Thai editorial: When sinners do good gauging right and wrong gets tricky

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
When sinners do good gauging right and wrong gets tricky
The Nation

Conscience and morality seem slippery concepts in the modern world, But who are we to judge what is good?

BANGKOK: -- "Who is to say what is a sin in God's eyes?" is one of famous movie questions. Indeed, or well said, especially after what happened in Japan a few days ago. When a group of Japanese porn actresses raised thousands of dollars by having their breasts squeezed by donors at a charity event for Aids prevention, the "line" becomes completely blurred. Who are the sinners here? If the money does go to people who are ill, or is used to prevent people from getting ill, isn't it actually a good deed?

An older real-life story has it that some male fans of a Western porn star pooled their money to help her after hearing she was in need of support. These were the very men who made the porn industry thrive, yet paying for "obscenity" was obviously not the only thing they did. Like the men in Japan who donated the money through touching the breasts of porn stars, the porn watchers were questionable sinners, although they could not proudly proclaim themselves as saints.

In the past, these acts must not have been as controversial. What defined "goodness" used to be clear-cut. If you were in the sex industry, the door to heaven would be firmly shut. On the other hand, killings carried out in the name of a religion were forgivable. In other words, there were little or no rooms to do something good if you were perceived as "bad", but if you were perceived as good, you could go as far as taking lives or torturing people.

But if the past's problem is moral rigidity, moral flexibility may be the issue of the hour. It's apparently wrong to pay money to buy the right to touch a woman's breasts, but is it also wrong to do that as part of a charity event? If the money is used for a good cause, and the "donor" knows how it will be used, is the "donation" sinful? Who are we to condemn the donors, especially if we haven't donated anything to help Aids prevention?

And if we are to renounce the men who chose to donate money to charity through obscene means, what about rampant corporate activities designed to mask problems caused by "legitimate" businesses. Liquor companies have held a lot of feel-good events, organising world tournaments or sponsoring sports clinics. Insurance companies always come up with heart-warming TV commercials. And now that we are at it, even a well-known Buddhist temple is telling its followers that the more they donate to its projects, the higher up the heaven they will go after they die. This temple is probably many thousand times richer than rural ones whose roofs were built through money sent home by prostitutes.

The ice bucket challenge is a worldwide fad, much criticised for its apparent silliness but quite effective in drawing people's attention to the spirit of sharing. What's happened in Japan, some say, is the ice bucket challenge idea sexed up. Who says "goodness" has to exclusively involve priests or solemn atmospheres?

The Japanese "donors" may be mocked, especially when things like sexism in the country is taken into account. The porn buyers who supported a porn star who needed help may have been seen as being motivated by guilty feelings. But coming to think of it, few would want to be the first to throw stones at them. There is doing the wrong thing for the right reason and vice versa. And there are such things as goodness with a bad taste. In the end, we have two choices: Renounce the moral dilemma or embrace it.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/When-sinners-do-good-gauging-right-and-wrong-gets--30242733.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-08

[daoyai]

Warning: reading the "editorial" will reduce your IQ score by at least 5 points.

[fabianfred]

Buddhists do not believe in Sin as it is known by the Western Christian meaning. There are skillful actions and unskillful actions which produce karma, and bring a good or bad result... also neutral actions which bring no result... or the fourth kind which is a combination of skillful and unskillful which brings both results... so ultimately there are four kinds of karma.

The above post seems to fall into the latter category.

[manarak]

"God" ???

[canuckamuck]

I think the writer was trying to get an angle to talk about the boob touching. He's clearly no student of philosophy or religious studies. The Nation should really hire some western high school students as writers, to raise the standard of journalism there.

[JohnThailandJohn]

I think the writer was trying to get an angle to talk about the boob touching. He's clearly no student of philosophy or religious studies. The Nation should really hire some western high school students as writers, to raise the standard of journalism there.

I would make a large wager this was written by a westerner or at the very least somebody whose education came largely from the West. Not just based on subject, views and style but if written by a Thai, I doubt they would be bring God & Sinners into the article ... also because I agree 100% with your first two sentences.

Edited September 8, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[DrLom]

Somebody got bored.

[ebean001]

Sex is such a wonderful thing. I want it to remain that way. Yes, it can turn ugly and we need to know those pitfalls. Since it is so wonderful the pitfalls can be large. With that in mind i hate articles that try to legislate this wonderful gift. If a woman wants to charge me money to touch her breast and i want to pay it - that is completely up to her and me. It's no big deal. Just let it go. Ohhhh, you want to make it a big deal. Hummmm. Something bad wrong with you if you make it a big deal.

[klauskunkel]

to touch the boob, or not to touch, that is the question...

sadly, the article does not tell you what to do, and you are left confused and without proper direction...

So I say: touch it, feel it, squeeze it, savor it,

repeatedly!

Edited September 8, 2014 by klauskunkel

[thaimite]

I believe that the "sin is not in the deed it is in the motive for the deed.

Thus there is no right and wrong 'act' it is only the motive that determines the right or wrong of any action.

[Rykbanlor]

What a waste of time and resources. I need to make a mental note to stop reading anything tagged with 'editorial' or 'opinion'

[ChrisY1]

Thai journalist inspiration at it's best....not!!

[Time Traveller]

Buddhists do not believe in Sin as it is known by the Western Christian meaning. There are skillful actions and unskillful actions which produce karma, and bring a good or bad result... also neutral actions which bring no result... or the fourth kind which is a combination of skillful and unskillful which brings both results... so ultimately there are four kinds of karma.

The above post seems to fall into the latter category.

So with enough Karma credits, buddhists are allowed to steal, lie, cheat and kill. It all balances itself out.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Time Traveller

[Pii Kate]

And the point is? The article sounds like it was written by an uneducated, minister wanna be. The references to boob squeezing, paying for Linda Lovelace's liver transplant are rare incidents. Much to do about nothing.

[recycled]

Buddhists do not believe in Sin as it is known by the Western Christian meaning. There are skillful actions and unskillful actions which produce karma, and bring a good or bad result... also neutral actions which bring no result... or the fourth kind which is a combination of skillful and unskillful which brings both results... so ultimately there are four kinds of karma.

The above post seems to fall into the latter category.

Thai Buddhists not only believe in sin, they religiously practice it.

[Thaiferna]

Buddhists do not believe in Sin as it is known by the Western Christian meaning. There are skillful actions and unskillful actions which produce karma, and bring a good or bad result... also neutral actions which bring no result... or the fourth kind which is a combination of skillful and unskillful which brings both results... so ultimately there are four kinds of karma.

The above post seems to fall into the latter category.

Nice explanation, just for you, there is another one

in the shadow season, the time to discover our own skills is not enough, the unique path that everyone can follow is the eternal dharma the greatest avatars described it as the actions that are 'good' to you and every life form around, in any time and in any world.

Sorry for the off topic

[halloween]

Would titty squeezing still be wrong if it was a katoi, or more wrong?

if God could condone it for a worthy cause, what would he think about raffling a "trip round the world" with a porn star to raise more money for the same cause?

As God sent us AIDS, is trying to find a cure sinful?

Child sexual exploitation and slavery are currently frowned upon, but don't rate a mention from God, possibly because they were a bit too popular with those delivering his message.

[cocopops]

Couple easy guidelines for you:

1) If there is no victim, it's unlikely to be an ethical problem. Ethics relate to human and animal well-being.

2) If something is "wrong according to religion", then it all but guarantees the speaker could think of no other reason the act might be unethical. In these cases the issue is not ethics at all, but religion attempting (as it has done throughout history) to trick you into thinking that piety is a reasonable substitute for ethical behavior. A dangerous idea indeed.

3) In the modern world, almost all ethical problems relate to lying. If nobody is lying or deceiving others, you're probably Ok as well. This is why banging someone else behind your partners back is wrong (you're lying - the victim is your partner) but an agreed upon open marriage is not (no lying and no victim).

There ya go. Morality according to St. Cocopops. Anybody wanna join my cult?

Edited September 8, 2014 by cocopops

[fabianfred]

Buddhists do not believe in Sin as it is known by the Western Christian meaning. There are skillful actions and unskillful actions which produce karma, and bring a good or bad result... also neutral actions which bring no result... or the fourth kind which is a combination of skillful and unskillful which brings both results... so ultimately there are four kinds of karma.

The above post seems to fall into the latter category.

So with enough Karma credits, buddhists are allowed to steal, lie, cheat and kill. It all balances itself out.

Actually it doesn't.... good and bad karma do not cancel each other out but both bear fruit when the time is ripe.

Since the past is infinite as is the future and no matter is destroyed...just changed form.... we have existed in one form or another since beginningless time. Therefore we have all accumulated much good and bad karma and also used it up. The law of Karma is so complex only a Buddha can fully understand it. Just to be born human is extremely rare and precious and comes as a result of past good karma...and if we waste the opportunity we can only blame ourselves.

[ggt]

Sin in a morality issue...unrelated to doing good or bad works...which is a social issue...

Depending upon your religious bent...you have a book that will outline the dos and don'ts...the sins...if you will...

Doing good for society...is an expression on inner peace and happiness...that may have nothing to do with religion...

Doing badly...is quite often an expression of immaturity, self-indulgences, and a disdain for your fellow man...

Edited September 8, 2014 by ggt

[ableguy]

Who ever decided that female breasts are a sex object ? They were designed to feed babies, nobody watching a female breast feeding a baby would consider that as looking at a sex object ( would they ) yet let the same lady put on a bra and suddenly it's a sex object.

For you armchair pundits am simply asking a question, I too love to see a curvy nice figure so am main stream but just curious.

[ableguy]

Sin in a morality issue...unrelated to doing good or bad works...which is a social issue...

Depending upon your religious bent...you have a book that will outline the dos and don'ts...the sins...if you will...

Doing good for society...is an expression on inner peace and happiness...that may have nothing to do with religion...

Doing badly...is quite often an expression of immaturity, self-indulgences, and a disdain for your fellow man...

Or being hungry and desperate.

[manarak]

Who ever decided that female breasts are a sex object ? They were designed to feed babies, nobody watching a female breast feeding a baby would consider that as looking at a sex object ( would they ) yet let the same lady put on a bra and suddenly it's a sex object.

For you armchair pundits am simply asking a question, I too love to see a curvy nice figure so am main stream but just curious.

I'm not even sure what the Law says.

Breasts aren't sexual organs, I'm not sure what the Law references as "indecent exposure", but if they refer to sexual organs, then breasts are certainly within legality.

I'm also wondering what the law could say about ladyboy breasts ... would the law be something along the lines of "it's ok to show men's breasts as long as they contain no silicone?

Or are flat ladyboy breasts in breach too?

It gets more and more confusing

[BudRight]

This brought you to by Mrs. Downey's 7th Grade English class.

[Leung Falang]

Would it be ok to kill a thousand babies since one of them is bound to become Hitler? The ends never justify the means, and don't kid yourselves, there is only black and white, no gray.

For me, sin is rejecting God and His ways. The Old Testament portion of the Bible contained laws for the Jews and those who lived with them, not for others; however, many of those laws do express God's ways and many are again repeated in the New Testament of the Bible.

Jesus Christ is the New Covenant, one where he paid the price of sinning against God (rejecting God). All we need to be reconciled to God is to accept his Son, Jesus, as Lord and Savior. He died for me, and for you.

Good Works do not lead to heaven, Jesus does. Good Works are a result of a changed life through Jesus Christ.

For those who accept Christ, heaven will be their spiritual home, and in their hearts, most know the alternative.