[Buddha-l] Sex Scandals Has U.S. Buddhists Looking Within

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

  Op 22-8-2010 17:28, Vera, Pedro L. schreef:
>
>> Maybe it's just my disillusionement but a very reasonable argument can be
>> made for throwing all of these religious systems out of the window, a la
>> Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, although, in my opinion,
>> they tend to be too easy on Buddhism.
>>
>> god bless the atheists!
>>
>> Pedro
I don't see how this could make things any better. Sexual abuse is not 
the effect of any kind of belief, it's just bad morals. In Buddhism the 
use or abuse of drugs has traditionally been more condemned than sexual 
abuse. This is wrong, but it is not the consequence of any kind of 
metaphysics.
The problem is not an overdose of lust, but a lack of responsability. If 
a monk or nun cannot control sexual desires, they can go to brothel. I 
don't see why there would be anything wrong in that.
The problem is abuse of authority. The only thing that helps is to make 
abuse of religious authority one of the most heinious sins, perhaps even 
to be punished with metaphysical consequences such as having to dwell in 
hot hells for eaons and physical ones such  as the loss of authority.
I'm afraid however that it will be difficult to teach every member of 
the (Asian) sangha the meaning of the concept of responsability.

erik