admit their faults, failings, and lies, and warn others as a cautionary tale about how their efforts to create fictional bogeymen as a distraction away from actual child abusers have damaged the crusade against real child trafficking. But they’re not even remotely honest, and for that the fires of Hell await them.
https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-freedom?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiIOmBhDjARIsAP6YhSVCsFUROIZARw6f2Q7dgFh4jwJag4UX6RyepSD0dWOy9XFwQ3quZz0aAqQfEALw_wcB&zip=32301&date=2023-07-26
Free tickets are available to allow as many people to see this as possible. You can also pay it forward for others. Being aware of the darkness around us is power to fight against it. Teach your children to be safe. I highly recommend learning about how grooming works and what to look for. Be the love in this world that mindfully combats the evil. Realize that light, goodness, and love will always triumph in the end, but until then we must be faithful in our service against the evil one in our lives each day.
“And it seriously makes me wonder why there’s so much pushback to this film.” Shakespeare has the answer in Hamlet; “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
As you wonder why God allows this, you wrote, “And I can’t pretend that I know the answers to those questions. Not even for a second.” But you do. So do I. You, me…all of us are Adam and Eve. This is what they bequeathed us when they accepted Satan’s lies over God’s promises. God had given them the keys to all creation, and they handed those keys over to Satan who now holds sway. Remember when Daniel prayed for help and didn’t hear from an angel for three weeks? It was because “the prince of Persia”, one of Satan’s demons, delayed him. Satan rules and his minions rule with him.
While this might seem too simple, it is IMPORTANT to not ask God this question. If we must ask anyone, it should be Satan, but then given who he is, the answer becomes apparent.
“But I just don’t feel like, “everything happens for a reason.” This is something I wish people would quit saying. Bad things don’t happen for good reasons. Bad things happen for bad reasons. And God can create good from every situation, but that’s not scriptural. “All things work together for good for them that love God.” Which still is not to say that bad things happen for good reasons.
It’s a shit world. Much more than we realize in a very prosperous country. What can we do? You’ve heard me say before that prayer should be the means of first resort, not last. The next thing might be to contact the guy in the film and ask how to support his organization or others like it.
Given my own trauma from my illness, I am too raw to watch something like this, so I’ll have to beg off watching it.
👍🏻
Child trafficking is everywhere . Battle is started and we have to fight it in every corner of the world together. We have to come together as good humans for our children.
Praying that The Sound of Freedom will come to my country too, thank you for sharing it with the world.
The opposition makes me wonder how many pedos are involved in our culture. This movie should not be slandered.
Also, like to add, to your question: Evil exists because people disobey God. But good people are still fighting it. For some reason, He always gives us fallen mortals the task to stand up against evil— in His strength. Many brave people helped Tim Ballard.
When mankind sinned for the first time, the Elohim gave everything in their hands, though He expelled them from the Garden of Eden warning them they from then onwards also would have to struggle. Mankind is left free
[…] The Sound of Freedom […]
thank you for the link up! Hugs and love xox
Hi
This movie just opened in cinemas all over my native Philippines and I will be watching it very soon. So far the woke mob and their media partners-in-crime have not caused controversy among my fellow Filipinos with regards to Sound of Freedom.