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.
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“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.”
Can’t speak to the CPT, but forget this guy. Christians who abdicate justice in the name of forgiveness miss the point.
“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.”
Amen to that. Either provide your own security or stay the hell out. Our troops have enough problems over there as it is. The sole focus on Christian groups is unfair however.
Refusing to wear the poppy in Canada on Remembrance Day is a loud and clear message.
Loney is a pacifist fanatic. left wing, pro gay rights and anti-American.
Even when he thanked SAS and JTF2 for his rescue it was grudging and under duress from other activists. They leaned on him because they were starting to experience the bad PR implications of his failure to appear to be duly thankful.
attention seekers who inject themselfs in harms way deserve whatever they get
This is an article.
It is made of fail and blaming the victim.
Mr. Worthington, if you don't know what Christian missionaries are doing in Afghanistan, I don't believe I can explain it to you. But that won't stop me from trying.
They are there to give those who don't know the love and forgiveness of God and Jesus Christ a chance to learn of Him. God tells His people to share the Gospel with those in our immediate vicinity, those a little farther away and moving out to other regions and to continue doing so until everyone in the world has an opportunity to accept Him or reject Him.
It doesn't matter that it is too dangerous. I personally don't think the fear of death is a good reason for not doing something this important. 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.
OK then...when you gonna sign up?
Excuse me, but I didn’t notice that the Koreans were attention seekers. I also didn’t notice if the missionaries are expecting others to bail them out.
FWIW, I don’t expect the US to come to my aid or the aid of my family.
I already have.
What the missionaries were or were not expecting is irrelevent. Due to their lack of concern for their security they have placed our fighting men and women at risk and have diverted them from their original mission in Afghanistan. Thus the missionaries actions were indecent and selfish. Again, either ensure your own security or stay out. Our troops didn’t sign up for this nonsense.
You’re going to take your family to Afghanistan to spread the gospel?
Well said Jemian. Christian missionaries have made a huge difference in Kurdistan - the merest tip of the iceberg being the number of people they have taught english to. They will make a difference in Afghanistan as well.
Some of you haven’t been paying attention for the last six years. Unless Islam is replaced with something else the Coalition forces have achieved nothing.
I’ve already taken my family to a moslem country to spread the gospel.
When ya’ll heading to Afghanistan?
You make good points. But I know that "this nonsense" is part and parcel of what my son did indeed sign up for. When the missionaries were taken hostage in the Philipines, it was all his dad and I could do to make him stay in high school and wait.
When our work where we are is finished.
You posted: When ya’ll heading to Afghanistan?
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You aren’t saying that only those who themselves go to Afghanistan to spread the gospel are able to state an opinion contrary to yours on this topic, are you? I support our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, even though I am not serving in either place. That said, I don’t believe there is an absolute obligation for our troops to rescure missionaries in countries where we are fighting terror.
I take then that in principle you condone the jihadists.
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