Efforts to combat sex trafficking and pedophilia occupy a uniquely powerful position in the realm of corporate social responsibility and nonprofit branding. Few causes evoke as much visceral public outrage as crimes against children and sexual exploitation. For this reason, both corporations and advocacy groups frequently highlight their alignment with these causes as evidence of moral authority and social responsibility. However, just as “greenwashing” undermines genuine sustainability by masking shallow commitments with environmental imagery, anti-trafficking and anti-pedophilia campaigns can fall prey to “trafficking-washing” and “pedophilia-washing.” These practices involve using the…
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Lutheran Flavored Semiotics: Don’t let the signs of Lutheran distinctiveness replace the substance of God’s action
Even those of us who emphasize Means of Grace theology can slip into our own “Lutheran-flavored” semiotics if we are not vigilant. Here are some danger zones that confessional Lutherans can fall into: 1. Liturgical Semiotics Pattern: Treating the liturgy as a sign of our Lutheran identity more than as the vehicle of the Word. Example: Speaking or singing the right words, wearing the right vestments, or following the right rubrics, but valuing them mainly as markers of being authentically Lutheran. Danger: The liturgy becomes a cultural semiotic system instead…
Read MoreSemiotics vs. the Word as Means of Grace: A Lutheran Perspective
Introduction In a recent YouTube discussion between Pastor Brian Wolfmüller and Dr. Greg Schulz, the two explored the legacy of Seminex and its long-term effect on the Lutheran Church. You can watch the conversation here: Wolfmüller & Schulz on Seminex and Language. Their central claim is both simple and profound: the deepest challenge facing the Church today is not merely about particular doctrines but about language itself. When Scripture is treated as a set of flexible symbols (semiotics) rather than as the living Word of God that does what it…
Read MoreTVPRA Services we can work on providing!
Praxis Professional Foundation Incorporated can qualify to deliver a very wide range of survivor services under the TVPA/TVPRA framework—as a prime federal grantee, a subrecipient to an existing grantee, or as a state-/VOCA-funded provider—so long as you meet eligibility, compliance, and program-standard requirements. Below is a practical, “menu-style” list you can use to scope programs, followed by how invoicing/drawdowns and documentation work. What services can Praxis provide? The 2000 TVPA (as amended by subsequent TVPRAs) authorizes protection and assistance for victims and funds service programs across HHS/ACF’s Office on Trafficking…
Read MoreThe Semiotics of Inclusivity and the Word of God
In a recent YouTube conversation between Pastor Brian Wolfmüller and Dr. Greg Schulz, the two Lutheran thinkers revisited the legacy of Seminex and its continuing effects on theology in the church. You can watch their full discussion here: Wolfmüller & Schulz on Seminex and Language. Dr. Schulz argues that the deepest problem was not only about biblical interpretation but about a philosophy of language. In Seminex and in the theological movements that followed, the biblical Word was increasingly treated as a set of signs—a semiotic system that could be re-coded…
Read MoreBuilding a Privacy-Preserving Hotel Red-Flag System + Docket-Aware Amicus Engine for Sex-Trafficking Victim Advocacy
quick note: this is educational content, not legal advice. double-check local rules and ethics before filing. Executive Summary We’re building a single, secure system that (1) detects trafficking red flags at budget hotels using privacy-preserving signals, (2) continuously gathers legal and online-ad intelligence, and (3) auto-drafts amicus briefs within the 7-day window after a principal brief lands—so attorneys can review, refine, and file on time. Compliance brain: FRAP 29 / FRAP 26 (Courts of Appeals) and Supreme Court Rule 37 timing are coded into a deadline engine to start the…
Read MoreHolding Budget Hotels Accountable: An Amicus Strategy on Ignored Sex-Trafficking Red Flags
Budget hotels and motels are frequent sites of sex trafficking. Litigation is increasingly holding these facilities accountable for ignoring obvious red flags. An amicus program can amplify these cases by supplying the broader social, empirical, and policy context courts may otherwise miss. 1) Why Hotel/Motel Trafficking Cases Are Strategic This is a focused, high-impact niche for PraxisProfessional with real momentum in the courts. Many survivors report being exploited in motels, and suits against budget hotel chains are common. Civil claims are often brought under 18 U.S.C. § 1595, the civil…
Read MoreAntithetical Comparison: A 2001 CLU Paper and the LCMS View on Sexuality
By James Polk (Information on LCMS Concordia’s Counseling Program) Introduction This article provides a detailed exploration and antithetical comparison between a paper written at California Lutheran University (CLU) in 2001 for a religion major course and the conservative, traditional views of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) on sexuality. The 2001 paper was composed before the author’s gradual shift away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) toward the LCMS, reflecting a more liberal academic approach at the time. The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive account…
Read MoreBiblical Guidance on Sexuality from the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Understanding Christian Teaching on Sexuality In a culture where conversations about sexuality, gender, marriage, and identity are often polarized, many Christians find themselves looking for clear, compassionate, and biblically grounded guidance. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) offers a suite of resources designed to help believers engage these topics with both conviction and care. On their Social Issues — Sexuality page, LCMS gathers documents, articles, studies, and multimedia materials addressing questions such as: What the Bible teaches about sexual orientation, gender identity, marriage, abstinence, and cohabitation. (lcms.org) How to respond with…
Read MoreConversations with Dr. Reverand Voss of Lutheran Mission Society San Diego
This is my essay answering the question, “Who is James, how I got here, how God is working in my life”) as a part of working with Dr. Rev. Tardelli of Lutheran Mission Society San Diego and it has an aim for authenticity, clarity, and a Christ-centered emphasis. “Who is James?” Introduction: A Life Redeemed My name is James Polk. I am a sinner redeemed by Christ, someone who has experienced firsthand both the reality of human brokenness and the greater reality of God’s grace. I carry with me a…
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