Korean Job Discussion Forums

[periwinkle]

Back home, I only encountered missionaries once, but they had been sent by my b-friend's father to return his jack Mormon son to the fold, so that doesn't count. Seen a couple of guys on soapboxes preaching, but that was just a couple of times. Here, almost everyday we get some damn flier advertising some damn church on our damn door. Sometimes ppl go door to door (how they get into our supossedly "secure" bldg., I don't know). Then there are the churchies who stand across the street from my local Grand Mart handing out ice coffee when the weather is nice.

Today I had two women come chasing after me who had been waiting around for prey at the entrance of our apt. complex. I was carrying heavy groceries, and my belly is swollen with a 4 kilo baby. If they had any common sense, they should know not to bother ppl who are so obviously bogged down!! Yet they literally came running after me. I had to tell them, "No, not now", several times. First time I was polite, last time I snapped at them. Damn!! No means no!!

So why are there so many missionaries? If they were Jehovahs who had to recruit ppl in order to get into heaven, I'd get it. But I even see this in Itaewon, and you'd figure most of the foreigners are already Christian, wouldn't you? Do they try to go after the Muslims? Maybe they should stand outside of the mosque if they are trying to convert ppl. WTH?

I think it's about money to some degree. Maybe their church isn't doing well, so they are basically advertising to get ppl to come to their church and therefore donate 10% of their income (like my church back home pushed for- I was so sick of hearing sermons based on the nobility etc. of tithing-sp?).

Then there are missionaries who try to recruit foreigners because of the English aspect...

Then there are the ppl preaching on the subway, which everyone just quietly tolerates...

So I wonder why Christians feel the need to take it to the streets here, but they don't back home...????

[oneofthesarahs]

I used to get accosted by missionaries all the time back home. They used to hang out in the bar district on weekends, and then casually start a conversation with you...then BAM! Next thing you know you're talking about your immortal soul. Or maybe I just look like a miscreant.

I think they are just more noticeable here, because WE are more noticeable. Missionaries see us walking down the street, and they think, "HEY! FOREIGN PERSON!" Missionaries back home have a harder time picking out the potential heathens in a more multicultural society.

[RACETRAITOR]

I think churches here are more like businesses, and they actively need to acquire customers in order to make money. In western countries the churches already have a generations-old base of people to rely on.

[blynch]

cuz they are jobless (like canadians).

[the saint]

[OiGirl]

[periwinkle]

[aldershot]

but what's with the influx of christianity in this country? during the 4 years i've been here, for every neon red cross i'd seen dotting the horizon, there are now ten.

i believe christianity is very synchronized with korean mentality. was it not jesus (or more likely the folks who wrote the bible) that claimed that the masses are sheep, following a shepherd? korea has this communal idea in their veins. christianity is an output for it.

it'll only get worse.

and for the saint to declare that this is christian and that is not is silly. christians the world over are all very, very different. those in the phillipines, whipping themselves till bleeding and crucifying themselves... are they less christian?

[VanIslander]

deleted

[sock]

I think it's also about the social roles that Koreans take on, especially when "selling." For some reason, it doesn't matter if someone is selling Jesus or kalbi at Emart, the ideal Korean salesperson is very in-your-face about it. Although at least the sample ajummas and the rest of the Emart posse can't follow you around the store, thank goodness.

Maybe because Koreans are oblivious to everything else around them? (Only half kidding.) I don't know, I just see Korean society as an extremely submissive/dominant culture, and I see pushiness of missionaries and other salespeople as an extension of that. Like if they somehow continue their adamant ranting, you'll have to fold and accept their dominance.

I think this concept is really offensive to westerners in general, on a number of levels, but especially because it violates our ideas/values of everyone being equal in status during a sales transaction. Perhaps it kind of rubs the wrong way against individualism and our freedom to choose.

Also, for whatever reason, people who are overzealous in any aspect of their personalities seem to gravitate toward religion, and then turn it into their own olympic challenge with everyone they meet. I once read a really interesting study that linked the onset of schitzophrenia after age 40 with religious fervor, but I don't remember the details enough to post them. Besides, I don't want to lend too much encouragement for another Christians vs. Atheists thread.

[kotakji]

Well of what I've seen, id guess that a large number of the Korean protestant sects would be considered fringe or cults in the US (and im talking about the the everyday churches out there not just the Moonies etc) I've heard some pretty incredible tales from Koreans who have survived attempted conversions. In addition, the whole hierarchical competitiveness in Korea turns into a sale-of-indulgences like system whereby, the more you tithe, the higher up in the eyes of god you are. At least this is how the Koreans I know that have been subjected to the system in the name of business ties.

I've heard some pretty ridiculous religious arguments in my life, but some of the pseudo science used to justify various Korean protestant beliefs go beyond faith and into the realm of stupidity.

One that sticks out in my mind is that apparently since fossil records have giant dragonflies 20x their current size, that meant that all humans in the ehem antediluvian times were also giants and thus thats how the human race survived the great flood- which by the way, simply turned into the arctic ice sheets ala- water world. - I mean theirs faith, and then theirs lacking the powers of logical thought.

[pdx]

my roommate has a theory that Koreans aren't half-assed about anything. They go full force. I guess that would also apply to the religion thing.

[crazy_arcade]

A friend of mine was raised Mormon and did his mission in Australia. After spending his time there being shit on pretty much every minute of every day he decided to get out.

Churches make a lot of money.....

Did anyone else see the video where the guys from Australia go to Salt Lake City as "Athiest Missionaries'? Pretty damn funny stuff.

[DRAMA OVERKILL]

[the saint]