Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ianinilsan · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: South Korea

https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/08/15/200708150075.asp

Dear Community Page

I have been following the news reports about the Korean humanitarian workers who are being held prisoner in Afghanistan. My sympathies and prayers go out to the families of these people who have done nothing to deserve this horrible treatment.
Afghanistan is a nation with many people who need help and the Koreans who took the time to offer help should be admired for taking the time to help others. The world needs more people who have kind hearts and good souls. Humanitarian work in war zones is very dangerous work, but it is necessary for the healing of war ravaged nations.

Hopefully the remaining hostages will be released very soon and return safely to their worried families.

William Mattiford, Jr. Songtan

2007.08.15

keseki · Joined: 22 Mar 2007

you obviously did not see the video of these people in the other thread.

it showed them doing their 'humanitarian' work of teaching afghan kids christian songs in korean. jesus is your new messiah......

in_seoul_2003 · Joined: 24 Nov 2003

First off, there have been a thousand of those types of letters in every major English daily. I don't know why you would be so particularly keen on this one.

As the previous poster said, they were missionaries not aid workers. According to my K friend, there's a UCC video which shows the missionaries giving kids biscuits, or whatever, and getting them to repeat Christian utterances in Korean. Kind of like the carrot and the stick, no?

So Fuk off you and Willy in Songtan.

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

in_seoul_2003 · Joined: 24 Nov 2003

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

The Taliban has no legal or moral standing to kidnap and murder the Koreans. It does not matter if the Koreans were providing strictly humanitarian aid, preaching their Christen beliefs or dancing the polka. The people who grabbed these unarmed peaceful people, executed some of them and are holding the rest for ransom are despicable criminals.

To me Christianity is the brother of Islam in that they are both a bunch of superstitious nonsense. In threads like this why does it seem that anti-Christens knock on the Christens because they are trying to impose their beliefs on others (foolhardy and annoying) but let the extremists of Islam off the hook for doing the same thing with MUCH more violent methods (murderous and criminal)?

If extremist Koreans grabbed interracial couples in Korea and started executing them because it is their belief that they are protecting the purity of their woman and Korean blood, should the world just say �Oh well, we all knew Korean culture was xenophobic in nature so those involved in interracial relationships in Korea are just getting what they deserve?�

mack4289 · Joined: 06 Dec 2006

Of course the Taliban deserve to be condemned for what they've done and are doing, but do the Korean missionaries deserve praise? It's one thing to go there as a journalist to inform people of what's happening or as a aid worker to bring food or medicine. Those things, if done properly, have an inherent value. But what inherent value does missionary work have?

The Perfect Cup of Coffee · Joined: 17 Jun 2007

The "aid workers" ought to be working with the poor around their own neighborhoods first. It'd be a hell of a lot cheaper and safer than Afghanistan of all places. I'm sure there's enough poverty in Seoul, and the countryside to go around. Or better yet, if it's danger and martyrdom they're looking for, why not take a trip North?

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

I've got a question. If these missionaries went up to the DMZ and waltzed over the border singing Christian songs, would anyone here blame the North Koreans for arresting them and taking them to some gulag?

Also, it's been a long time since any of these missionaries died. Slow terrorists.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

Unrelated, but my friend and I were walking in Gangnam today. There was an American guy with a loud speaker behind him (saying stuff in Korean) and he was handing out some fancy bible.

My friend recoiled in annoyance as we got passed the truck/speaker and onto the crosswalk. I asked her what it happened and she said the speaker essentially said: "if you're a Buddhist you are going to hell. Buddha is a false idol..."

I was in shock too. She is a Buddhist.

I'm not too keen on the Korean Church of God folk making a lot of noise where I live but they've never did anything bad to me. I'm really not happy about some American fundie coming here and propagating that kind of nonsense. Go back to Alabama, seriously.

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

Proselytism is interpreted by many Christians as a basic duty of their faith. IMHO the ones who take it to the extreme usually suffer from some type of weak mindedness up to and including mental illness, many times associated with some kind of previous life trauma. I tend to think they do not deserve the death penalty for it.

Most people of any faith have enough strength of character and confidence in there own beliefs to just ignore them. I think those who would like to persecute them suffer from the same weak mindedness as the extreme proselytizers themselves.