Alternative Culture: The sex-for-grades case

A display of dresses at the Singapore Science Centre for the Megabugs exhibit in May 2013

On 3 June 2013, NUS law professor Tey Tsung Hang was sentenced to a total of five months in jail. He had been found guilty of six counts of corruption, including the charge where he had sex with a student, Darrine Ko in exchange for favourable academic results.

Chief District Judge Tan Siong Thye labelled the relationship between Tey and Ko "laced with malicious intent". Despite earning more than S$20 000 a month, Tey made his student pay for some expenses for meals and his American trip

As usual, the purpose of this blog is not to give an account of what happened, or even a day-by-day account of the legal proceedings. If you are looking for that, look here. Instead being a theological blog, I will make an analysis of the situation from a Christian view.

Being academically educated does not make one a moral example

I have observed these in my students. Those who are generally well-behaved in class tend to do well academically. However, I must also stress that academic achievement is no guarantee for moral behaviour.

If anything, knowledge just gives a person one more tool to misuse for evil. According to Judge Tan, Tey manipulated Ko (abusing his academic authority) into an unhealthy relationship with him.

Unlike what was promised during the Enlightenment, education is not the way out of crime and moral dilemma. Just as with the past, we are stuck with the problems of corruption. Murders, rapes and thefts still happen at every educational level of society.

Conclusion : What is the problem with man?

If you were more conservative, you would lay the blame of this weakness of the individual. If Tey had listened to the right voices, he would had been strong enough to not fall to lust and deciet.

If you were more liberal, you might run into a different conclusion. Usually liberals tend to blame environmental factors. If Tey has been brought up in a society that was more stringent in their checks, this moral travesty would not have happened.

I concede that both sides may have a point. However, I would like to as a Christian the problem lies with mankind. As the Apostle Paul states in Romans 5:12-14:

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

Mankind is incapable of curing himself of sin. It is simply the nature of mankind to disobey God. As St Augustine stated, "it is impossible not to sin."

So what is the solution then? Paul continues in Romans 5:15-17

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Thank God for Jesus.

PS:

²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10: 26-27)

For further reading:

Chesterton, GK (1908) Orthodoxy