On Wed, 1 Oct 2003, Floriano wrote:
> I used to like to read the New Testament in my younger days.
> And I may be wrong, but I think there is a passage therein, somewheres which
> says something to this effect.
>
> "If you are passing by your neighbour's house, and the neighbour's wife
> should be beckoning to you. Do not fall for the trap, for it is sin. You
> might as well pay for the services of a prostitute."
Just since the issue was raised:
Jesus told a group of his countrymen in the temple that
the hated tax-collector and the despised harlots would
enter the kingdom of God before they did (Matt, 21:31).
In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15), Jesus has
the older brother complain that the wayward son had
spent his time, money, and energy on harlots (15:30).
For Paul, prostitutes are listed with immoral people
(1 Cor. 6:14 f.)
The story of Rahab the harlot was used by Christian
writers as a model of a person who was saved by faith
and by works (James 2: 25-26).
Having noted this, this issue has nothing to do with religion, and is
connected with what approach we take towards a social concern, one that
concerns the human rights of a couple of thousand women.
If one recalls right the issue started with Cyp's query on what kind of
support would help to solve the problem at Baina. We seem to have moved
far from it....
What one could perhaps ask is whether anyone discussing this issue has
actually been to see the situation at Baina? Neither the Goan chauvinism
(they're "non-Goans", so by definition, not our problem) nor the
legalise-and-get-done-with-it approach seems anywhere relevant to the
ground level reality. Hats off to people like the nuns from Sancoale, for
whom living their belief doesn't mean just a few pious statements, but
living in the grime and squalour to work towards finding a solution.
Anyone interested in getting a better understanding could also check with
the ARZ team, which works with children in the area, and has its office
right in the midst of this area. FN
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