Friday, March 7, 2008

Internet may be too social for Buddhist monks

An AP story this week writes about Buddhist monks, who are supposed to be celibate, getting in trouble for flirting on the Internet. The story, which originates in Thailand. The article says protests arose from the Network of Civilians to Protect the Nation, the Religion and the King, a watchdog group in Thailand.

The short article does not mention that for Thai men, a short stint as a monk is seen as both customary and very prestigious. It seems to serve the same place in society as mandatory military service in some other nations.

It is unclear from the article whether the miscreants were life-long monks or the much more common temporary ones.

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