Korean Missionaries Draw Fire at Home

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1647646,00.html

With the fate of 22 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan still uncertain, the hostage crisis is finally forcing South Korea's Christians, the world's second-largest group of proselytizers after Americans, to rethink their evangelical ambitions. snip

The execution earlier this week of one hostage, pastor Bae Hyung Kyu, 42, brought the expected outpouring of grief and condolences. But non-evangelical Koreans are still scratching their heads over why the Saemmul church group trotted off to such a volatile region, thumbing its nose at government warnings not to enter Afghanistan. snip

Many of Korea's Christians are passionate evangelists, exhibiting the zeal of the newly converted. Evangelical Protestantism is a relatively recent arrival on the peninsula, having taken hold only after the Korean War. Now, fully one-third of the 45 million people in this traditionally Confucian society follow the practices of Jesus (about 10% are Roman Catholic). An estimated 16,000 Korean Christians were working around the world as missionaries in more than 150 countries last year. Most Korean missionaries work in China, and go there under the guise of being researchers, or businessmen, so they won't be imprisoned for proselytizing. Russia is apparently the next most popular destination for Korean missionaries, followed by Europe and South East Asia.

An unfortunate side to the evangelical movement in Korea is increased competition. Churches number in the tens of thousands here, and are competing so intensely for members that pastors feel pressured to engage in a kind of one-upmanship: sending congregants on as many overseas missions as possible. New markets and riskier missions tend to garner more publicity, which until now has translated into more kudos and ultimately more money for the pastor and the church.

[Wilms]

1. Intere$ting paragraph...

An unfortunate $ide to the evangelical movement in Korea i$ increa$ed competition. Churche$ number in the ten$ of thou$and$ here, and are competing $o inten$ely for member$ that pa$tor$ feel pre$$ured to engage in a kind of one-upman$hip: $ending congregant$ on a$ many over$ea$ mi$$ion$ a$ po$$ible. New market$ and ri$kier mi$$ion$ tend to garner more publicity, which until now ha$ tran$lated into more kudo$ and ultimately more money for the pa$tor and the church.

[kurth]

2. Betcha they go around slashing each other's tires

in Jesus' name.

[malaise]

7. Bingo

I have no sympathy for stupid greedy people.

[Robbien]

3. Think of how pissed we get when the fundies come knocking at our doors

with their Watchtower pamphets in their sweaty hands.

Here a bunch of young fundie christians go to a muslim war torn country bugging the battle worn people to reject allah and accept baby jesus. No wonder their country is ticked off that it now has to spend a lot of resources trying to get the young crazies returned to them.

[Solo_in_MD]

6. you are confusing JWs with Fundies...very different

[petronius]

4. Kind of an unfortunate headline,

considering that the one guy was shot to death...

It's strange in a way that this would be causing any sort of evangelical "rethinking" - I can't believe they were actually surprised by what happened. Or did they just not have even the most rudimentary awareness of recent Afghan history?

[DeSwiss]

5. 15 And he said unto them,....

....Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (revised edition - addition) But if thou get caught by the Taliban, you're on your own. And God help you. Amen.