Sound of Freedom

WHAT IS THE SOUND OF FREEDOM ABOUT AND SHOULD I SEE IT?

The Sound of Freedom is a movie based on the true story of Tim Ballard, a federal agent that rescues a boy from child sex traffickers, and then learns that the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from her captives.

It is an action packed movie that draws attention to the problem of human sex trafficking in our world today. One of the first steps to confronting this huge problem, is creating awareness. Because of this movie, I have been made aware of the following facts:

Facts about Child Trafficking: (The following information was obtained from the US State Department, United Nations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
—There are 27.6 million trafficked persons globally today and almost 20% of them are children.
—Human trafficking is a $150 billion-per-year business, more than the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL combined.
—Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states.
—Approximately 350,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. Out of those, an estimated 100,000 are being trafficked.
—The United States is one of the top destinations for child trafficking and is one of the largest consumers of child sex.

Another fact that you may find interesting, is that this movie was actually completed in 2018. At that time, the producers made a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox to put the movie in theaters. But when Disney bought out Fox in 2019, Disney acquired the rights to The Sound of Freedom. And they shelved it. In other words, they put it away with no intention of making it public. Walt Disney Company. The company built around children. The company that we’ve been raised to believe loved our children. Yet they shelved this movie. And it took producers years to get the distribution rights back.

Meanwhile, Disney+ is in the process of producing a new television series called, Pauline, in which a teenage girl has a one night stand with Satan and becomes pregnant. I fail to see how this could possibly be a better choice for distribution.

Eventually, the producers did get the distribution rights back to The Sound of Freedom. They quickly began looking for a new distributor and were turned down by both Netflix and Amazon “due to its subject matter”. WHAT?!? Don’t get me started on the topic of “subject matter” on Netflix and Amazon. I’ll spare you that rant for now.

But, I have to admit, the fact that these companies didn’t want this video out there… the fact that they didn’t want me (us) to see it… motivated me to see it. And I’m so glad I did.

So back to the question at hand- Should you see The Sound of Freedom? Yes. You should. Yes, it is hard to watch. But sometimes hard things are necessary. We can no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening around us.

We must be aware.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Some of the questions I’ve gotten after watching the movie are:

Q: Is this movie appropriate for children?
A: It is rated PG-13. I believe that is an accurate rating. I would suggest parents go to the website imdb.com, search Sound of Freedom and read the Parent’s Guide. (I actually would recommend that parents do this before allowing their kids to watch any movie.) If in doubt, the parent should view the movie first.

Q: Are there graphic sex scenes?
A: No. The sex is alluded to and there are scenes where you know what is about to happen but it does not show it. For example: A scene with a little girl on a bed and a fully dressed man adjusting a camera and then walking towards the bed. End scene.

Q: Is this a Christian film?
A: No. The agent depicted in the film, Tim Ballard, is a Christian. And Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Tim Ballard is a Christian. The movie is distributed by Angel Studios, a Christian company that supports faith based films. But, the movie itself was not designed to be Christian or faith based.

Q: Does the movie contain bad language?
A: Yes. There were a couple of cuss words used in the movie.

Q: Where can I see this movie?
A: I’m so glad you asked! Grace Community Church, 2125 Miller Avenue, Crossville, TN will be showing this movie on Wednesday, August 9th at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $11 for adults and $9 for children and can be purchased at gcclive.com/sound-of-freedom. Free childcare is also available for children up to 5th grade. Please sign up for childcare in advance after purchasing your ticket. The link for childcare is gcclive.com/sound-of-freedom/childcare . Popcorn and water will be available. If you prefer other snacks or drinks, please feel free to bring your own. All drinks must have a lid. No cans please.

Q: Ok so, I watch the movie and become aware. Then what?
A: A love offering will be taken up at the end of the movie with 100% of the offering going to Street Hope, TN, a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Tennessee. Street Hope TN is located in Powell, TN. For more opportunities to get involved visit their website at streethopetn.org.

“But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” Isaiah 49:25 (KJV)

#Godschildrenarenotforsale

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Teresa Breeding

Teresa is a happily married mother of two from Crossville, TN. She is a "jack of all trades" when it comes to Grace! She serves on staff here as well as being an incredible Teaching Pastor and Women's Ministry Director.

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