The different political parties are competing to recruit young talent ahead of the April 15 general election. The campaign aims to target the 19 to 30-year-old age groups. Since the age of voting has been lowered from 19 to 18 it will include 140,000 new voters. Although the character of a 'show' before the election is strong, it still feels refreshing. Every time they bring in recruits, they look closely at their profile and life's journey. In the Peace Column of the Peace Weekly, the writer expresses his view as a responsible older person.
The aging rate of the church is much faster than in society. Compared to 2003, in 2018, the number of teen Catholics decreased by 33% from 54,3529 to 36,3333. On the other hand, believers in their fifties increased by 77% from 61,52 to 107,9084. Needless to say, the 60, 70, and 80 believers have higher rates of growth.
People, as they grow older, tend to become more conservative. This is also true of religious believers. According to a 2015 comprehensive newspaper survey on religion and political propensity, Buddhists, Protestants, and Catholics all tended to be progressive in their 40s, but conservatives in their fifties. The gap widened in the sixties. However, Catholics tended to be more progressive than other religions. Moreover, the economic strength and social status of Catholics exceeded the average of others in Korean society. The ratio of Catholics is known to be higher in wealthy areas of Seoul. The better the living conditions the more Catholics you have.
Concerns about aging and the middle-class positions of Catholics in society has long been raised. Consequently, the more difficult to make a first choice for the poor and the socially weak. Also a tendency to be negative in the church's social participation and forgetting the young as socially weak.
It is often said that young people are the first generation to live harder than their parents. Their difficulties come to mind when it comes to competition, lack of jobs, the increase of irregular jobs, skyrocketing home prices, late marriages, low birth rates and the cost of children's education.
Young people are underrepresented in the church. The mass attendance of the young is only about a quarter of all believers. Pope Francis, in a follow-up to the bishop's Synod for Young People, published in March 2019—"Christ is Alive" the words: "A substantial number of young people, for all sorts of reasons, do not ask the Church for anything because they do not see her as significant for their lives" (#40).
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation last year, a Protestant Leader said: "The reason why Korean society turned away from the church was that the church turned away from society." This can be understood as the church turned away from service to the world.
Catholics are people who are on a pilgrimage to God. The Vatican International Theological Commission stressed the need for laypeople, monks, priests, and bishops to walk along together on a pilgrimage. History moves forward in the long run. Human society has evolved beyond the age of fierce competition and survival of the fittest to an era of empathy based on cooperation and equality.
Progress is a matter of how much weight is given to altruism. Progressivism is also defined as a voluntary interest in the welfare of others and providing the necessary resources for it. The progressiveness of the Catholics may be due to altruism. Altruism connects with the love of Christ. Consequently should not old age be a time to listen to the voices of descendants: children and grandchildren, and reflecting on what they say?
The aging rate of the church is much faster than in society. Compared to 2003, in 2018, the number of teen Catholics decreased by 33% from 54,3529 to 36,3333. On the other hand, believers in their fifties increased by 77% from 61,52 to 107,9084. Needless to say, the 60, 70, and 80 believers have higher rates of growth.
People, as they grow older, tend to become more conservative. This is also true of religious believers. According to a 2015 comprehensive newspaper survey on religion and political propensity, Buddhists, Protestants, and Catholics all tended to be progressive in their 40s, but conservatives in their fifties. The gap widened in the sixties. However, Catholics tended to be more progressive than other religions. Moreover, the economic strength and social status of Catholics exceeded the average of others in Korean society. The ratio of Catholics is known to be higher in wealthy areas of Seoul. The better the living conditions the more Catholics you have.
Concerns about aging and the middle-class positions of Catholics in society has long been raised. Consequently, the more difficult to make a first choice for the poor and the socially weak. Also a tendency to be negative in the church's social participation and forgetting the young as socially weak.
It is often said that young people are the first generation to live harder than their parents. Their difficulties come to mind when it comes to competition, lack of jobs, the increase of irregular jobs, skyrocketing home prices, late marriages, low birth rates and the cost of children's education.
Young people are underrepresented in the church. The mass attendance of the young is only about a quarter of all believers. Pope Francis, in a follow-up to the bishop's Synod for Young People, published in March 2019—"Christ is Alive" the words: "A substantial number of young people, for all sorts of reasons, do not ask the Church for anything because they do not see her as significant for their lives" (#40).
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation last year, a Protestant Leader said: "The reason why Korean society turned away from the church was that the church turned away from society." This can be understood as the church turned away from service to the world.
Catholics are people who are on a pilgrimage to God. The Vatican International Theological Commission stressed the need for laypeople, monks, priests, and bishops to walk along together on a pilgrimage. History moves forward in the long run. Human society has evolved beyond the age of fierce competition and survival of the fittest to an era of empathy based on cooperation and equality.
Progress is a matter of how much weight is given to altruism. Progressivism is also defined as a voluntary interest in the welfare of others and providing the necessary resources for it. The progressiveness of the Catholics may be due to altruism. Altruism connects with the love of Christ. Consequently should not old age be a time to listen to the voices of descendants: children and grandchildren, and reflecting on what they say?
