Monday, June 12, 2006

More ridiculous religious suppression of joy

Now this is asking a lot. How can you just blankly watch a sporting event without any kind of expression? I don’t care how “holy” a man is, he cannot sit and watch World Cup Soccer or any championship series and not exhibit some kind of emotion! These monks will be screaming and shouting and cheering in the confines of their own minds.

You can watch it, but you can't like it...

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Phnom Penh patriarch Non Nget has told Cambodia's 40,000 Buddhist monks to remain passive while watching World Cup soccer games or be defrocked.

Non Nget said Monday monks should not watch the games in public, cheer or bet on matches as such actions were against Buddhism.

"It is very difficult to ban them because new technology means the games can be aired live and seen everywhere," he said. "They may watch, but must be calm."

"But if they make noise or cheer as they watch, they will lose their monkhoods," Non Nget told Reuters.

1 comment:

Darius said...

Kind of puzzled me too when I heard that. Imo, monks are much saner than most religious, also more than a lot of secular minded folks.

But I guess at least some of them need to work on lightening up as well as enlightenment.

But that Friar Tuck - now he was a laugher. Jolly, really; kept Robin and the gang in a good mood most of the time.

But what is a "friar" exactly? A monk with a sense of humor? Must be. I can usually figure this stuff out if I put in the time and effort...