Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rNS]

Is anyone else a bit scared by the amount of churches in this country? This is only on my mind because when I lie on my bed the only thing I can see out of my window is one of those freakish red crosses perfectly framed...........

Also it seems everyone I meet is a devout Christian, all the teachers at my school are and they regularly try to convert me - a proper lost in translation the other day:

'Come to our church',
me proundly 'I'm an atheist'
'Thats no problem we like to sing too'

Okay then, okaaayy........on the god botherers side though, the other day a drunk old dude started giving me crap outside the subway and the Christains handing out leaflets practically rugby tackled him, had a word and made him apologise, how cool is that, think they threatened him with hell.......................It may have been because I had a cross on and a belt buckle that said 'Jesus Saves' but I can't be sure.............

So what are your views on religion in the ROK, cool, odd or like everything else kinda quantity over quality..................

[Warfield]

Christianity in Korea almost always strapped to shamanistic practices. As a result, Korean Christianity is hopelessly focused on this world and the things of it.

If you are an adherent to the supernatural redemptive religion called Christianity, you will notice little difference between a Buddhist diatribe and a Christian ministers' sermon here. It is merely a difference in name, not content.

[VanIslander]

By last count, only 29 % of people in Gyeongsangnamdo (the southeastern province around Busan) are Christian.

Maybe that explains why nobody seems to talk about a god around here. Well, except for the two Mormon missionary guys who always seem to buy kimbap at the same time as I do. What's up with that?

Seoul has by far the heaviest concentration of Christians. So, I expect life must be different thereabouts.

[eamo]

Christianity here seem to be in the honeymoon period. Many Koreans think they're great, clean-living people.

Give it some time and they'll end up being ignored and/or mocked like in western countries.

[Falstaff]

I come from the Bible Belt. I find the level of Christianity to be much lower than what I am used to. I guess it depends on where you're from and where you are now.

[HamuHamu]

Although I find there are an overwheleming number of Christians here (not overwhelming compared to where I am from, but cmpared to the number of what I expected there to be), my two main observations about it are -

1. Teens and young adults are not "embarrassed" to go to church. When I was growing up, once you hit 12 it was something you fought about with your parents. By 17 it was torture and you made darn sure that your friends knew you hated being "dragged" to church. If you still went to church when you hit university, it meant you were really religious and past the point where you hung out with anyone who wasn't from your Bible Study group. I'm not in any way suggesting all of this is "right" or "good" or anything, just that where I grew up, that was the way it was. An here it doesn't seem to be that way, at all, at all.

2. Most Koreans I know are only Christians on Sunday mornings. Yes, there is lots of this where I am from too, but I see more of it here. The girls I know who go on about how good they are because they go to church - well, they are the ones who are dating my western friends but admit to me that they have a Korean boyfriend also , etc etc. Lots of "un-Christianly" behaviour Monday - Saturday.

And ya - there are a LOT of churches. But like most things in Korea, people stick to their neighbourhood - your local shops, local dept store, local church - there are a few for every neighbourhood, because there are just soo many people. Where I come frome, people tend to drive a few miles to get to their church, and if it's the one you grew up with, even if you move 10miles across the city, you still drive to it every week, instead of just changing to the one closer.

[the saint]

[kermo]

I'm a Christian (gosh it's hard admitting that. I'm more worried about representing badly than I am about the assumptions people will make about me), and I thought I was headed for The Promised Land when I came to Korea.

The vast majority of the Koreans I met in Winnipeg were church-going, and they told me that if you are known as a Christian in Korea, you are respected and accepted (unlike my hometown).

However, I've only met a few Christians around here, out in a wee village outside Yongin. (I do see plenty of evangelical T-shirts. The first one I saw said "God Bless You!" and it was worn by a kid trying to beat up a classmate. Boo.) I poked my head into a local church, and it seemed pretty up-beat, if not overcrowded. I was surprised by the number of young people I saw there.

I agree with the "honeymoon period" statement made earlier. Christianity seems to have a good rap, though I'm hardly overwhelmed by its presence. There are plenty of dissenting voices, including a T-shirt worn by a girl in Suwon that read "I am your personal lord and saviour!"

[tommynomad]

Double Kermits.

There must be some kind of Depeche Mode revial going on here. I've seen 3 "Your own, personal, Jesus" tshirts in the last week.

I teach at a Christian Uni. (I must be growing up: I used to spell it Xtian just to get people's goat.) Part of my evaluation involves how often I participate in services. Yet I have never been coerced, urged, or even prodded to attend. During my interview I was asked (3rd Q) "Are you a Christian?" I said no but I still got the job,

In my classes this week, about 10% of the students said Jesus was their main reason for Christmas. For the rest it's about the prezzies. The freshmen also all freely admit to hating chapel (their attendance is required, every Tuesday at 7:30am). (Wouldn't attendance/enthusiasm go up if it was more fun/entertaining/challenging/provocative?)

My senior faculty member is a single, 30-something woman who was "shocked" to find her dorm roommate talking and watching TV in bed with her (roommate's) bf when she did her grad work in the US. The president of the university doesn't drink and does not appear to tolerate it at staff functions.

I have been accosted in the street by Mormons and JWs, both Korean and expatriate.

So I guess there are just as many different Christians here as anywhere.

[sadsac]

Current rates in Korea, from some uniformed source, Buddhists, 26%, Christians, 26%, it's neck and neck. It's not the churches, it's the money these hyprocritical cretins spend on them. Give the cash to those who need it and preach in a tent.

[rapier]

I am christian.I follow christain principles, an eye for an eye, treat others as you want to be treated, and all that. Although I haven't been in a church since I was 18, I think people should be free to follow their religion of choice without the mockery and almost, hatred that they're subjected to in the west. Similarly I have no problems with Bhuddhists or any other religion- its all interesting as far as I'm concerned.
My first Hagwon boss was christian..she always paid on time etc, and was completely honest, unlike others I've known.

[chi-chi]

Agreeing with eamo and falstaff, especially eamo.
Japan is a really hard country for a Christian to live in, I think.
.0001% of the Japanese population is Catholic, and I think I met most of them when I met two in Osaka.
They were the only locals who helped me the entire time I was there.
Everyone else pretty much told me, "*beep* you."
Oh and there was this one Western guy who was trained up in seminary but I think lost a lot of his beliefs or something.
When pressed, (and I do mean pressed) the Christian in him came through, and he gave me a $50 advance on pay and oranges when I was broke and hungry.
So those were the only three people.
People downtown will walk right by people in need, like homeless EVERYWHERE, etc etc.
In Korea I saw it some and not as much.
And as much as the Koreans try to screw people over, I did get help there several times when I needed it, I have to admit.
I hope that Korea can order in more English Bibles (AND Korean Bibles) outside of Seoul.

[rNS]

[Alias]

I'm an atheist as well. One of my Korean co-teachers could not understand why I was not a Chritian. I guess because I'm white I'm supposed to follow a designated religion.

Interesting note. I've only been approached by Christians trying to save my soul. Never Buddhists. They tend to leave you alone.

[Butterfly]

Christians do not frighten me, and I work with christians in a volunteering capacity and have close and regular contact with christians right throughout my life, as the OP does. I like most of them. I just find the street evangelists, particularly in heavily built up areas, particularly Myeong-dong, quite the most irritating people. They invade the space of shoppers there, by bellowing their message on max volumer amplifiers so that it resonates out to every corner of the district, there is no escape from the cacophony. They have got the accoustics of that district properly worked out, and position themselves accordingly. I have seen the same types outside Buddhist temples in Kyeongsan province with their microphones and red sashes, robbing the little old ajumas of the right to practice their religion in peace.

When I see them I think, "Who do you think you are going to save like this?" They might be trying to save our souls, but in truth all they do is leave a bad taste in your mouth. I also think, as another poster pointed out, that their energies would be better focused on actually doing something like helping people who need it, fundraising, volunteering (which of course many many christians do) rather than just pissing people off.