[KS] Religious Intolerance in Korea

[Pankaj Mohan]

                       Religious Intolerance in Korea              4/8/98

Dear Dr Frank Tedesco,
A couple of years ago your post to the list on religious intolerance in Korea 
ignited quite a  debate and though I myself threw my tuppence worth, I felt 
that the discussion generated heat sans light. It seems, however, that you 
have a different  understanding of the effect of your post; otherwise, you 
won't have taken the trouble to cut and paste the Korea Herald article and 
write an  annotation a day later. 
Several list-members have questioned the very rationale of your cut-paste 
technology and you have steadfastly asserted your democratic right to 
spoonfeed us the pabulum that suits your palate. I too sometimes doubt the 
logic of your selections. One of your long clippings, for instance, was on 
Silla Hotel, and  I couldn't initially understand why you put it in our 
bowls. Later I realised that you were, perhaps, fond of the hotel because of 
its  proximity to Dongguk University, your alma mater and/or your interest in 
the flourishing Buddhist civilization of Silla. Anyway, it is not the 
question of your "selections" with which my present post is concerned; though 
I must add that you have my "encouragement" only for sending more 
original/creative contribution to the list. In this post I am basically 
interested in interrogating  the content of your selection on religious 
toerance and revealing that the KH article and your own note were intemperate 
and not quite conducive to the cause of religious harmony.  

For example, the statement of cross and upset Ven. Won-song does not relelct 
the spirit of Buddhist teaching. When he said "I hoped I would overcome this 
feeling, but every time I see a cross, I become angry,'' he forgot that it 
was not Christianity and all the sacred and noble values that Jesus Christ 
and his teachings symblise which caused vandalism. Ven. Won-song should 
realise that Christinity and fundamentalism are not identical. Fundamentalism 
and extremism are representations of insanity and ignorance, and Buddhism is 
not their only target. Burning of black churches and disruption of funeral 
services for gays and lesbians by "Christians" in the U.S. are but some of 
the obvious manifestions of fanatic religiosity. Discovery of bibles in the 
possession of criminals can not be cited as an evidence of an organised 
Christian conspiracy against Buddhism. It just proves only one point that the 
person is deranged and foolish. You can find such insane fanatics in every 
faith who have delusions that their assaults on people and properties of 
other religious beliefs promoted the cause of their own religions.

Your own observation on the Korean Christian community in the U.S was not 
quite thoughtful. When you wrote to Walter Lew  "Do you know any liberal 
Korean Christians in the US? My experience with the immigrant Christian 
community was disappointing." you fell into a stereotypical trap. Your  KH 
article very categorically states that only a small percentage of the 
conservative Christian population of Korea hold extreme views, and I am 
inclined to believe that what is true of the Christian population in Korea 
would broadly apply to the immigrant Korean Christian population in the U.S. 
..
And what was the need of dragging Prof. Robert Buswell at UCLA in the 
controversy? You wrote" What do Korean Christians think of Robert Buswell at 
UCLA? I have been out of the US a long time...." Do you seriously believe 
that none of the Korean Christians in the U.S. is capable of appreciating 
fine scholarship? Prof. Buswell is not a "dharmapal" or defender of dharma. 
He is an outstanding interpreter of Korea's philosophical heritage, and I 
suppose that only insane people can harbour grudge against him for studying 
Buddhism.

I wrote this long note just to emphasise the point that steretypes, 
generalisations and diatribes aimed at an entire community are  recipe for 
discord. Harmony requires a more balanced and thoughtful approach. With 
regards and warm memories of our hours together at Sydney,
Bowingly yours
Pankaj Mohan
School of Asian Studies
University of Sydney




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