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.
There was a time when the perceived truth was the earth was flat.
"Assault" 1 a : a violent physical or verbal attack. A dictionary is your friend.
"Persecute" 1 : to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief. Again I refer to a dictionary and ask if some Christian posters on this site are not persecuting Romney for his Mormon beliefs.
You seem to imply that I condone Muslim radicals who I most certainly do not. I condemn all radicals whether poliical or religious.
“But you’re bound to know it will happen anyway in most cases. Shouldn’t you go to the miltary when you arrive and tell them to ignore it if you are captured (not that they’ll listen)?”
If the US Govt doesn’t want us in places the State Dept will issue warnings. If they really don’t want us in places they issue travel bans. If the US Govt doesn’t see fit to issue those items then they have a responsibility to us (as citizens) to provide assistance. That doesn’t remove our individual responsibility to be smart.
The military you are so worried about being at risk are already trying to find these taliban. They would be doing that regardless of whether anyone else is there. People join the military to defend their country, get an education, shoot really cool weapons, and perhaps kill our enemies.
I find it tremendous that people from other countries are trying to help the country of Afghanistan. Its almost like there’s a coalition or something.
I am sure the Sun would insist that the rapist is always at fault. To suggest otherwise means the Sun is trying to excuse rape. Well, in this piece, isn’t the Sun trying to excuse kidnapping, brutality and murder? The real problem lies in the violent culture of the Islamists, and maybe that fact is just too inconvenient for the politically correct staff and editors of the Sun.
“You seem to imply that I condone Muslim radicals who I most certainly do not. I condemn all radicals whether poliical or religious.”
And of course your definition of radical is anyone that doesn’t agree with you.
Believing Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior isn’t radical. It was 2000 years ago but its pretty much an accepted idea now. Jesus did not condone the killing of unbelievers. He in fact condemned it. He also instructed his followers to go out and teach his love. He did not teach his followers to convert or kill.
The answer is, that not everyone is called to do this.
I don't think we should lift a finger to help such people. I think most of them have a "martyr complex" anyway. If they want to kill themselves, let 'em. Reminds me of the guy in FL who used to stick his head into Crocs' mouths and hug them, and ended up dead.
My thoughts:
What Islamics doing in the West, anyway?
- John
God love these Koreans for what they are doing. It is not given to all of us to go into harm’s way to spread the Word, but it was evidently given to them and they did it. If Worthington is looking for attention here, he has just got it, and I hope he can deal with it. My boy is in the US Army, a Captain now, and he went to in October, 2001, to Quatar, and then to Afghanistan for Anaconda. He returned to Afghanistan again later, and is now in Louisiana at Fort Polk. He is ready to go again when they ask him and would be proud to put himself in harm’s way to rescue any missionaries he could. If anybody remembers, it is Worthington’s daughter who is married to David Frum, Bush’s former speech writer. She is mainly the reason Frum is a FORMER speech writer.
That, sweetface, was a rhetorical question/snotty comment if ever I saw one. And, believe me, I saw one.
The really sad part of that sentence is that you have absolutely no clue as to how offensive that is, on how many levels that is offensive, and most poignantly, exactly whom you are offending with that sentiment.
Well said. A LOT of people - even [I daresay] the majority of the posters in this forum - haven't been "paying attention" for the last six years.
The very fact that we failed to "replace Islam with something else" in Iraq, dooms our efforts there to failure when we eventually must leave. I realized the day that Islam was codified by the Iraq constitution as their state religion, it was very likely that all our efforts there will prove for naught.
- John
Excellent summary!
"To compare Christians to terrorists displays a lack of understanding of the problem and a complete bias against Christians."
Your rhetorical acrobatics are astounding. I never compared all Christians to terrorists. I am an equal opportunist, howerver, in condemning radicals of all stripes.
Not necessarily true, in a lot of cases the military couldn't care less if we are there or not.
Shouldn’t you go to the miltary when you arrive and tell them to ignore it if you are captured (not that they’ll listen)?
We go into these countries with the knowledge and authority of the respective governments, but part of the "deal" more often than not is that is where the cooperation ends (with the exception of being able to use their airspace, and two way radio communication). We go in knowing that, there are no expectations of military help being requested or received. In many cases we actually assist local governments during times of disaster, as after the tsunami a few years back, all voluntarily I might add.
Considering the size of the problem that the West faces in its struggle, and our response to date, is your statement very far removed from reality?
- John
“Some Christians used the bible to justify slavery and to deny civil rights to freed slaves and their descendants.”
Yes they used the bible to justify their actions. Like many others they twisted religion to support their personal objectives.
“The recent and current mayhem perpetrated radical Muslims can be attributed, in part, to societies and cultures that justify, ignore or condone radicalization.”
The “current” mayhem as you call it has been happening for about a thousand years. Mayhem seems more like something you would see at a birthday party for little kids. Not a word I’d use to describe the murder of millions.
“Your rhetorical acrobatics are astounding. I never compared all Christians to terrorists. I am an equal opportunist, howerver, in condemning radicals of all stripes.”
You stated that Christians and Muslims used the same methods.
I will agree with that, except that the Muslims fair share seems to be quite a bit larger than the Christians fair share.
As for poor, beleaguered Mitt Romney, I would not call his treatment here “persecution”. People may disagree with him, even on religious matters, but that is not persecution. That is simply disagreement. It certainly does not compare with the treatment he would get from the Talibunnies, who would simply lop his head off.
As for condoning Muslim radicals, if you equate a jihadi murderer with somebody handing you a Chick Tract, you are condoning the jihadi murderer. They are not the same thing.
No, they don't. The law is quite clear on that point.
One of many good answers. I withdraw the question as being unfair.
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