By Kim Susan Se-jeong
The video of gambling monks is causing a ripple effect of slander and mudslinging within the Jogye Order of Buddhism. Christian priests have recently been engaging in fraud, misappropriation of funds, and sexual harassment.
Experts believe that the recent outbreak of misdemeanors may be a result of the religious institutions’ overgrowth. The competition to seize power intensifies as the churches and temples grow and gain financial and political authority. Talk of money management and political authority is surfacing in today’s religious institutions as a growing number of clergy members become corrupted.
The lack of a proper observation system is a large part of the problem.
The clergy members are able to get away with immoral conduct because religious institutions are relatively free from public scrutiny. Neither the Buddhist temples nor churches have a system of routine checks to weed out immoral personnel.
The spread of adult entertainment culture, such as drinking and gambling, also contributes to the corruption. What is worse is that these activities are generally accepted without any repulsion.
“Hwatu is a betting card game that helps prevent Alzheimer’s,” Ven. Jeong-nyeom, an executive from the Buddhist order, once said on a radio program to much public dismay.
To this, a Buddhist who chose to remain unnamed commented, “It’s true that Jogye is distressed at the comment, but some don’t understand why it’s a big deal since it happens now and again,” showing how socially acceptable drinking and gambling have become.
Christianity is no exception.
There have been countless incidents where immoral priests took advantage of devotees’ trusts.
On May 16, police found priests selling visas to Sri Lankans under the guise of missionary work. In February, a priest was sentenced to five years in prison and five years on the registry for sexually harassing an elementary school student.
Experts say that the religious institutions need to downsize to prevent further decay. They need to raise the bar for clergy members and the public needs to observe them with a critical eye.
“Clergy members’ misconducts are received more harshly by the public because their positions require more morals than the average person,” said Park Gwang-seo, professor at Sogang University’s Department of Physics.
“We need to strengthen the qualification criteria for clergy members,” said Baek Jong-guk, politics professor at Gyeongsang National University. “We need to qualify those that had strict education. Devotees also need to stay alert and reprimand clergy members who are in the wrong.”
Yet there is no attempt within the religious orders to repair their immoralities and misconducts.
“I can’t find any external attempt for reform, nor do I see any will within the order to change,” said a Buddhist reporter who has been in the line of work for a long while.
An anonymous individual from the Buddhist religion also commented that reform will not be easy with the current power structure within the religion.