Posted on 08/01/2007 2:10:05 AM PDT by Clive
What are Christian Korean women doing in Afghanistan anyway?
Haven't there been enough horrendous incidents involving missionaries, Christian activists, peace-at-any-price zealots in both Afghanistan and Iraq to dissuade others from plunging into the morass, ostensibly to do the Lord's work?
In too many cases, it's fallen to NATO or other soldiers, who risk their lives to rescue such people from their reckless courage, and refusal to recognize the dangers of their humanitarian selfishness. Especially women, foreign or not, who are Taliban targets.
Presuming most are still alive, the Korean Christians held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan pose a huge dilemma for the Korean government, the struggling Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, the NATO troops trying to secure peace and reconstruction in that country.
The only ones in the catbird seat are the Taliban of Mullah Mohammed Omar (how come he's still surviving?) and the al-Qaida of Osama bin Laden.
A series of deadlines have passed in the Korean hostage case, with the Taliban demanding captured prisoners be released before they'll free the hostages. Meanwhile, they, the Taliban, are killing the male Koreans one at a time to encourage Kabul's capitulation.
No word at this writing whether the 18 Korean women are still alive.
Of all governments involved, none know better than the South Koreans the folly of cooperating with, or succumbing to, terrorist demands. Since 1953, South Korea has survived, lived and thrived under perpetual threat from North Korea, the world's most merciless and perverted regime.
The Taliban also have German hostages, whom they seem to be killing one by one.
While one has sympathy for anyone in Taliban (or al-Qaida) hands, one also cannot escape the conclusion that it is largely the fault of captives that they are in such a precarious and frightening situation.
In 2005, Canadian James Loney and four members of the Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT) in Iraq were kidnapped and held as hostages by something calling itself the Swords Of Righteousness Brigade. Before being rescued by British SAS troops and Canadian JTF2 specialists, an American member of the CPT, Tom Fox, was murdered.
The gratitude of those rescued manifested itself in Loney refusing to wear a poppy on Remembrance Day, and refusing to testify against his suspect captors later held by the Americans. A similar response came from Norman Kember, a British CPT member who was rescued.
Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, peace-types made a big hullabaloo about chaining themselves to supposed targets in Baghdad to deter air strikes -- but they cut-and-ran as soon as their demands were ignored and bombs fell.
The martyr complex exists among Christians as well as Muslim suicide bombers. Doubtless the Korean Christians exude sincerity, courage and probably forgiveness. But that's not the point. They shouldn't be there.
The Taliban are not Iroquois whom French Jesuits once felt faith-bound to rescue from paganism -- and suffered torture and death as a consequence. Those were different times, and one would think we, or the church, would have learned a lesson.
Apparently not. Christian groups should be discouraged from dabbling in regions where their religious faith is not appreciated, and where others are required to risk their lives to save them when inevitably they are kidnapped, to be used as political bargaining chips.
On the other hand, the fact that peaceful, decent people like the Korean Christians are captured and killed by such as the Taliban, is more evidence why Canadian and NATO troops are needed in that country -- not for the sake of hostages, but to help bring peace, security and a modicum of freedom to the Afghan people.
The way they preform their mission is to stamp out those who kidnap, torture and subject the local populace, including missionarys. We would not let Iraqi’s die but would fight to rescue them, why if it is missionarys suddenly people cry let them die, don’t waste the time.
I suspect more than a hint of anti christian bias in play here, with some pretty thin justification in place.
We have showed up to the American embassy outlet in Jerusalem to get work done on our passport and been turned away because it was Arab day. Muslim foriegners have more pull at an American Embassy than American’s do. I did not want to go the the head of the line, just be allowed to get in line.
Our government’s State Department is very very sick.
Great post, thanks!
You know, when you find yourself in the idiot hole the first thing you need to do is stop digging...
see the movie Munich , if you have not already....
There is one particular line in it that speaks to your remark here . Try and guess which one it is.
Long Live Israel!
That is a funny way to look at it! I love it.
But the problem with the Jihadi is not that they are from the village, the Jihadi are Muslim Missionarys from outside sources. They raise an army by teaching fundemental Islam and offence. So the goal is to show the locals the difference between the Love of Christ and the Hate of Islam, a hatred being preached by outsiders that are blowing up their children.
Not a hard job, just a risky one, as the Jihadi know this too.
Actually the world is much smaller now. Back when the call was given, it would have taken you over a year to travel to the other side of the world. And the risk would have been much greater.
The call is still valid. If you are in a lifeboat dont you risk your life pulling others from the water? If you dont, your life is not worth saving anyway...
I think I am making a difference with my life, I like it that way. It is not about converting people to Christians by the way, it is about helping people find God and hope in their lives. With Islamics, they need it far more than fat cat american hedonists. Here the evil doctrines of the culture get them to slaughter their own kids with bombs in order to hurt "the enemy", in America we only do it with scalpels and only to our own children for wealth. So the need is a bit greater over here. But not much greater. Evil is evil, just sometimes it comes dressed in drag.
If you mean the culture of the Canaanite's, who burned their first born child to death in the arms of a statue heated to glowing red in the name of Moloch or the Culture of Islam who burns their children in the fires of C4 for their Moon God Allah, yes missionary work indeed destroys "cultures". But I think you will find that Christian Chinese and Christian Americans are still Chinese and still American. How can a relationship with God destroy a culture if God is the one who created the culture in the first place?
Some cultures are not of God, the Hindu death cults, the Islamic death cults and other death cults are an example. Those cultures die out on exposure to God. Other cultures expand and thrive, like the Western Civilizations have. Diversity is not valuable in it's own right. True Diversity at the dinner table means some drinks have arsnic in them.
By your own admission, there have been incidents when missionaries have disrespected/disobeyed the "laws of the land" because they felt scripture compelled them to do so. I'm very sure Jesus and God would disapprove.
The laws of God are simple, and can be summed up in two, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. These laws take precedence over local laws of government. The Bible teaches to respect the local authorities and follow the laws of the land actually. But if a law is made to kill all Jews or Chinese etc on sight, would you be subversive by refusing to kill based on it breaking the commandment thou shall not murder? Some laws are so obviously corrupt, you must be a Nazi to follow them. This is not subversion, it is common sense.
...there is no justification for these actions, scriptural or otherwise. If God's plan will be accomplished then there is no reason to put oneself in peril, now is there?
You are incorrect, there is scriptural reasons for putting your life in danger to tell the truth, for with out hearing, how will they know what is right and wrong? Gods plan includes death, Christ being martyred as an example. By your reasoning, God blew it Himself by allowing Christ to die on the cross. You are in error, you do not understand higher callings if your highest calling is your own safty and comfort, you just know of them.
These people aren't being persecuted. They are being acted upon in a heinous manner brought on by their actions.
These people are being targeted for being Christians, that is persecution. If they were not acting out their faith, they would not be Christians. They would not be persecuted true. It is because of their actions of sharing their hope, and working to help the locals they are being persicuted. But by people who kill the locals and anyone else who will not submit to the sword of Islam, they are not fools, but hero's. Sitting on ones butt and saying let the other guy do it, that is his job, is not heroic, it is just self interest and easy. If every one was like that, we would not have an army, nor need one, as many nations would be glad to supply us with theirs.
I do not approve of going into a community and doing good works in exchange for conversions.
Nor do Christians, goods and good works are not traded for conversions because nobody can buy a heart, they can only win one. Once you put a price on your services you are just a merchant, and you do not get any conversion, just a deal.
Try to understand the difference it would make if someone taught from birth that to murder strangers is heroic, learns to love them instead. Why, it would "wipe out the culture of Islam".
And this is a bad thing? How? Islam is simply not a culture, it is nothing more than a death cult.
Perhaps it is God's plan that his faithful go out into the World to bring his Word to the darkest corners. If that is is plan, to have the missionaries stay safe at home would thwart it. With a few notable exceptions, we are God's actors in the World. If His will is to be done, it will be done through us.
As for your concern that these missionaries are lefties, and are putting themselves in harm's way to make a political point, I don't think that is the case here. I agree that the "Christian" peace activists and human shields in Iraq were using their religion as an excuse to make a political point. I agree that this was wrong. But it appears from everything I have seen that these Koreans are out there to serve the people and save souls, and are not concerned about the politics of it all.
How big was that world? It didn’t take in Asia, Australia, North & South America.
If you are in a lifeboat, do you sail it to the other side of the world to pick up people?
Are the people in your backyard not worth saving?
Jesus never tried to convert anyone.
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Again.
1. Jesus was speaking to a particular group of people.
Don’t you think that the Creator of the Universe had
other “teams” working on his agenda, rather than
just one. One team for an entire world? Hmmm. I
don’t think so.
2. Their world didn’t comprise the nations that now
exist.
3. Do you think God gives impossible missions?
Dead missionaries can’t further the agenda.
“fat cat american hedonists”
So all the people in your neighborhoods are “fat cat american hedonists.” Glad you’re in Israel. No fat cats there.
The one team is all he told us about.
There’s a show on CBS called ‘The Unit’ which had an episode about just this thing.
Today, South Korean’s are starting to pressure the US about this.
I hate the terrorist Muslims just as you do. I don’t have respect for their “religion” either. I’ll answer you more completely later.
Thank you FRiend. I could not have expounded better on that myself.
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