Thanks to Andrew and Roger the number of visitors to Peaktalk this weekend was unprecedented. And yes, the topic of jihadists planning to attack Amsterdam’s sex business was of course likely to generate some interest. What was interesting to me was that I got sense of what Andrew’s inbox looks like on any given day as his readers jumped on my comment that Christian fundamentalists would equally cheer such an attack. The many reactions were divided, some approving that observation (and urging me to embellish it) and some blasting me for lacking nuance and diluting the message that jihadists are prepared to attack anything. And of course some making the entirely valid point that radical Musllims "now really have gone too far".

I added some of these comments to the original post and I admit that the group on the Christian side applauding jihadist bombings is probably very small, but I do believe that there are some that would really see it as evidence that sinful ways can never go unpunished. What I did forget and which is a very important point is that many Christian organizations work relentlessly to help out those working in the sex business, as one reader pointed out:

“ … red light districts go hand in hand with evangelical mission houses where fundamentalist Christians work to save the souls of the saddest, most exploited members of the community. To the evangelist, the first understanding of the Bible is the capacity of every man for sin, the fallibility of all, and the need for faith in God to escape a sin filled life. No, fundamentalists wouldn't be happy to kill these sad souls for they want to save them. When I was a kid I asked my father why prostitution was illegal. Back then I hadn't a clue what the word meant. He told me "Because in our country we don't let people hurt themselves". Today, "modernists" fight to protect their fellow citizens from tobacco, alcohol, fatty food, not using seat belts, but protect the sad sad mixed up human destruction that is prostitution. If someone is screwed up, and hurting themselves, one can rationalize their choices, but a battle to defend their choices is hardly noble, and to partake of what these poor creatures are selling is the real crime”

While I do strongly favor legalizing this business it is true that it has created many human disasters and it has often been the church that has been there first to help out. In Amsterdam’s red light area the local branch of the Salvation Army is together with hookers, johns, tourists, police and the underworld an integral part of the unique social fabric of that place.