Friday, November 30, 2018

The Cry of the Poor


Every year at this time we hear the warm sound of the bells from the Salvation Army's red charity pots ringing in the distance. This has been part of our street culture for some time. A ringing bell waiting for a warm hand to help those in difficulty during the cold winter. It is much more than a symbol—a call to help our neighbors in need. The Peace Column of the Catholic Weekly by a welfare authority calls our attention to the cry of the poor.
 

The Salvation Army charity pot is said to have originated in 1891 in San Francisco, USA, where a large pot used in the kitchen went out to the street to help 1000 people who were suddenly hit with a disaster. The sign said: "Let' s boil this pot". It has evolved into a way to raise funds to help neighbors struggling during this time of the year.

It's good to pass on such a good custom. However, the reality is that even poverty continues to be passed on. Inequality and poverty have increased in our society since the financial crisis and in the process of escaping from the crisis, we have increased the gap between the rich and the poor.
 

The problems of industry, exports, stocks, employment, and income have increased as the middle class has become thinner and poverty has increased. As a result, some of the poor have not been able to pay their premiums and will not have the benefits of public pensions.

Such poverty leads to a vicious circle that leads to deeper poverty. Without educational opportunities and good health benefits, matters continue to get worse. It is estimated that about 321,000 households will be born in 2035 that will have grandparents responsible for the grandchildren because of the divorce or sickness of the parents. These are blind spots in the welfare policy.

There are a few grandparents who are excluded from living expenses and medical services. Even with economic support policies, however, grandparents may not be able to access information and may not be aware of what they are entitled to receive.  Furthermore, caring for a handicapped child is not easy for grandparents who do not have the knowledge and whose strength is weak.

These problems continue until the children grow up.  And the fear is present that they will pass on these problems to future generations. The grandparents are confused by various factors they face: their poverty, emotional estrangement, and the generational conflict.

Pope Francis, has made concern for the poor, disabled, homeless, prisoners, and refugees a big part of his message to the church. By eating with them and listening to their pain and hopes he has given us an example. He wants the church to act decisively before injustice and inequality.

Last winter was cold. The winter faced by the poor is always colder. A miracle of love is not only for the few, but an action that anyone can do. We have all been invited to participate in such miracles.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

What Learning Do We Need to Live?

The educational fervor of Korean society is well known worldwide. President Obama while in office praised the Koreans for their educational aspirations. However, the excessive zeal for college entrance, competition, academic cliquism and the like are reasons for some of the headaches and problems in society. The understanding of learning in society can't be ignored—beginning words of an article in the Catholic Times by a priest sociology professor.
 

What is the learning we need in our culture? What we thought important and searched for and what we need to jettison is something that we need to look at very humbly, he stresses.
 

The word for learning in Korea is made up of two words—learning that has become part of oneself. However, in reality, it's what teachers have learned, transferred to the heads of others, without being digested. Consequently, no matter how impressive and elegant, in a short period of time, it disappears. It hasn't been transformed into wisdom. It's when what is learned (knowledge) becomes part of our lives (wisdom) that we have valuable learning.
 

During the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty when Confucianism was ascendant and family rites and disputes about tradition were common, we had an alienation from daily life, a way of thinking deeply embedded in society. The emphasis on ritual and the traditional community had many beautiful qualities but with the scholar, farmer, craftsman and trader division of society: holding up the scholar and the examination tradition that made it possible are leftovers in the cultural memory.
 

Society with its never-ending competition remains unchallenged, giving birth to fatigue, anxiety, and strain that continues into the future, only makes the colleges and universities places to prepare for a job. Not a place to search for truth, wisdom and learning about life and its meaning but to get the tools for a future job.
 

We all have desires of many types, a very natural and complicated reality. The flow of the culture only increases this natural desire. The economy is not doing well, and we are living in uncertain times, earning money, getting a job, getting educational credentials, finding success is the ever-present thirst and desire. The desire of parents and of all of us will make us Zombies and we will fail to find peace. All of us want to be recognized. We are all invited to the spiritual life—a life in search of wisdom.
 

The desire to show others that we have succeeded will be there, especially if we have scars from our early years, but the spiritual orientation gets rid of the worldly aspects and directs our eyes to God and the search for wisdom. No longer wanting to do better than others, but trusting in God's love for me and the happiness he wants me to have.
 

Thinking that education, wealth, and honors, without God and with our efforts we will be living the comfortable life is nothing more than reverie. With  God in the picture all the scars are healed and
feelings of inferiority disappear.
 

The writer finishes his article mentioning that he has lived 25 years in a religious community and has experienced God's mercy many times over the years. He felt the lack of learning, and has had difficult times over the years but he can still say in prayer: "If I should die today I do not feel I am missing anything" because of God's mercy, it's a prayer that comes from deep inside his heart.  He will never give up on the road of learning that he has traveled.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Advertising and News Not Clearly Distinquished



Is this an article or an advertisement? Nowadays,  reading the newspaper or watching a screen, many have trouble deciding whether they are dealing with news or not. The writing is in the form of an article with the name of the reporter who wrote it. However, looking carefully, one is introduced to the merits of a specific product, company or organization. A former newspaperman explains how advertising becomes disguised as news in a column of the Catholic Times.
 

These articles are present in all kinds of media. A typical example is the daily newspapers which occasionally have added sections in addition to the regular sections. Reporters cover articles on a number of themes such as the outdoors, cosmetics, travel, automobiles, condominiums, schools, and universities etc.
 

This is a deviation from what journalism should be.  The medium has grown exponentially, and the volume of advertising has plummeted. Using this weakness, advertisers are demanding advertisements written by reporters. Newspapers can create one or two pages of advertising articles on their pages  or  put short commercial articles in general articles.
 

Sections of traditional daily newspapers, featuring advertising sections would be difficult to imagine some 15 years ago. Advertisement-type articles at the time, inserted in an otherwise news article would be considered deplorable. Today they wait for such advertising articles. Efforts to attract advertisements are becoming increasingly fierce. Many other internet media do not have special features of their own, but the degree of violation of ethics is much worse.
 

The readers are now disciplined enough to judge themselves, so let the readers make their judgment to believe or not! False news and fake news is part of our reality. No longer can we say it was in the news and expect it to be believed—advertising articles continue to fuel the media distrust.
 

Separating factual articles and ads is a basic rule of journalism. The Newspaper Ethics Practice Guideline states that journalists should refuse to accept unjustified pressure, monetary temptations, or appeals from economic forces such as social groups. 

Editors editing their articles should make it easy for the readers to clearly distinguish between articles and advertisements which should be marked clearly as advertisements.
 

The great principle of journalism is accuracy, objectivity, and fairness. Even if the contents of a public statement written in the name of a reporter are correct and it is good information for readers, it is not an article. This is a one-sided way to convey the merits of a particular object, so there is no objectivity and fairness.
 

However, these aberrations are not subject to legal sanctions. Self-regulatory organizations of each media type are to conduct studies and disciplinary action. However, autonomous regulatory bodies that are well aware of the harsh survival environment of the media will deal with the issue only as a formality. According to a survey by the Korea Newspaper Ethics Committee, publicity articles including advertising articles have increased greatly since 2009. This is in line with the period when advertising revenue for existing media has falling sharply. The crisis of journalism is more serious because traditional newspapers are leading the derailment.
 

Fake news, fake information, speculative news, news that is biased by interests and ideas, distortions, exaggerated titles, and even ad-style articles are all in the mix. The media revolution is so chaotic that it is flowing into a massive mess of tangled facts and falsehoods. The collapse of the boundaries between real news, fake news, articles, and advertising is helping to break down the boundaries between truth and non-truth in the world.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Homo Empathicus


When we talk about the natural virtues we often hear: "in medio stat virtus" (In the middle is virtue). Extremes always pose a problem. Even love that is blind can do more harm than good.We have many examples of this in life. Consequently, when we write or talk it's difficult to qualify all that we say, so that it says what we mean to say. 

However in most cases, feelings don't need those qualifications, it's the behavior that has to be prudently examined before we act. In politics, religion, and business, although behavior is polarized,  there is no reason why our hearts can't overcome the feelings of hate, disgust, avoidance  and allow empathy and alturism to find a place within the psyche.

Even some of the higher primates have this natural empathy, an ability to feel sick with the pain of others. A priest writing in a bulletin gives us an example of chimpanzees who show humans an example of empathy—a person who sympathizes.


Among the famous scholars studying chimpanzees is Frans De Waal. One experiment was to have a chimpanzee inside a cage with a rope connected to  the outside. At first the chimpanzee inside was not interested in the rope. Then, by chance, pulled the rope and was given food. From that time on, the chimp learned from experience when you pull the rope you get food. The hunger problem was solved.

But something strange happened for every time the rope was pulled the chimp in the next cage to our chimpanzee began to suffer. When he pulled the rope, it was nice to have something to eat but the  chimpanzee in the next cage suffered. And the chimpanzee realized this was happening.  

What did the chimpanzee do? Does the chimpanzee keep pulling the rope? No, the chimp no longer pulled the rope. No matter how hungry, the rope was not pulled. Frans de Waal learned from this experiment that chimpanzees also had the ability to sympathize with the pain of others. 

We are human beings—'Homo Empathicus', people with empathy. This ability is not gained from our efforts. It is the gift of God, that even animals have. 

We are all born with the ability to sympathize with others. Some people develop the ability to empathize while living, but some people lose the ability to empathize. Particularly in our capitalist society, it's  easy for us to lose this ability. At times  when empathy, is exercised, people  are considered fools.   

The power of empathy is a gift from God. With this empathy, we love our neighbors, and by loving our neighbors we grow closer to God. Where do we use this beautiful talent? Is this beautiful gift becoming weaker? We need to examine ourselves.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Lesson Learned from the Death of Jamal Khashoggi

In an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly, a research professor of Middle East issues writes about the death of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi Arabia anti-government journalist, who was killed visiting the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Many are the lessons we learn from his death.
 

Khashoggi did not like the policies of the Saudi Crown Prince and fearing for his life went to the United States, took, some college classes, and became a visiting columnist for the Washington Post. He continued writing about his desire for the democratization of the Arab world and even helped to form a political party which upset the Saudi royal family. The royal family offered him a job in an attempt to placate the journalist asking him to give up his work in the States and return to Saudi. Khashoggi rejected the offer for moral and religious reasons. His wife left him and the rumor was that the government forced the divorce.
 

In May of this year, Khashoggi attended a seminar in Istanbul and continued to ask questions. He was in close contact with a doctoral student Hatice Cengiz. They fell in love and decided to start a new life together, and traveled together to the States.
 

Later he went to the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul to get a certificate of divorce from his ex-wife to marry Cengiz. The visit to the Consulate went well; he told Cengiz not to worry, they told him to come back for the papers on October 2nd for it will take time to prepare. On the day of the visit to the Consulate, he told his girlfriend that if he did not come out of the Consulate, she should notify an adviser to the president of Turkey and gave her the telephone number to call. He did not come out; never found his body or have any idea where it is.
 

Turkish intelligence officials are believed to have eavesdropped on the Saudi Arabian consulate but are giving the information through pro-government media but slow to reveal what they know because of serious diplomatic issues. Saudi Arabia denies involvement in the death of Khashoggi and excusing it as the work of  'rogue killers' with excessive loyalty to the prince. Turkey also released a statement saying that an assassination group of 15 landed in Turkey on the morning of Oct. 2nd.
 

Turkey has been in conflict with the United States, and not all has been well with Saudi Arabia for several years. She is also in financial difficulties. So efforts are being made to better the relationship with both Saudi Arabia and the United States by using the Khashoggi incident for their benefit.
 

The western countries that take human rights, freedom and democracy as core values are pressing the Saudi Arabian Royalty to reveal the truth of the Khashoggi incident but are slow to blame. A huge amount of weapons are exported to Saudi Arabia by these countries. French President Emmanuel Macron, when asked if France will continue to export weapons evaded the question. Prime Minister of Canada said he could temporarily suspend arms exports, but no decision. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has raised her voice and will stop exporting munitions until a proper explanation comes from Saudi Arabia.
 

The killing of Khashoggi is like watching a gloomy scene in a movie that one doesn't want to remember. When, in the international community, and in the here and now of life do we ever really experience justice done? Writing this article is not a luxury is it? Rarely do we have a nation or individuals do the right thing even when it hurts.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Holiness In Daily Life

How can we experience God's holiness? Is not holiness perceived as a privilege that only a few can enjoy? A subjective ideal, an abstraction in our lives?  "Your God is holy, and you too should be holy" (Lev. 19:2), is this something we take seriously? Is holiness recognized as utopian and distant from daily life of the home, work, society, and everyday life? So begins an article by a parish priest in the Catholic Times.
 

The Vietnamese Cardinal  Văn Thuận became a prisoner for 13 years after the Communist take over of Vietnam and 9 of them in solitary confinement. As a bishop, he spent many years in pain and despair without being able to minister to parishioners but was able to convey the message of hope to many in the outside world. Even in prison, he lived a life of reconciliation with God by meditating and praying, memorizing Bible verses, offering the Mass with three drops of wine, using his hands as the altar. The prison he was in became his Holy Land. We can be holy if we meet God there and experience Him.
 

The write read a short essay "Sparrow" by the 19th-century Russian writer Turgenev and realized that instincts must be sanctified. The hunter, in the essay, returns to his house, the hunting dog finds a young sparrow that fell from its nest. Suddenly, the mother sparrow flies from the tree and sits down in front of her chick, crying, attacking the tip of the nose and the mouth of the dog, shaking her head. Surprised by the mother bird, the hound starts to hide its tail and retreats. The mother of the sparrow, who struggled to save her baby, could not win.
 

Turgenev later recalls, "I learned from mother sparrow that love is stronger than death, or fear of death." The desperate act of the mother bird who is trying to save the nestling even if she sacrifices herself is the moment when she is taken to the world of holiness. This is the 'holy instinct'. When parents show their sacrificial love for their children, the DNA of holy instinct appears.
 

However, the love of a child instinct can also turn into something selfish and self-serving as was seen recently when a father who was a teacher in a prestigious high school gave the answers to exam questions to his twin daughters. We can be the owners of selfish instincts and need to learn from the holy instinct of the mother sparrow.

The writer can't forget Dr. Takashi Nagai who was a Japanese Catholic literate and an apostle of peace who truly showed what a holy life was. His gravestone says, "We are ordinary servants, we have only done our duty"(Luke 17:10).
 

As a radiologist, he experimented with his own body to find out how much radiation patients should be exposed to with X-rays, suffered from Leukemia and experienced the atomic bombing of Nakazaki and was bedridden for many years before death. However, despite his condition, he wrote dozens of books and gave comfort and hope to those who were in despair. Certainly, God shows us through Dr. Nagai that he is the one who accomplishes His will through weakness. This holy life of Dr. Nagai, who lived only for the glory of God, shines in this age.
 

The holiness of God is expressed in sacrifice, devotion, and service for others practiced in daily life. Ultimately, this means concern for others in what we do daily. A condition of being holy is to realize that the neighbors we meet daily are connected in a "network of life". In God, we have a need to have a sense of social responsibility for the lives of our neighbors.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

"Conscientious Objection Is No Longer a Crime in Korea"

Supreme Court finds: "Religion-based belief is justified in conscientious objection". Conscientious objectors who refused military service in accordance with their religion and beliefs are no longer subject to criminal penalties and the opportunity to substitute alternative service for military service is approved. An article in the Catholic Times explains the situation to the readers.
 

On November 1, the Supreme Court ruled that it would be justified to refuse military service based on conscience and religious belief. Supreme Court Justices voted 9 to 4 to accept conscientious objection as a legitimate reason not to perform military service. This ruling is expected to affect the cases of many conscientious objectors presently on trial. Many young South Korean men, mostly Jehovah's Witnesses, are imprisoned every year for refusing to serve in the military.
 

Article 88 of the current Military Service Act stipulates that a person who receives a notice for military service and does not reply within three days from the date of notification will be punished with imprisonment for not more than three years. Most of them were sentenced to one year and six months' imprisonment even if they were conscientious objectors. If you serve one year and six months, you are exempted from military service, but you can't  take some qualification tests for five years after serving the prison term. Which means the young men are at a great disadvantage fitting into  society.
 

The reason for the not guilty verdict of the Supreme Court for conscientious objectors was that in "Forcing  military duty ... with criminal punishment or other punitive measures is excessive restraint of freedom of conscience." The majority opinion reads: "Free democracy can have its legitimacy when it tolerates and embraces minorities though it is run by the principle of majority rule."
 

About 20,000 people have been subject to criminal punishment for conscientious objection since 1950 when a conscription system was imposed to oblige all men to military service. However, with the Supreme Court ruling, all those on trial for conscientious objection to military service will be found not guilty. It is hoped that the president will give a  special amnesty to the prisoners currently in prison and alternative service to those facing trial.
 

On June 28, the Constitutional Court ruled that Article 5 of the Military Service Law, needs to change. The Court ordered the government of South Korea to rewrite the law to include an alternative service option by the end of 2019. Alternative types of service they may implement could include hospital work and other non-military social services that contribute to the betterment of the community.
 

Professor Park of the Catholic University of Korea commented on the Supreme Court's decision. The Second Vatican Council and the Catholic social doctrine states that a person because of human dignity has a right to refuse to do something that is contrary to their conscience. "It is a universal right given to human beings to refuse the 'killing training' they receive in the army," he said. The government tried to accept  conscientious objection to military service in the past but failed, but now the Supreme Court has ruled late though it is.
 

The UN Commission on Human Rights has a position that conscientious objection to military service must be protected. Korea has been in violation of this ruling. Those in Korea and many others who have worked for the implementation of this right were happy to see the ruling of the Korean Supreme Court.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Earth is Not a Finished Masterpiece

A young man depressed from failure to pass an exam jumped from an apartment building and fell on a father of a family entering the building, both died. Many felt deeply about the death of the head of a family who died in such a way. This news appearing on the internet received many comments and the  greatest number of responses resonated: "There is no God." A moral professor of one of the Catholic seminaries gives an answer to the readers in Bible & Life magazine.
 

This comment leaves us with deep anguish. Those who commented, no doubt felt, if there was a God this would never have happened. What God would allow a happy father of a family, without fault, to die in this preposterous way?
 

Of course, these incidents that take away the breath of believers along with non-believers are not something we see only in modern times but have been expressed both within and outside of the church for centuries past. Atheists use this reasoning to deny the existence of God and criticize religious believers. This is one of the basic arguments of the atheists and can be summarized in two ways.
 

Since God is all powerful, knows all, and can do all, why does he not prevent these injustices and pain of his creatures? Secondly, if God was truly all good why in the world does he allow those he loves to suffer as so many do in life? Especially with natural disasters and accidents where so many innocent people are injured and die—why doesn't he do something? Why the silence? These thoughts also enter the thinking of believers.
 

The attempts to understand why an almighty, all-knowing, and loving God permits evil is called Theodicy which means justifying God, as if this is necessary, but it is a part of theology a desire to find answers to human questions. The oldest and traditional answer was to humbly understand our human limits—infinite God's plans and mysteries, finite human mind is not able to grasp. At the end of time, all will be clear and in the meantime, we try to make daily wise choices. We can easily see how the avoidance of an intelligent responsive argument to the atheists' doubt would be received.
 

There is a need, first of all, to distinguish between two kinds of evil: physical evil and moral evil. With moral evil we can respond with the argument from the freedom of the will and each person must answer for the pain that arises. An example would be our indiscriminate development by which we are destroying our environment and the results are global warming. The resulting natural calamities are our responsibility—we need to change our lifestyle.
 

But the answer is not that simple. Why do I and my family have to suffer from these calamities when I have done nothing to bring it about? Why does God let the world run by the laws of nature?
 

What would happen if God ignored the laws of nature and entered in to prevent the calamities? The connection between cause and effect is broken and the development of science and culture, and the acts of virtue cease.
 

However, a person may respond why did God make such a universe in the first place? Theologically we say that God made us to cooperate in the creation. The universe is not a finished masterpiece. We are to participate in its development. Rather than sheep grazing on the grass would it not be better to have the security of a fence and the owner giving the sheep water?
 

If life ends with death than all the pain is for naught. But if we are made for another life, meaning changes. Our evil acts will be judged and in the face of natural disasters, we have eschatological hope. In  life, for a Christian, no pain lacks meaning.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Overcoming Sexual Discrimination in Society

In Korea the movement for gender equality is strong. Articles in both Catholic papers report on a debate that was recently held on the theme:  "Me Too movement, changes, solidarity and listening to the response of society." In attendance was the Catholic Social Welfare Association and the Women's Welfare Council.
 

The 'Me Too' movement in Korea can be regarded as a revolution. In Korean society, the "gender power structure" is deeply rooted, and the movement is an attempt to change its structure—a new Feminism for Social Reform.

One participant said the movement was one of the oldest and strongest movements trying to overcome the system of gender power. It is one of the most important revolutions in Korean history. Men are the universal being and women are supporters. This is the reason for sexual violence and some of the vocabulary used in society.
 

The vigor of the candlelight procession achieved democratization and the 'Me Too' movement will lead the democratization of everyday life said another participant. We see how the violence against women appears by the many cases that have come to the attention of society. Participants at the debate ultimately said that more effort is needed to make changes in the structure of gender power. 
 

The number of accusations against sexual violence has increased, said another, but the victim often continues to be victimized. In the process of investigating sexual assault cases, the perpetrator's words have more weight than the victim's and the victim is seen from the perpetrator's point of view.  

Above all, participants pointed out the need for individual reflection and solidarity. It is necessary to examine the way we think, and change when we judge that we are in the wrong. Considering the limitations of the representative system and bureaucracy, it is important to actively monitor and reflect on what is going on in society.
 

There is no male welfare council, said the chairman of a Catholic Social Welfare Association. The reason why we have a women's welfare council is that of the alienations and damage suffered by women. Society needs to support and care for women. We are responsible for correcting and improving the areas of discrimination and exclusion.
 

Recently a highly respected politician was acquitted of sexual abuse of a fellow worker considering it consensual sex and not rape. The victim did not show victim-like behavior since she did not quit her job was the understanding of the court. Another women, who may have started the 'Me Too' movement in Korea, has paid highly for her accusations of sexual abuse and is on sick leave and does not expect to return to her job.
 

Many will continue to say Korea has a long history of blaming and silencing the victims of sex abuse instead of the perpetrators and the 'Me To' movement wants to see the end of this but it is not an easy road in a patriarchal society.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Why Do We Walk With The Smartphone?


A religious sister, in her column in the Catholic Peace Weekly,  remembers a young person who came to see her with crutches and badly bruised face. What happened? she asked. "Well, I was walking looking at my smartphone ..." and evasively mumbled something. "You know what happened without me needing to say anything." He continued, laughing embarrassingly.
 

She also laughed. Of course when a person is injured one usually shows concern and gives comfort but here both laughed. She remembers the incident and goes on to reflect on its meaning for her.
 

Why do we use smartphones while walking? Is it because we are busy? No. It's difficult to concentrate while using smartphones and our steps are slower. And it is not only the young generation but also the middle-aged: one out of three Seoul citizens is using a smartphone while walking.
 

Many use smartphones when walking or climbing stairs, knowing that it is dangerous. Even though it is troublesome in terms of 'body' and 'mind', why is it that one can not put down the smartphone?
 

When she walks she feels the presence of the body. Loneliness accompanies her. Sometimes she gets stuck within time and space and cannot escape and feels alone. When she runs, she feels out of breath and gets tired when walking quickly. Nothing like walking to experience the present moment. You can't enjoy an extended sense of body by car or airplane. She cannot enjoy the feeling of her own being in movies and drama.Walking helps her confront herself as she it.
 

She makes it an act of the will to walk almost daily. The body is powerless. Our bodies are constantly looking for something comfortable:  to eat, play, to lie down. Walking goes against this desire. What we lack seems to grow as we walk. So people may eat something on the street and listen to music. Maybe I want to enjoy the feeling of fullness with music and the smartphone—to get away from the feeling of being alone and forget the loneliness.
 

When we find it difficult to endure being alone we encounter bothersome emotions:  laziness, boredom, irritability, fear, depression, anxiety, irritability. Few things are as good as a smartphone to escape from this inconvenient feeling. 
 

Smartphones add different emotions and let you forget 'time alone' and the present. However, this habit eventually gravitates towards distraction and desultoriness. 
 
 
Smartphones make it difficult for us to focus on the present. It's difficult to live a spiritual life without a  high level of concentration. Our ability to concentrate will be diminished when talking, studying, organizing, preparing lectures, meeting others, doing creative work, and above all praying.
 

She walks even when tired, busy and not inclined. Walking is the prayer of the body and she thinks it's an act of pilgrimage. Above all, it is a precious moment to focus on oneself. When you focus on your body, you become one with the spirit. When you enjoy the presence of the body, you can enjoy being alone. 
 
 
I would like to see all Christians who are seeking God walking without smartphones. Walking is where the body and the spirit can be communicating with each other and enjoying the here and now where God is present.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Artificial Intelligence With Humans At the Center

Can Christian beliefs and modern scientific sciences work together in harmony? With the progress of artificial intelligence, many academic seminars have been held in search of the role and direction of the church with this new reality. An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly brings the issue to the attention of the readers.


The Institute for the Study of Religion at the Catholic University of Suwon presented the results of a study on the social influence and direction of theology with this new reality. The theme of 'The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Role of the Church'  was meaningful because it was the first time that church experts announced their findings.

They were united in pinpointing out the technological development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution should have humanity at the center. In terms of improving the conveniences of human life, much will be done but AI will never replace humans created intelligence. If we create a 'life-oriented anthropological model' through wisdom gained from religion and science, we will be able to cope with the destructive potential of science and technology.

Professors of philosophy also said, if we want to make the fourth industrial revolution an opportunity rather than a crisis of human existence, we must make development go into a friendly human direction. What needs to be developed further in the new technology is the spiritual and transcendent nature of humanity. There is a world of love and faith in human beings which is impossible to attain only with technical big data accumulation. The church needs to find and present the path to human spiritual development and opening to grace.

Another participant hopes for the cooperation of the different fields of study so that all will benefit. There is optimism for the era of the fourth industrial revolution. However, also concerns that various problems will arise such as human exclusion and the destruction of the ecosystem caused by the replacement of the labor force with machinery.

At another symposium on 'Today's Ecology'  the participants expressed their desire for a deepening humanism but with great concern that when technology develops in the absence of philosophy, human dignity is ignored. When tools are not used correctly we have to take notice.
 


Neohumanism maximizes the humanity that artificial intelligence can not do and interprets it and reflects on it philosophically. Christians are able to solve the problem of human exclusion by warmly welcoming those who are alienated in this era of polarization.

There was also a voice saying that Christians should take the lead in recovering the ecosystem destroyed by industrialization. Many in society continue to pursue commercialism unwisely, and exploiting, developing, profiting, and speculating on the environment, promoting the death of the earth. Christians insist the earth and nature are gifts from God. We should reflect on practical methods for the restoration of the ecosystem through reflection on wealth and waste—living simply and sharing.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Bishops' Synod

Two particularly remarkable words at the 15th World Bishops Synod meeting, which ended on October 28th were Latin synodalitas (English synodality) and listening, which can be called the spirit behind the synod. An article by a journalist of the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers some ideas, of what happend at the recent Synod.

Synods, translated into Church legal terms, are 'delegate councils'. The Greek synodos is made up of two words: syn=together plus hodos, a way. Joon-Yang (Catholic University Professor) said, "When you translate, you can express it as 'going together' or 'walking together'.

If so, who is the subject of the going? The subject is the church, the people of God. The synod is a meeting of delegates, but in fact it is a meeting of the people of God—a meeting for the people of God and a meeting for the participation of the people of God. However, because practically God's people can not participate, the bishops who represent the people of God in the individual churches, represent the people. Therefore, the synod is the process of realizing the synodic spirit, that is, the spirit of synod—the people of God come together.

The important thing in this process is listening. Listening is not simply hearing, but opening your mind and heart to listen to the other person's story. Fr. Thomas Reese, an American Jesuit columnist, writes that the word listen has been used with at least three different meanings among the bishops.

The first is that bishops are listening to young people to discover their questions and give answers with the traditional theology of the church. They have already all the answers to the questions that are being asked. They see the young people as empty vessels into which they will pour content.

The second is an approach that thinks the church needs to change and to renew in order to respond to the inquiries and requests of young people. They see many of the approaches to the young people not working and need change and reform.

The third approach is a totally different approach practiced by the Taizé community of France. In the Taizé community, the prior, Brother Alois, has brought the listening to a completely different level.  The members of the community listen to the young people to discover where the spirit is alive in their lives, even when they are not believers. 

Listeners are there to help the young see the presence of the Spirit in their lives. Alois is convinced that God is love and wherever there is love, compassion, a thirist for justice, and reconciliation  then God is present even in the unbaptized non-believer. The young people need help to recognize the presence of the Spirit.

The Synod adopted and finalized the final report for the pope. However, it is clear that the results which emerged from the process, must be constantly embodied in the life of the church. How will the Korean church go about implementing what was concluded at the Synod?

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Virtues of the Pessimist


A counseling psychologist in the Catholic Times gives her answer to persons who have a habit of remembering the bad things that keep them from enjoying the present. She explains that negative thoughts are not all bad for they can help reduce anxiety and help growth.

Humans can't live without thinking. We are always thinking about something. The average person thinks about something different, every 5 seconds. We live with countless thoughts and she quotes an authority who says that most people have from 50 to 60,000 different thoughts during a 20 hour day.

She agrees and consequently, she says, many of those thoughts are negative. She mentions the book written by a psychologist, Julie Norem: The Postive Power of Negative Thinking. She insists on the strengths of pessimists who can be anxious about results and imagine the worst but can succeed and live happily. They are able to manage anxiety and do well.

The 'defensive pessimists' in this book are those who anticipate negative outcomes and use their worries and anxieties appropriately to prevent bad results. In the light of the possibility of something going wrong, they try to anticipate the worst outcome and make efforts to prevent it.

The problem is seeing 'negative thoughts' as unconditionally bad, rather than seeing everything as unconditionally positive. Past experiences teach us that things may go wrong, remembering that bad things can happen and keeping expectations low; negative thoughts can help us to grow. We want to forget the mistakes of the past, but it's not the right answer to live as an unconditional optimist.

There is a movie called: Together with the Gods-Sin and Punishment, which was shown last year. In the plot, there is a process of trials for 49 days after the death of a human being. In these 49 days, the dead man is judged on how he lived his life and reincarnation is decided. This is based on the Buddhists understanding of life after death. It was the second most popular movie in Korean film history.

In the movie there are 7 hells dealing with a different aspect of a person's life: causing the death of another, sloth, deceit, cold-heartedness, betrayal, violence and filial impiety. Those who were assigned to defend the hero put in a good word defending him. In life, many people commit wrongs and only a few have the courage to apologize, ask for forgiveness and forgive others. The hero because of his apologies and forgiving others, is forgiven and granted reincarnation back to the world.

We usually don't want to look back at our past mistakes. After seeing the movie, she reflected on her past mistakes. Apologizing for our mistakes and asking for forgiveness and forgiving others is something that we can all do in this life. Seeing the negative, allows us to change and begin living a new life in the here and now, preparing for death and our own final judgment. In preparing for the future we don't cover up our past, but learn from it and see things as they are—real forgiveness and reconciliation.

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Forgiveness and Repentance

Forgiveness is always a big problem for many. Writing in Bible & Life, a seminary moral professor, gives us some thoughts on forgiveness and its meaning for a Christian.
 

He recalls seeing the movie 'Secret Sunshine' which opened in 2007. It moved him deeply. A child of a widow had been abducted and killed. She had become a Christian and her new found faith was asking her to forgive so she visited the prison to forgive the killer of her son.
 

She told the prisoner she was there to forgive him. However, he told her very calmly that he also had become a Christian and had been forgiven by God. She was the one he should be asking for forgiveness and hearing the words of the prisoner, destroyed the little faith she had. "The story of a Bug" on which the movie was based had for its theme: A person who takes away the opportunity to forgive is less than a bug. The movie leaves us with a number of questions.
 

Who is forgiving and why the forgiving? We all remember cases where harm was done to us either physically or mentally and we found it difficult to forgive. In the confessional, this is one of the more frequent sins confessed. Why is it so difficult to forgive?
 

Strictly speaking, it is only with the help of God that it is possible.The reason for forgiveness is to remove the injustice that was committed and to return to pre-injustice situation. Asking for forgiveness, we want to return to a time we are no longer a sinner. This is only possible with God. Like in the movie 'Secret Sunshine', after we inflict pain to another is all we need to do is go to God for forgiveness? Obviously not—we can not make our sinful actions disappear. God is the God of truth.
 

What is necessary is the person who has inflicted pain needs to face the sin and repent and to ask for forgiveness. We need the humility and courage to ask for forgiveness. However, knowing this the giving of forgiveness is not easy for we don't do it with the head but with the heart. At times we want to forgive with the head but the heart doesn't want to go along.

Those who refuse to forgive are pained from two sides. One is from the material loss and mental suffering from the action of the other and the breakdown of the relationship with the other. Because of this, there are many who  can't live a normal life. Those who can't forgive and those who need to be forgiven both are in pain.
 

Consequently, repentance and forgiveness, the one who has committed the injustice and the one who suffered both have diminished their freedom and are in search of it. Forgiveness allows one to become free from the scars inflicted and to regain freedom. Forgiveness is the weapon that is to overcome the ever-present sin that spreads in the world. Both the one who forgives and the one forgiven are able to grow in spiritual maturity and in knowledge of God's love
 

With this in mind we can speak out like St. Paul in Romans 5:20: "However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater."

Reasons For Fake News

In journalism giving a title to a story or article is of great importance, consequently it takes time to select one that is proper. Editorial staff take the article from the reporters and compress the entire article with a few words. The principle of journalism that it should be accurate, fair and objective is fundamental. It must be core, easy and sensible, and reflect the identity and dignity of the medium. A one time editorial staff member of a Korean newspaper gives us some thoughts to remember.

"How do you choose a title that catches the eyes of readers while keeping all these conditions?" This is the concern of the editorial writers that have been handed down since the beginning. With titling the natural temptation of exaggeration or distortion is present. The rule should be to represent the core content of the article and not exaggerate or distort.

An article with an exaggerated or distorted title was not called fake news. It was untrue news, non-truth news. However, in addition to traditional media such as newspapers, broadcasts, online news, and  one-person media based on them: podcasts, blogs, and SNS the appearance of fake news has increased greatly.

"Fake News" as well as the contents of articles and  'fake titles' has become enormous. On the Internet  if someone clicks on a sultry title often the "fake title"  has nothing to do with the contents of the article. Editors tend to be fascinated by titles because of economic interests that try to increase ad revenue by increasing readership. Clicks are money, attracting attention earns money. 

The best journalism technology is also in crisis. Traditionally newspapers and related online media have less of a problem but they suffer also from "clicks" because of media competition for advertising. "In the case of online media, one can not give up on a pseudo-title or a distorted title because the click counts for a great part of the total revenue," says one editor of a daily newspaper. If the title of the online news is selected like the title of a newspaper,  netizens usually ignore it. The classic pattern for exaggerating and distorting the title for economic reasons in the past was different.

A second reason for choosing an exaggerated title is  the philosophy, ideology or sentiment of the media. The liberal or conservative ideology of the owners of the media will influence the way the news is delivered. Putting the word extreme into the article without any objective reason for the use gives away the ideolgy of the media and tells the reader where the media is coming from. For this reason,    disciplinary action taken by the Korean Newspaper Ethics Committee is at times necessary.

The third reason is the editors' prejudices about the contents of an article:  "'A' received 10 billion won under investigation on charges of embezzlement," he may choose to skip under investigation and simply write charged with embezzlement.

Whatever the reason, they all choose "what the editor wants, not the article content." "It is time to follow the journalists' adage that the reporter should write only what he knows and the editor should select only from the contents of the the reporter for the titles.

Friday, November 2, 2018

Searching for Authenticity


A priest professor writes about authenticity in the Catholic Times and begins by telling the readers about the happiness he experienced in seeing the Pope and President Moon on TV. They have been named influential leaders by Time magazine because of their authenticity which differs from some of the old leaders. Both have suffered crises and severe trials in their lives but ultimately are sharing God's life and giving joy and hope to the world.
 

Modern society is often called "the era of authenticity". Today, all religions teach "the journey of a full life is to find oneself." It's not adopting the ways of another but to discover in daily life what is inside. In the journey one searches for the authentic self, values, feelings, and one's personal meaning of life, in one's own way. At times it's an adventure— rejection, mistakes, learning experience, failure and pain are all there.
 

However, 'authenticity' opens the way to 'reflection and learning'  and between the light and darkness, life is experienced and examined. One tastes the qualitative difference of living in comfort, safety, and with the worldly success that comes from living only with the expectations of others, and the spiritual dimension of life in all its depth when living authentically.
 

Today, as we live life with uncertainty and suffering from the infinite competition of the Neo-liberal market system, it is easy to be drawn to the standards of a materialistic world order. Where do I fit in when education, money, appearances, all the exterior qualities are held in high esteem? Money and utility are the dimensions of life that will predict the future. Where in this kind of world do I have time to understand who I am and discover the important values of life?
 

The writer introduces us to the BTS band and their recent song "love yourself, love myself." He considers it a worldly version of the Gospel. They give words to their fatigue, trials, frustrations, mistakes, and failures ... It's no coincidence that young people all over the world are enthusiastic about the message of hope, love, and faith that delivers their "authentic" stories.

Aren't the happiest moments in life those when I begin to know myself? We know spiritual joy. We find ourselves in swamp-like conditions at times and overcome by strong desires and because of the unrest we feel insides, living authentically becomes difficult. However, when we look at our inner world with the loving gaze of God that loves us as we are we can discover authenticity in our deepest desire.

It would be great if the young students who are struggling to prepare for entrance examinations and the young people who are preparing for employment were able to see themselves as God sees them. No matter whether one does well in the tests or not, regardless of grades, each is of great worth and when one tastes the true meaning of life in Him, new vigor is regained.

Our church can also bear fruit when we find and testify to 'authenticity'. Modern society no longer respects external authority. The Church needs to witness to a new gospel with spiritual and inner authority just like Jesus Christ. Before we demand obedience to the church tradition, we ask for grace that we can find and mercifully accompany each one of those we meet as a truly precious being. We give glory to God when we live in this authentic way.