The Apocalyptic Christianity in South Korea

The Apocalyptic Christianity, Gangster Buddhism and 82-82 Culture in South Korea
October 15 1999


When people of Minnesota in the United States have elected Jesse the Body Ventura as their governor, he promised that he will speak out honestly not like many politicians, and at least he has kept his promise by declaring that the organized religion is a sham..
Recently, a mob of steel-pipe yielding Buddhist monks have engaged in fierce battle with their incumbent monks in order to gain access to the headquarters in Seoul.
Several months ago, another gangs of fundamental Christian group had invaded the studio of TV station to try to block the airing of documentary story about their preacher who claimed he is a Jesus Christ.
I assume that no South Koreans would be surprised with these acts of irreligious thuggery, since they are accustomed to countless occasion of religious ruckus in every denomination of every religion in the region.
Neither Korean churches in North America are immune to the violence and the litigation in the hegemonic infighting among factions. Calling 911 emergency number during the sermon is not uncommon event.
Historically, Buddhism has enriched and enlightened ancient Korean culture immensely, and monks have contributed in many spheres their knowledge, philosophy and ideology.
However, when Buddhism has gained the momentum among the populace, the hierarchical infighting has flared up among money-grubbing monks to gain access to the financial control of the temple’s properties. It would be mysterious and unimaginable for outsiders, not for Christians (they are more or less same fanatics), but for foreigners, how soi-disant selfless and sublime monks become such violent and vicious to yield steel-pipes to crack up their fellow monk’s skulls.
It is well-known but not publicly acknowledged fact among jingoistic Koreans that Koreans generally are prone to settle the disputes with quick fix, (the most popular method is a fist-fight at the drop of a hat) and unable to agree to disagree with anything that they fail to agree. The caricature of Korean characteristics, I believe, would be best drawn with 82-82 (Bba-lli-Bba-lli, a Korean phonetic sound of double-quick) culture that has been nurtured in their academic, social and religious ambience. In North America, Mr. 82-82 is a Korean sobriquet, who rarely walk or promenade in a leisurely manner, but always scurry or run even though they do not need to jump.

When Christianity has waded into the South Korean shore with tsunami force piggybacked in GI’s duffel bag, thousands of spiritually and physically hungry Koreans have flocked into the arms of blue-eyed and white-faced Jesus Christ without the knowledge that Yeshu was born, lived, taught and died a Hasidic Jew, and He never meant to create new religion called Christianity (Matt. 5:17), and His belief was solely based on Judaism whose god was tribal and extremely prejudiced and His teachings were meant for the Jews in the first century that could never be applied to Koreans, a type of people whom Jesus never of course envisaged as existing beyond the horizon of Galilee.
Koreans, historically, have never been exposed to the religion that promises a life after death until Christian god universally offers the pie in the sky to everyone, thief, burglar, fornicator, pedophile, murderer, traitor or you-name-it. Confucianism asks for perpetual remembrance of ancestors and reverence of elders. Buddhism offers condolence and sympathy. Shamanism exorcises and brings forth the ghost. But alas, Christian God promises Koreans a quick fix…. You worship him, repent your sin, and pay tithes to the church, you get pie in the sky when you croak. No questions asked. Like going to McDonald’s to buy a hamburger and French fries with American Express Card, Korean Christianity becomes a fast-food religion. Only be patient and queue up, for they shall inherit the kingdom of instant god. And man would suffer as Christ did. In pain was man’s redemption. (I wonder if god had to endure the kind of misery that humans are subject to, he will kill himself)

One of the nagging questions is why no monk in South Korea claimed he is a Buddha while Korean Christians witness the epiphany of Jesus Christ in every few years. Korean Christians appear to be more fascinated and enamored of their god when he is an imminent, potent, apocalyptic, and eschatological entity, because he gives instant and 82-82 response to the demand of any kind, capricious, frivolous, ravenous, illogical, militant, or murderous wishes.
As the idea of god formed in one generation by one set of human beings could be meaningless in another generation, Buddhism in Korea seems to become obsolete, sluggish and ineffectively lethargic to meet the 82-82 demands of Koreans. When one conception of god has ceased to meaning or relevance, it has been quietly discarded and replaced by a new religion as shamanism was removed from the community to accommodate more powerful and adorned deity. Each generation has to create the image of god that works for it. That is why Christians have decaffeinated, defanged, laundered, purified, and universalized Old Testament Yahweh into a modern, responsive, refined, peace-loving and fast food type of 82-82 God.




Abraham Lincoln: the Second Inaugural Address

Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invoked His aid against the other.
It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing his bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.
The prayers of both could not be answered.
That of neither has been answered fully.
The Almighty has His own purposes.

Religious language has always played a role in American political life, on rare occasion achieving a profound resonance, as it did in Lincoln’s Address, in which he expressed his awe at an ultimately mysterious God in the passage above, and called on the nation to bind up its wounds after the Civil War.
But politicians who speak publicly about religious belief, lacking Lincoln’s eloquence, usually talk in general terms, refering to the value of faith and asking God to bless America, yet leaving ample space for their audiences to fill in the specifics according to their individual beliefs.