Posted on 01/12/2003 7:17:10 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
SEOUL: Pleading to God for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula, 30,000 Christians rallied Saturday to support the US military presence in South Korea and condemn North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program.
"Lord, we need US troops," chanted the crowd, predominantly Protestant churchgoers, at the plaza before Seoul City Hall. "God, please help North Korea repent and stop developing nuclear weapons."
Participants waved small South Korean flags and let loose thousands of green balloons into the overcast winter sky, shouting "Hallelujah!" Some held US flags.
During a prayer blaring from loudspeakers, pastor Kil Ja-yeon asked God to keep US troops in South Korea to deter communist North Korea, and thousands of followers jumped up and down chanting fervently, "My Lord, My Lord."
The unusual pro-US street demonstration, organized by the General Association of Christian Organizations, a major Christian umbrella group, came amid rising international tension over North Korea's withdrawal Friday from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, a global nuclear arms control pact.
The communist North surprised the world in December by deciding to restart nuclear facilities that were frozen under a deal with the United States in 1994.
Organisers of Saturday's demonstration warned that widespread anti-American sentiment in South Korea might lead to the withdrawal of US troops and endanger the country's security.
"Weird and funny! I have never seen anything like this," said Kim Myong-ho, 22, a college student who believes the US military should be withdrawn to ease tensions with North Korea.
But Moon Jong-won, 55, who participated in Saturday's rally, worried that young South Koreans failed to understand the North Korean threat.
"This is not a time for anti-American protests, but a time for an anti-North Korea and pro-peace movement," he said.
Demonstrators held signs reading: "We oppose the anti-American movement" or "Lord, give North Korea real political change."
The rally was in contrast with a recent series of anti-US street demonstrations by tens of thousands of activists protesting the deaths in June of two South Korean teenage girls struck by a US military vehicle.
Two US soldiers in the vehicle were acquitted of negligent homicide charges in US military courts in November. That touched off candlelight vigils by South Koreans. Activists have used the vigils to demand an end to the US military presence in South Korea.
Most South Koreans support a US military presence, but many also complain about crimes involving US soldiers.
Demonstrators on Saturday demanded that a legal code with the United States be revised to give South Korea more jurisdiction over US troops, but opposed the candlelight vigils.
"We should not do things that hurt Americans' sentiment, especially at times like this," said Chung Jin-kyong, 34.
About 37,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.
I'm not use to doing taglines, and didn't realize I'd left it on.
It was leftover from some other post, and really doesn't spply to this Thread.
Liberal public school-type kid.
But Moon Jong-won, 55, who participated in Saturday's rally, worried that young South Koreans failed to understand the North Korean threat.
Wise conservative teaching the liberal public school-type kid to actually think ! It's a new concept to that type of mentality.
Ditto. Our church's senior associate pastor, a Korean American, is serving in South Korea right now. The Korean Christians have a passion for missionary work, and a zeal for going places where white boys like me are not welcome (Mongolia, the world of Islam ...).
Yep. The left has nothing better to do. "Idle hands lead to Satan."
Amen,.......More Grace and Mercy,.........In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!
Additional factors (according to various service people I've talked to who were stationed there) include:
Racism: The approximate level is comparable to Mississippi in the 50s, one guy told me. Even some S Koreans who fear the North nevertheless feel resentment at racially inferior "big noses" (i.e. Americans) shameing, dominating, or in any manner appearing superior to any ethnic Koreans, including North Koreans.
Emotionalism: You see this even the pro-American protest described above. Koreans seem to enjoy getting "worked up." They go to protests like we go for an afternoon in the park. It's treated almost as entertainment.
In case you think it couldn't happen here, it did. In the 1960s.
(1) As I've pointed out on other threads, the liberally-biased Korean press has reported crowds of "more than 3,000" protestors outside the US embassy in Seoul. Given the fact that 11 million people live in the Seoul area, including tens of thousands of student leftists, these anti-American demonstrations have pathetic turnouts if their journalistic supporters aren't able to lie the numbers past 3K.
(2) The Times of India has no pro-American bias, and it reports that ten times as many Koreans came out to support the US.
(3) The socialist Roh was not elected on an anti-American platform but on a platform of (a) promising the same Socialistic garbage that wins elections during recessions and (b) a "pity the poor North Koreans" stance where the need for "healing" was emphasized over security.
I'm passing this one that ProudEagle posted on. Hope everyone will do the same.
"Cho's teachings are an idolatrous mix of a little Biblical teaching with a lot of occult healing, prophesying, visualization, sorcery, and pagan mind techniques. Cho teaches that Christians can get anything they want by calling upon the spirit world in the 'fourth dimension' and envisioning (visualizing) their felt needs, no matter how crass and gross. Cho teaches that positive thinking, positive speaking, and positive visualization are the keys to success, and that anyone can literally 'incubate' and give birth to physical reality by creating a vivid image in his or her mind and focusing upon it....
Cho's teaching is a system of mind over matter (or rather, imagination over matter). He frankly admits that it is a Christianized version of precisely the same methods practiced by Buddhists, exponents of yoga, and the followers of other pagan, mystical, and occult systems. The only difference is that their fourth-dimensional power receives co-operation from the devil, while that of Christians supposedly receives help from the Holy Spirit."
At best, this is a self generating, rigid, fixed, psychotic, delusional system with a heavy reliance on magical thinking. At the worst, it is diabolical heresy, as God is, once again, reduced to a mere conjurer, pulling rabbits out of hats.
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