Rihanna chided over illegal sex show visit

The leader of a Christian entertainment ministry has questioned Rihanna's decision to watch an illegal sex show during her Thailand tour.

Last month Rihanna tweeted to her 32 million followers about a female performer's obscene routine as part of the show in a Phuket bar.

The Guardian newspaper this week reported that her tweet "embarrassed Thai officials" and has since led to three arrests, including the owner of the bar who officials had been unable to apprehend until now due to lack of evidence.

Two other men were arrested last month after Rihanna posted a photo of a slow loris, a protected primate, on her social media sites, causing authorities to swoop in on wildlife dealers in the region.

Following her visit to the sex show in Phuket, Rihanna tweeted her surprise at the variety of animals and objects that were used by the female performer during her routine.

However, Christian Film & Television Commission founder and chairman, Dr Ted Baehr, felt Rihanna should have been thinking more about the way many sex show performers are abused.

He said: "Most times these female show performers are held in captivity against their will and are sold into slavery at such young ages they don't live past the age of 20, due to working conditions and highly-addictive drugs used to keep them enslaved."

Dr Baehr is disappointed that while other female celebrities have used their fame to advocate for the protection of women caught up in Thailand's booming sex trade, Rihanna chose to partake in it.

He praised the likes of American actresses Eva Mendez and Meg Ryan, who last year travelled to sex trafficking hotspots to expose the horrors of the trade in PBS documentary, "Half the Sky".

"It's not a victimless crime," he said. "In this case, Rihanna is a perpetrator. Our hope is that she will realise the severity of this global issue and get involved in the fight to promote human dignity and freedom."

News
Faith in difficult times: lessons from 1930s Britain
Faith in difficult times: lessons from 1930s Britain

Architectural historian Steven Brindle talks to Christian Today about the faith that shaped 1930s Britain, the churches that supported struggling communities and what lessons the decade might have for us today.

Campaign aims to mobilise 500,000 Christians for Christmas outreach
Campaign aims to mobilise 500,000 Christians for Christmas outreach

Shine Your Light is aiming to mobilise half a million Christians to share the gospel with five million people across the UK this Christmas, with more than 2,000 churches already signed up, organisers say.

The Church of England should repent for previous calls to ban 'conversion therapy'
The Church of England should repent for previous calls to ban 'conversion therapy'

The Church of England's uneasiness about the government's ‘conversion practices’ bill is a perfect lesson in the old adage, 'be careful what you wish for,' writes Dr Martin Davie.

Leaked Home Office report links 'Christian extremism' to traditionalist beliefs and immigration concerns
Leaked Home Office report links 'Christian extremism' to traditionalist beliefs and immigration concerns

An internal Home Office report lists concerns about immigration, multiculturalism and changing social values among the characteristics associated with what it calls "Christian extremism", it has been reported.