Korean Christmas carol promotion draws ire from Buddhists

Leonard Sweet commented on this news story saying, "I love that idea of Christmas Carols as deadly weapons. The New Testament, T.N.T, the story of Jesus's birth is the greatest stick of dynamite, blows your past into smithereens and starts a whole new life, and create a whole new world. It is a deadly weapon for that which oppresses us and suppresses us and keeps us from lifting up our eyes and looking up." https://youtu.be/QTltWCz0yU4

A state-sponsored campaign to promote Christmas carols as a way of stimulating festive spirit among South Koreans has triggered a strong backlash from Buddhist groups in the East Asian nation.

The criticism came as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism paired up with Seoul Catholic Archdiocese, the National Council of Churches in Korea and the United Christian Churches of Korea as well as music services providers to promote Christmas carols throughout December.

The ministry has reportedly allocated a budget of 1 billion won (US$850,000) for the campaign to encourage public gathering places such as coffee shops, restaurants and retail outlets to play more Christmas carols, reported the Korea Times.

Popular South Korean radio stations including KBS, MBC and SBS will play more Christmas carols than before, while music service providers will distribute free coupons so that more people can enjoy festive songs.

The Korea Music Copyright Association is also providing 22 popular carols for free on its website.

Aggrieved over the campaign, the Association of Korean Buddhist Orders announced on Dec. 2 that it had filed a lawsuit for an injunction to stop the government using its budget for the carol campaign.

If the songs, which some people are uncomfortable about, are played continuously through the media, it turns into a deadly weapon

Earlier, on Dec. 1, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, issued a statement to express shock at the government’s official promotion of Christmas carols.

"The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which should be fair and impartial in policies regarding religion, is leading a Christian missionary project on the pretense of comforting people," the group said.

"If the songs, which some people are uncomfortable about, are played continuously through the media, it turns into a deadly weapon, and is nothing more than pollution for those people." 

Christmas carols have become less visible in public places in South Korea in recent times, mostly for economic reasons, the Korea Times report noted.

Under South Korea’s copyright law, some businesses such as coffee shops, gyms, retail outlets and department stores are subject to paying royalties if their shop area is 50 square meters or more. Fees for musical services are also rising.

Media reports say many Koreans complain that amid the gradual disappearance of Christmas carols from public places “Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas anymore.”

In response to Buddhist opposition, the Culture Ministry said it was not supporting a specific religion but intends to promote festive spirit during the year-end season.

About 56 percent of an estimated 58 million South Koreans have no religion, 20 percent are Protestant, 8 percent are Catholic and 15.5 percent are Buddhist, according to government records.

South Korean President Timothy Moon Jae-in is the second Catholic head of state after Kim Dae-jung.

 from UCA News  Korean Christmas carol promotion draws ire from Buddhists - UCA News

“The comfort of the Holy Spirit is often like a kick up the backside!”

The above section of the Bayeux Tapestry shows Bishop Odo, who had come across with the Norman forces to England with their invasion fleet. Above him it says, in Latin, Bishop Odo comforts the troops! Look closely and you will see his comfort it a raised mace about to strike his own forces. What happened in the battle of Hastings was that Harold’s English forces had the higher ground and used that advantage for all it was worth. The Norman’s were famed for their cavalry and so William sent the cavalry forth to try and gain an advantage, and turn the tide of the battle. To his dismay the cavalry were forced back and began to run back down the hill away from the English. Now enter Bishop Odo into the story. On seeing the Norman Cavalry retreat he charges forward on his horse and uses his Bishop’s mace to force the cavalry back up the hill by striking the horses rumps with that mace! His actions worked and the next cavalry charge alongside a volley of arrows from the archers started to win the day and bring about the ultimate victory for the Normans. Its a spectacular image and shows a different idea of “comfort” to that which we are used to. We often think of that term as a nice soft place to fall, or a soft, smooth material. Not a smack on the rump by a blunt heavy object!

This story was relayed to me from a pulpit in 1992 by a vicar who was announcing to the congregation that after many years he was about to move on. He told them that whilst he could stay in the parish, where he indeed felt in his comfort zone, the Holy Spirit’s comfort, much like the mace of Bishop Odo, had kicked him up the backside and forced him to realise it was time to move on. He then pointed to the bible to emphasise that this was often how the Holy Spirit works. In Psalm 23 the psalmist writes “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and you staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23 v4). Think about a rod and a staff and you will realise that these are not cosy cushions or soft things, they are rugged and hard and used to push animals around and prod them when they go the wrong way. So can be the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

At the same time as the vicar was telling us that the Holy Spirit prompting him to move, almost against his will, so I was being prompted to act too. For about 6 months God had been prompting me to respond to my call to the priesthood. A call I kept acknowledging and then ignoring thinking “if this is of God then this will have to happen…” and as soon as that did happen (whatever obstacle or experience I was wanting to happen) then I’d put up another barrier. In fact after hearing this sermon and knowing God was speaking to me to act, I sat on things for a further 4 months. But the Holy Spirit would not let me go, His comfort left me very uncomfortable as if a Bishop’s mace or a shepherds crook was bashing into me! Those images have never left me and I have often felt promptings that are like that when I have been too stuck in my ways or in what I am doing.

So, as we await the feast of Pentecost let us be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, let us strive to hear what God is saying to us, where he want’s us to be or go or to do. Be sure that if we ignore Him he will let us know in no uncertain terms. Let us find no rest until we find our rest in God.

from “The comfort of the Holy Spirit is often like a kick up the backside!” – Site Title (wordpress.com)
by caterwaulingcanon
I am the Vicar of Frodingham and New Brumby in Scunthorpe. All things I blog about are my own opinions and thoughts. View more posts

The Bible Has the Habit of Telling It Like It Is

3D. Personalities

Lewis S. Chafer, founder and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary, puts it this way: “The Bible is not such a book a man would write if he could, or could write if he would.”

The Bible deals very frankly with the sins of its characters. Read the biographies today, and see how they try to cover up, overlook or ignore the shady side of people. Take the great literary geniuses; most are painted as saints. The Bible does not do it that way. It simply tells it like it is:

The sins of the people denounced – Deuteronomy 9:24
Sins of the patriarchs – Genesis 12:11-13, 49:5-7
Evangelists paint their own faults and the faults of the apostles – Matthew 8:10-26; 26:31-56; Mark 6:52; 8:18; Luke 8:24, 25; 9:40-45; John 10:6; 16:32
Disorder of the churches – I Corinthians 1:11; 15:12; II Corinthians 2:4; etc.
Many will say, “Why did they have to put in that chapter about David and Bathsheba?” Well, the Bible has the habit of telling it like it is.

(p. 23)

from Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell.

Go and Serve Jesus: A Dialogue

Reading
Scripture Matthew 10:24-39

Reader 1:
Ha! The preacher thinks we should go and serve Jesus. Does the preacher have any idea what that means, you know, leaving the comforts of home. People won’t understand what we are doing. They will think we are nuts! Even our own families won’t get it! Go and serve Jesus? Not me.

Reader 2:
Well, now, the preacher has got it right. If we sit here, or stand here, and proclaim our faith, and sing the great songs, but do nothing we are just spitting in the wind. We really need to do something. People don’t have to understand. God understands. That’s what’s really important. You’re not doing this for the approval of people; you are doing this for God.

Reader 1:
Yeah, right! Listen, God has lots of do-gooders to get things done. What makes you think you can do something special? Are you better than everyone else?

Reader 2:
No, I’m not better than anyone else. I just want to serve God. I want to act on what I say. I know it won’t be easy. That doesn’t matter. I just want to serve. You are welcome to serve also.

Reader 1:
Not me. I can’t serve. I won’t serve. My service is coming to church once a week. That’s all I have to give.

Reader 2:
Perhaps that’s enough for now. Just wait and see. Don’t close the doors to service.

from Cokebury's Worship Connection for Year A, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost June 22, 2008