Some have chided me for this view, but I feel that South Korea, in the aggregate, displays a high degree of religious tolerance for a place that is so religiously diverse (or at least religiously pluralistic). I discussed that in one of my earliest posts, and I got chided for it in the comments section, but if you read my response and keep an open mind instead of focusing primarily on the most egregious incidents, it's easy to see that it's a valid point (it's also helpful if you don't think of proselytizing as "hate speech," as Jodi or someone on her site had suggested it is).
But I do find myself dismayed at the brazen divisiveness that some evangelical Protestants have been engaging in for the past several years (and I want to emphasize that it's by no means all evangelicals; it's not even just evangelicals, Protestants, or Christians, but other groups as well; and it is condemned across the board by other Christians).
In essence, I see some evangelical Christian groups taking a page from the playbook of American fundamentalists, who have not only been using divisive tactics but have also been making all Christians — even their ideological opponents — look bad.
And what we see happening this week at the Chŏnju (Jeonju) Cathedral (전주성당) in central Korea is another of these egregious cases (HT: Brian). One has to wonder who the heck would do this? There may be some obvious suspects, but I think there are too many plausible scenarios for us to jump to conclusions.
The most likely scenario might be a Protestant group. Not just a Protestant group but a fundamentalist "Christian" sect. I put "Christian" in scare quotes because if they really did this kind of hateful act, it is no real teaching of Christ that I can see them following (ditto with violent homophobia, things like "God hates fags" and the like).
Non-Christians may not be aware of this (heck, many mainstream Christians may be blissfully unaware of this), but some fundamentalists see the Pope as the head of a vast pagan cult, a church of the lowercase antichrist, and the Antichrist of the Book of Revelations may be a future il Papa and the Roman Catholic Church as a global whore.
Take it too seriously, then you might think you need to get your message out by spraying "Anti-Christ" and an upside down cross on the door of a Catholic Cathedral.
Of course, fundamentalist evangelicals aren't the only ones who have it in for the RCC. This is less common in South Korea, where the Roman Catholic Church wields much less power than the Protestants as a whole or the Buddhists (and where the influence, especially in relation to democracy and human rights, has generally been seen by all faiths as very positive).
[right: South Korea Catholics' recently deceased leader, Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (김수환/金壽煥; kim suhwan)]
Though small, anti-Catholic sentiment does exist in Korea, and it wouldn't be completely implausible for a non-Protestant to be involved in this, especially if a non-native English speaker conflated "anti-Christian" and "anti-Christ." A victim of a pedophile, a disgruntled neighbor, a person whose wife was counseled by the Church to leave him (someone like that came into our church in California and shot the pastor dead one fine Sunday when I was in high school).
At any rate, this act of hate must be condemned, especially by the groups that feel (or fear) the perpetrator may be one of their own. And when and if it does turn out that the vandal is a member of their flock, some soul-searching and prayer is in order to see where the church leadership either led the congregants astray, or at least let them walk down such a dark and un-Christian path.
Evangelicals on both sides of the Pacific can be intolerant, but I don't think any devout Christian would spray paint a church door, even a Catholic one. I don't think it was done by someone angry about sexual molestations either as this has not been a significant problem in Korea, and Koreans wouldn't care about the behavior of US priests. I think the vandalism was the work of bored teens.
ReplyDeletei dunno, man, that graffiti looks like the work of somebody's death metal band.
ReplyDeletei dunno, man, that graffiti looks like the work of somebody's death metal band.
ReplyDeleteShinbone, I think you may be on to something. It could just be a bad prank. A very bad prank.
Sonagi wrote:
ReplyDeleteEvangelicals on both sides of the Pacific can be intolerant,
I prefer to single out fundamentalists (there are some all right evangelicals, or at least there is enough variety of evangelical thought that I hate to lump them together).
but I don't think any devout Christian would spray paint a church door, even a Catholic one.
I agree with you that a mainstream Christian would not. And even an average Joe or Jane fundamentalist who believes that the Catholic Church is wrong, wrong, wrong wouldn't go this far.
BUT, we're talking an extremist here, as anyone who would conduct vandalism is already an outlier.
When you have groups like this, I could see one of them doing it. And this kind of rhetoric is getting some exposure in Korea whereas in the past it did not (sort of like anti-Semitic writings and thought starting to trickle into East Asia where the issue had nearly zero relevance).
I don't think it was done by someone angry about sexual molestations either as this has not been a significant problem in Korea, and Koreans wouldn't care about the behavior of US priests.
Did you see this comment?
... the Catholic Church is responsible for some truly horrific crimes against humanity, but somehow its past, and current, history doesn’t register in most people’s minds.
I got to see it first hand when my uncle, a priest, worked as a counselor for married couples needing help. In the end, he broke up a solid couple with a nice family, helped drive their daughter insane, and was excommunicated when he married the woman. Not very Christian in my old book.
This vandalism could be the work of some jackass jerk, or it could be the work of someone who has truly suffered at the hands of religion and sees this as their only recourse in addressing the wrongs committed against them. At least no one was hurt and the building was not destroyed.
No offense to JfD, but it's like he came in and proved my point. And I apologize to JfD if he thinks I'm picking on him, but I still have vivid memories of that day when the guy came in and shot those people in the middle of church.
I think the vandalism was the work of bored teens.
I think that's a high possibility. But even if that's true, one has to wonder where these "bored teens" are getting that kind of message? Is it is just mimicry or are they being fed some sort of thought process?
The first thing I thought of was the antichrist website of which I am a member. No , it is not a devil worhip cult, just a very (youd be surprised, 5 of my friends are members) popular movement opposed to christianities overbearing role in society.
ReplyDeleteat a guess, i'd say this graffiti act was done by somebody lee myoungbag had pissed off (ie , targetted at him)
talk about the protestant split in this context is an incredibly stupid act of projecting ones own cultural background/social history/values on another culture.
you know, the sort of thing christians in korea do.
check us out http://antichrist.or.kr
emily wrote:
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I thought of was the antichrist website of which I am a member.
Um, nice. There go my plans of ever bringing you home to meet Mom and Sis.
No , it is not a devil worhip cult, just a very (youd be surprised, 5 of my friends are members) popular movement opposed to christianities overbearing role in society.
Christianity, Protestantism, Evangelical Christianity, or specifically fundamentalism?
I'm a hybrid Catholic-Protestant myself, and the fundies make me want to pull my hair out. Their small-minded literalist dipshittery really knows no bounds.
I could see how 2MB would bring out the anti-Presbyterian animosity in some people.
BTW, my ex-fiancée used to bring me to the same church 2MB attended (though he wasn't the president at the time). She herself wasn't too evangelical, but something about the church's evening services appealed to her. Plus there was a good 만두 restaurant nearby we'd go to before or after.
at a guess, i'd say this graffiti act was done by somebody lee myoungbag had pissed off (ie , targetted at him)
I find that entirely plausible.
So, so far we're looking for a bored death metal band member who's a die-hard fundamentalist.
talk about the protestant split in this context is an incredibly stupid act of projecting ones own cultural background/social history/values on another culture.
A few years ago, I would not have done that. But the power of fundies in America during the Bush years seems to have emboldened some Korean fundamentalists, inspiring them to insert their religion into politics in a way unlike what has been done in Korea in the past. (Sadly, in ways that might make Korea's religious pluralism a precarious liability.)
That makes me wonder if this kind of thing is not the result of someone drinking too much imported Kool-Aid.
you know, the sort of thing christians in korea do.
Well, that's my point. The fundies in Korea are starting to do this.
I don't know if he's serious, but Jeffery Hodges over at Brian's suggests it might actually be an American.
check us out http://antichrist.or.kr
Great. Now my iMac has caught on fire.