Newsflash: Emma expresses an opinion

Strange though it may seem to people who know me well, I actually tend to hold back from expressing strong opinions when I'm in 'work' mode. I trained in the Alpha school of evangelism which emphasises listening, accepting, asking questions and not imposing your own views.

However, this evening I was at a volunteer training session and was chatting to one of the other volunteers about my work doing street outreach to women involved in prostitution. The other woman said: "Oh that's interesting, I've been involved in researching government policy on the sex industry; some people argue that it's a valid choice for women and a paternalistic government shouldn't assume that choice should be taken away. What do you think?" Now, if someone asks you what you think at Alpha, you're allowed to say, although I would tend to go gently when expressing opinions which are likely to be controversial. Granted, I was not on an Alpha course, but I was still a missionary talking to someone who I am pretty sure was not a Christian, being asked a question about an area of ministry I feel passionately about. Normally I would start a long conversation, find out more about the other person's point of view, express my own thoughts with much hesitation and clarification... However, the person running the training had just started to say "If you're all finished, could you please look this way...," so there was no time for beating about the bush, and so I said: "I think it's sick and wrong."

Many, if not most, issues are open to various interpretations, and I usually find I can sympathise with people's views even if I don't agree with them. But when it comes to issues like this I really think our society has gone mad. I love the women I meet who are involved in prostitution, and I know God loves the men who pay as well, but the practice of prostitution itself is surely just plain evil.