Catholic Social Teaching and the Problem of Prostitution in Thailand
The problem of prostitution in Thailand can be described on multiple levels. One of the most prominent injustices is the forcing of women to be sex slaves. Women are held against their will and made to “work” as prostitutes with little or no compensation. Disease or pregnancy may cause them to lose their job and die. Another level of injustice is the support of prostitution by the Thai community. Many women who are sold into prostitution are sold at the age of eleven or twelve by their parents. This is seen as an acceptable and sensible action because a young woman can be sold for a large amount of money. These two points of injustice are the most significant, but there are many other levels of injustice that surround this topic. There is no limit to the justice violations that forced prostitution leads to.
CST #1: Life and Dignity of the Human Person
CST #1 deals with the value that the Catholic Church puts on human life. The Catholic Church believes that all people are equal and have basic human rights that must be recognized. They believe that every human life has equal and precious value, which is being threatened by things like abortion, the death penalty, and assisted suicide. This can be applied to our social justice topic because prostitution involves a sacred act that, according to the church, is meant to be within the boundaries of marriage. This is a direct violation of CST #1 because the dignity of a human being is jeopardized by such an act. The act violates the essence of procreation and focuses just on the physical pleasure, rather than the true purpose of procreation and creating a family.
-Patrick Domingo
http://www.stanford.edu/group/ccr/blog/prostitute.JPG
CST #2: Call to Family, Community and Participation
CST #2 is focused on the importance of family in the growth of a person. A family is where one learns about life, values and the importance of community. Community then continues in teaching that person about the complexities of life. In the growing process one is also called to participate in one’s community and family in order to promote good values. CST #2 can be related to prostitution in Thailand primarily through the involvement that parents have in the process. Since the parents are willingly selling their children as slaves, they are clearly not promoting good values in their daughters. The young women then continue to grow in the community at their brothel, which is abusive and discourages growth and discovery. They have a limited ability to participate because they are held against their will. The prostitution that happens in Thailand violates CST #2 at all possible levels.
-Nolan McPeek-Bechtold
http://www.thesoldproject.com/images/react/Alezandra-Russel.jpg
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