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.
I'm with the author of this article 100%.
Rather than execising one’s mouth before engaging one’s mind, I suggest you review my comment. I intentionally suggested that one’s religious(not Christian) beliefs is a private matter. I most certainly did not state that that was the current state. There is a wide gap between ideals and reality in every aspect of life.
Thats a good liberal solution to the problem, no females or christians are allowed in Afganistan, in the name of diversity and multigenderism.
Only allow females in all mens clubs or homosexuals in the boy scouts.
In a place of no moral values, there are no guidelines or structure worth saving. All rules are made to be broken by your liberal masters, they only exist to limit what you do, not them.
Chaos is their master.
Let me try and restate what I said. Perhaps an analogy will help.
A person has cancer or AIDS. Although there are many treatments out there, I happen to know a sure-fire never fail cure for it.
Is it wrong for me to make that cure known? The cure is free to all who wish it. It always works.
It is logical for me to tell others about the cure. It is up to the patient to accept the cure.
It is also logical for me to try to give others the cure of Christ to deadly sin. Sin always results in death, spiritual death which is eternal separation from God. I know the cure which is Jesus Christ.
Logic does exist apart from Christianity (at least a form of it). What I tried to say is that my behavior isn’t inconsistent with my belief (at least in this area).
Let the ROK take care of it.
From what I remember, ROK in Vietnam were feared with good reason.
The Taliban might have opened a box they didn’t intend.
Too sadly that often is the case. I don’t think the Burnhams (in the Philipines) did that. I really hope that I don’t have to learn which category I fall into. It is hard to say what one will do until one is confronted by something.
Did already. And what are you going to invest your life in? Or is the pursuit of personal pleasure your highest ideal?
“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.”
This guy has no concept of Christianity. Having said that, these lunatic left Christians who run to protect every dictator on the planet, like Jimah Cahtah, like to blame the trouble they find on others, not themselves. When conservatives mix church and state, the lunatics yell, when they do it, they expect our soldiers to save their butts.
To a Christian, death is not that big a deal. It is much more important to bring the Gospel to others. It is that simple.
Go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Mr. Worthington does not understand the Bible, no-re the values of a Christian. And, further more, there were all ready one thousand six hundred estimated Christians in Iraq.
The Muslims have 72 virgins waiting for them at death, Christians have Jesus Christ, the ruler of “all” waiting for them.
The South Korean church sends out more missionaries than the US does every year. In fact they even send them here. That doesn't speak well for the (collective) U.S. church's spiritual health.
The Taliban did the exact same thing the summere of 2001. I just hope this doesn’t fortell another terrorist attack. I just have this gut feeling something is bound to happen very soon.
Do you understand how your stated position that Christianity should be a private matter is antithetical to Christianity?
Then by your logic the only way that you can then save our troops from ever having to rescue you from a predicament is to stay home with your doors securely barred. Never light a match or sharpen a knife in case you have to be rescued by an ambulance crew or fireman, and never ever drive a car. Only this way can you be responsible by never risking a rescuers life.
Just what is the origional mission in Afganistan? Is it to dominate the land with troops forever? Or is it to break the power of the Jihad to keep them from attacking America again?
If you think that a gun is the answer to stop the Jihad, by all means keep sending troops to fight and die till they run out of men, or we do. The Jihadi under stand war, blood and death, it is after all their religion.
War indeed is the only way to hold the Jihad back, but getting the Jihadi to understand the error of their ways is how to stop the Jihad at is source. The Missionary's are front line troops in this war my friend. Only they can permanently stop the Jihad, by killing the evil in its nest, and replace it with love instead of hate.
These people are real heros, they are the ultimate propaganda machine on our side and are worth their weight in gold in this war. The hard part is finding enough of them to risk their lives to heal the Arabs of their death cult. One missionary, effectively placed in a village can break the entire Jihad in that village. Try that with one soldier.
You can keep a jihadi down at gun point but never change his ways. With a missionary you can change his ways so that he no longer is a Jihadi, but another missionary. The secret weapon is God Himself because this is a religious war not a political one. Islam is a religion of war and conquest. War is not the result, it is the object of their religion.
I also question your "It always works" assertion. Are you historically revising the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition into the trashbin? You may also consider how how these historical events reflect on the means used in obtaining your goals. Please do not comeback with the lame excuse that it was the Catholic church because the last I've seen the Catholic church is still Christian-based.
Notwithstanding the rhetoric used by the author of this opinion piece, he does have a point, in that missionaries (God bless them) who choose to travel to a dangerous part of the world to spread the Gospel must fully accept the consequences of their actions. There ought to be some kind of requirement for missionaries to sign a paper which indemnifies Coalition forces against having to rescue them. Kind of like the old “Mission Impossible” show where the opening communique ends with “Should you or any member of your IM force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”
“You’re confusing ends and means.”
No, you’re comparing Christians to terrorists who normalize rape and murder. I find that exceedingly offensive. Whether its Rosie saying it or its you.
So if you are hijacked on a plane, it should be shot down to keep from endangering troops to rescue you? Do Missionary's loose their rights as free people because they believe in something more than self service? All innocents should be rescued and protected in war or the war is not worth fighting in the first place.
Yes these people knew they were risking their lives to try and help tame Afghanistan, they just serve in a different branch of civilization than the troops.
Amen
“Notwithstanding the rhetoric used by the author of this opinion piece, he does have a point, in that missionaries (God bless them) who choose to travel to a dangerous part of the world to spread the Gospel must fully accept the consequences of their actions. There ought to be some kind of requirement for missionaries to sign a paper which indemnifies Coalition forces against having to rescue them.”
If they were granted a visa then they had official permission to be in the country. Perhaps it would be better to let the taliban cut their heads off though. Just to make a point ya know.
I can’t remember exactly what was on all the papers I signed, but I think I did sign one that is very similar to that. It was certainly something along that lines.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.