There's no denying that a lot of harm has been and continues to be done in the name of religion. Well-meaning people with ideologies go about things with entirely good motivation and very poor methods and intentions. There are also some right bastards that are profiting, whether financially or in status, or in both, from the business of Christianity - building their own kingdoms and empires and setting themselves up as high priests and rewriting the Bible to suit their own agendas. I don't represent, condone or support these people - there's good and bad in all. The bad in me is quite spectacular at times - I won't be nominated to sainthood.

It may not reflect as such here but I'm known as a gifted speaker, either in education or in matters of faith. I am very compelling, and for that reason I don't "do" crusades or targeted outreach as I agree that an imbalance of power (social, financial, other) is not a right point from which to convert people from disadvantaged backgrounds. In short, I won't use words and clever argument to convince a person to agree with me or to see the world as I do - it's not right, especially on an unfair playing field. I also won't use my own privilege to bribe or coerce another human being to believe as I do. However (as a few here know well) I'll happily and openly discuss what I believe with the people around me (much as some do with football or mongering) not with a view to converting, but simply as an expression of my flawed self and my place in God.

I possibly vary just slightly with your point of view, Otis, in that I think it's fine to do good works on a humanitarian level, while making it clear and obvious what your beliefs are that drive you to such, while not in any way making the acceptance of one dependent on acceptance of the other.

StroppyChops wrote:There's no denying that a lot of harm has been and continues to be done in the name of religion. Well-meaning people with ideologies go about things with entirely good motivation and very poor methods and intentions. There are also some right bastards that are profiting, whether financially or in status, or in both, from the business of Christianity - building their own kingdoms and empires and setting themselves up as high priests and rewriting the Bible to suit their own agendas. I don't represent, condone or support these people - there's good and bad in all. The bad in me is quite spectacular at times - I won't be nominated to sainthood.

It may not reflect as such here but I'm known as a gifted speaker, either in education or in matters of faith. I am very compelling, and for that reason I don't "do" crusades or targeted outreach as I agree that an imbalance of power (social, financial, other) is not a right point from which to convert people from disadvantaged backgrounds. In short, I won't use words and clever argument to convince a person to agree with me or to see the world as I do - it's not right, especially on an unfair playing field. I also won't use my own privilege to bribe or coerce another human being to believe as I do. However (as a few here know well)

I'll happily and openly discuss what I believe with the people around me (much as some do with football or mongering) not with a view to converting, but simply as an expression of my flawed self and my place in God.

If we ever meet up for a beer, remind me to bring a sock,
On second thoughts, perhaps you ought to bring one too

juansweetpotato wrote:

StroppyChops wrote:There's no denying that a lot of harm has been and continues to be done in the name of religion. Well-meaning people with ideologies go about things with entirely good motivation and very poor methods and intentions. There are also some right bastards that are profiting, whether financially or in status, or in both, from the business of Christianity - building their own kingdoms and empires and setting themselves up as high priests and rewriting the Bible to suit their own agendas. I don't represent, condone or support these people - there's good and bad in all. The bad in me is quite spectacular at times - I won't be nominated to sainthood.

It may not reflect as such here but I'm known as a gifted speaker, either in education or in matters of faith. I am very compelling, and for that reason I don't "do" crusades or targeted outreach as I agree that an imbalance of power (social, financial, other) is not a right point from which to convert people from disadvantaged backgrounds. In short, I won't use words and clever argument to convince a person to agree with me or to see the world as I do - it's not right, especially on an unfair playing field. I also won't use my own privilege to bribe or coerce another human being to believe as I do. However (as a few here know well)

I'll happily and openly discuss what I believe with the people around me (much as some do with football or mongering) not with a view to converting, but simply as an expression of my flawed self and my place in God.

If we ever meet up for a beer, remind me to bring a sock,
On second thoughts, perhaps you ought to bring one too

Heh heh heh! Fair call.

Regret cannot continue theo-philosophical exertions. Am late for a meeting of Sons of Sorya Mall

juansweetpotato wrote:

Samouth wrote:

juansweetpotato wrote:

Samouth wrote:By the way, i also have a smart phone. I wonder if he thought that i was given by a female westerner lol

No, I expect the learned professor thinks you got one from a male westerner

How did you find out that? Iphone 6+ is on the way now. One thing i can guarantee is that it was not given by a TEFLer.

Lol. It could have been a Tefler if he had just arrived. However, after working hard for 3 years he would have spent all his savings and have had to sell his Iphone in order to survive . The rewards of full time work in Cambodia. That's why everyone learns to steal. $500,000 cars don't grow on trees you know (they just end up in them after a good night out), and one certainly doesn't get to afford one in Cambodia by working hard.



Also, mosts girls/ boys , who have been in the trade a while, don't want a foreign boyfriend that lives here as it's harder for them to hide the other ones. Better to get someone living in a country with a good economy, as it means they have more cash to send each month and it makes it much easier to manage the other 9. Things start to get ugly if they spot each other . Of course there is always the rich, old, retired divorcée who has just sold their house and is on a good pension.Etc. Ooops , I'm starting to sound like a Hofingerer...

Wow this sounds really informative. Were you victimized by the way? Sorry for taking the piss about TEFL. I might be a TEFLer one day.

Samouth wrote:

juansweetpotato wrote:

Samouth wrote:

juansweetpotato wrote:

Samouth wrote:By the way, i also have a smart phone. I wonder if he thought that i was given by a female westerner lol

No, I expect the learned professor thinks you got one from a male westerner

How did you find out that? Iphone 6+ is on the way now. One thing i can guarantee is that it was not given by a TEFLer.

Lol. It could have been a Tefler if he had just arrived. However, after working hard for 3 years he would have spent all his savings and have had to sell his Iphone in order to survive . The rewards of full time work in Cambodia. That's why everyone learns to steal. $500,000 cars don't grow on trees you know (they just end up in them after a good night out), and one certainly doesn't get to afford one in Cambodia by working hard.



Also, mosts girls/ boys , who have been in the trade a while, don't want a foreign boyfriend that lives here as it's harder for them to hide the other ones. Better to get someone living in a country with a good economy, as it means they have more cash to send each month and it makes it much easier to manage the other 9. Things start to get ugly if they spot each other . Of course there is always the rich, old, retired divorcée who has just sold their house and is on a good pension.Etc. Ooops , I'm starting to sound like a Hofingerer...

Wow this sounds really informative. Were you victimized by the way? Sorry for taking the piss about TEFL. I might be a TEFLer one day.

Were you victimized by the way?

Every day mate, every day...

I might be a TEFLer one day.

Stealing my work will not make me any happier.

No worry. Your students dont like learning with khmer teacher.

Came across this extract from a book written by Elizabeth Bernstein about the ethics and motives of the anti-sex trafficking NGO/businesses. Found it quite interesting, so will leave it here. It's not the whole book, and is not all about Cambodia - but Cambodia, Somaly Mom, IJM, all get a mention.


Brokered Subjects: Sex, Trafficking, and the Politics of Freedom
“The undercover and mass-mediated model of activism that IJM propounds has become the emulated standard."

https://books.google.fr/books?id=ny93Dw ... rd&f=false

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:51 am

Tits Mcgee wrote:The first "gift" is always a smartphone, tablet or laptop, so he can talk her into getting naked on cam and some sexchat. If you see a "good" but poor Cambodian girl with an expensive phone, chances are she got it from a foreign man in some such relationship as Hoefinger describes.

are u fucking serious????

An alternative is that the young people (and I do not single out bar girls alone) really want a good phone, and they do a 'time payment' option to get it. This is more common than sexpats donating smartphones in exchange for sexchats - I am not saying it doesnt happen but I think its a low percentage. As for laptops.......not many people under 25 use them much these days unless they are studying, especially when they are out-powered by the latest smartphones - ok boomer?