Camels and Needles

I’m still working my way through Kevin Bales’ book “Disposable People.” I’d like to tear through it and digest it all at once, but in addition to a work schedule that has been insane lately, I find that the book too disturbing to take in large sections at a sitting.

Chapter two deals with sex slavery in Thailand, and much of Bales’ description sounds similar to the description of Cambodia an acquaintance recently gave me (see June 8).

Here are some of the points from Bales’ book:

“Within the type of Buddhism followed in Thailand, women are regarded as distinctly inferior to men. A woman cannot, for example, attain enlightenment. … Buddha warns his disciples about the danger of women: they are impure, carnal, and corrupting. Within these Buddhist writings prostitution is sanctioned …”

When a society has this view of women, it is little wonder that forced prostitution flourishes.

“Thai Buddhism also carries a central message of acceptance and resignation in the face of life’s pain and suffering. The terrible things that happen to a person are, after all, of an individual’s own making, recompense for the sins of this life or previous lives.”

So if a girl is sold into slavery and raped day after day, everyone—the slaveholders, the customers, even the girl—pretty much believe that she just needs to put up with it. She deserves it.

“Several recent studies show that between 80 and 87 percent of Thai men have had sex with a prostitute. Up to 90 percent report that their first sexual experience was with a prostitute. … Most Thais, men and women, feel that commercial sex is an acceptable part of an ordinary outing for single men, and about two-thirds of men and one-third of women feel the same about married men.”

So how can we ever hope to stop people from exploiting women if pretty much everyone thinks this industry is OK, or at least tolerable?

“In Europe and North America the police fight organized crime; in Thailand the police are organized crime.”

Feeling hopeless yet?

Humanly, there is little chance that a culture so twisted could ever be straightened out. But Jesus pointed out that what is impossible for humans is possible for God—like a camel going through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:23-26). And Eric Metaxas’ book “Amazing Grace” shows vividly how William Wilberforce and his fellow Claphamites not only changed laws about slavery but also brought about fundamental changes in the way people viewed life and society. It can be done—but only God can bring it about.

By the way, the fact that only God can do it doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. We’re supposed to do His will here on earth.

Finally, I don’t think we should leave this post feeling like Western culture is superior to Thai culture. That is a topic for a different post …