Normalness of Evil: Structures of Evil

In the Catholic Times, one of the shades of evil is visited in the column: We see as much as we know. The author uses the words in the title of the book by Hannah Arendt on the trial of Adolph Eichmann—The Banality of Evil.

Sin leads to sin. Personal evil becomes a habit and proliferates to form a structure. Eve handed Adam some forbidden fruit, making himself guilty and ordinary. In this way, sin breeds and multiplies. So it constitutes "social sin". When the consequences of the sins committed by individuals are gathered, "the structures of sin" are formed, creating a system that attracts others to commit the same evil.

The Church teaches that you should be responsible for how we act in this system of evil and the Nazis are a case in point, and so are those who followed bin, Laden. Being part of the system itself is a sin. # 1868 Catechism of the Church: "A sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate with them: by participating directly and voluntarily in them; by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them; by not disclosing or not hindering them when we should do so; by protecting evil-doers."

 

Adolf Eichmann is a man who contributed to establishing an efficient system to find as many as 6 million Jews in Europe, confiscating their assets, and sending them to camps. After the defeat of Germany, he fled to Argentina, was arrested by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad in 1960, and tried and executed in Jerusalem.

The Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt compiled an account of the trial and published a book titled "Eichmann of Jerusalem." Arendt initially imagined that Eichmann would look like a cool-headed Germanic warrior, but was surprised he was a very small, weak-minded, ordinary figure.

Eichmann was charged with 15 counts during the trial. But he didn't admit a single sin during the whole trial. He said he was not in a position to take responsibility and therefore did not feel guilty. He said he was just a low-ranking government official who faithfully fulfilled the duties given to him so he could feed and take care of his family. And that was the case. He did what the state asked him to do as best he could, not because he hated the Jews. So, Arendt sub-titled the book, "Report on the Banality of Evil" (Normalness of Evil). Maybe he wanted to say: "If you were in the same situation as me, wouldn’t you have done the same?" 

 

But he was convicted and executed. Why did you do that? His biggest sin that Hannah Arendt saw was his uncritical acceptance of the evil system. No matter how zealous and normal you live, a person always belongs to a system and is governed by it. But if you can't tell whether it's an evil or a good system, that's the biggest sin. A sailor worked hard all his life on a ship. But in the end, he was arrested by the police and sentenced to death. Why? Because the ship was a pirate ship. 

You have to distinguish whether your hard work is not a sin and whether your social system leads you to good or evil.

The only way out of the structure of evil is to stay in a community where good is common. The "church" is a community that Christ established in contrast to the system of the world. The world hated Christ and crucified him. St. Teresa of Avila, just before her death, repeats: "After all, I am a daughter of the Church", she hoped she was not a sinner

'World On Fire' Needs Peace

In the Catholic Peace Weekly, diagnosis of the times column, a Catholic University professor is reminded of the popular British TV drama 'World On Fire' which aired several years ago, seeing the present  world situation.  

It was a war drama set in England and Poland during World War I. As the first season ended, the second season was announced, but production and airing were delayed, and in the meantime, as the title of the drama, the world began to burn.

The war in Ukraine, which began with the Russian invasion in late February, has been going on for five months and shows no sign of ending soon. A few days ago, Russian President Putin emphasized the will to continue the war, saying that the war is only the beginning. Ukraine's will to resist the war has not been broken, and the West continues to provide arms support to Ukraine. The Ukrainian War seems to have entered the stage of attrition. It has become a battle of who can last longer.

Ukraine urges the West to provide more weapons quickly, but the West is limiting the weapons it provides because of fears of an escalation with Russia. Because of the fear of nuclear war raised by Russia. A bigger problem is that public opinion in major Western countries is slowly losing interest in the war in Ukraine. In the aftermath of the war, inflation and recession are deepening.

It is difficult for political leaders to oppose public opinion. As resolving economic problems in one's own country becomes a priority, helping other countries is likely to be pushed back slowly. Immediately after the military coup in Myanmar in February of last year, the world was outraged by the violent suppression of protesters by the military. But the anger soon cooled, and support for Myanmar's insurgents declined. With the final withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August of last year, it became under the control of the Taliban. The international community's attention was drawn to the plight of the people of Afghanistan, but this did not last long either. There was news that a powerful earthquake in the country at the end of June had killed a lot of people, but few are paying attention.

In retrospect, about 30 years after the end of the Cold War with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 all was relatively peaceful. Post-Cold War peace depended on three pillars. First, the international leadership of the United States, which remained the only superpower, was important. The second was the progress of economic interdependence following globalization. Finally, the global spread of democracy also contributed to post-Cold War peace.
However, the three pillars are all shaking to some degree. Although the US is still strong, it has been weakening since the 2008 Wall Street financial crisis. The soil of isolationism has also strengthened. As President Biden struggles to restore traditional American leadership, his approval rating is hitting an all-time low.

Economic interdependence between countries is gradually starting to be recognized as a geopolitical risk factor rather than a factor conducive to improving economic efficiency. Countries are now starting to segregate supply chains in key industries. Democracy is also declining rather than spreading. Even in major democracies, political polarization is so intense that politicians based on rational discussion and compromise lose their place. The rise of authoritarian forces such as Russia and China is also a threat.

In times of crisis, the mind shrinks. The age of individual self-help begins. However, as soon as everyone becomes concerned with their own problems the world's crisis intensifies. Paradoxically, in times of crisis, we must think not only about ourselves but also about the safety and interests of the world community. If you can't expect a superhero role from any country, joint cooperation is the only answer. And for this, it is first necessary for all of us to feel and recover the brotherhood of mankind. This may be the biggest peace mission we have now.
 
 
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Korea's Farmers Sunday July 17

This Sunday is the 27th Farmers Sunday in the Korean Church. The Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times and editorial addressed the issue.

Presently  Korea does not focus on food self-sufficiency but takes care of the demand with imports. Farmers would like to see the focus on food self-sufficiency and the editorial sees no problem in having both as a focus and continuing to meet the demand with imports.

The columnist mentions her maternal uncles and aunts who are farmers. She buys and eats agricultural products such as rice, grains, garlic, and red pepper powder directly from her family in the countryside. It is heartbreaking to see elderly people in their 80s plowing paddy fields and farming in the scorching sun. Her aunt strives to do Eco-friendly farming using almost no pesticides or chemical fertilizers following the teachings of the church.
 
Even if you work diligently, weeds and insects are rampant in their fields, which have not been sprayed with pesticides, so there is not much produce that can be sold. Most of her cousins ​​live in cities or rural areas like the writer, but they do other work, sometimes helping their parents, with the farming. Life is difficult on the farms and the children opt for an easier and better-paying lifestyle in the cities.
 
According to data released by the National Statistical Office, the number of farm households in Korea is about 4.3% of the total population, and the percentage is rapidly decreasing every year. The aging of the rural areas has also become more severe, with 17.1% of the population aged 65 and over in Korea accounting for 46.8% of the elderly population in farm households. The average age of farm owners is 67.2 as of 2021, with 77.3% of owners over 60 years old. As the number of farmers in Korean society is gradually decreasing and aging, concerns about the disappearance of rural areas are growing.
 
As the number of people engaged in agriculture decreases, the food situation in our country continues to deteriorate. Korea's food self-sufficiency rate, which averaged 73.3% in the 1970s and 1980s, has dropped to 45.8% as of 2020. The self-sufficiency rate of wheat, which Koreans enjoy eating, is only 0.8%. If we are highly dependent on imports for food, we will inevitably take a hit when there is a problem in the international food supply chain. which is being experienced now.
 
 Recently around the world, warnings about a large-scale food crisis are increasing due to climate crises, war, drought, and heat waves. Russia, which invaded Ukraine this year, is the world's number one wheat exporter. It weaponized food, banned the export of major grains, and blocked the ports of Ukraine, the world's granary, blocking grain exports and destroying farmland with war. India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, has restricted wheat exports as production has declined due to heatwaves reaching 50 degrees Celsius. In addition, many countries are restricting grain exports for domestic supply. They are promoting food security for reasons such as reduced grain yields due to abnormal weather and instability in the grain supply chain due to war, which will further worsen the food shortage.
 
Farmers in Korea do hard work and suffer great damage to their crops due to climate crises such as drought and heatwave. Recently, as the government is pushing to join the Comprehensive and Gradual Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which requires opening up tariffs on agricultural, fishery, and livestock products, there is concern that the number of imported agricultural and fishery products will increase and the Korean agricultural and fishery industry will be devastated.
 

In an era when food became a weapon, 4.3% of the peasants, a small minority, worked hard to plow the land and grow crops like the prophets of old, and thanks to their struggle to protect agriculture sacrificed by the government policy that prioritizes export industries, we show our thanks on the 27th Farmers' Day. Let's remember with gratitude that they are protecting our food. Our interest and solidarity are desperately needed so that the struggle of the peasants does not become their own private battle.

Did the Universe Appear By Chance?

 

In the Catholic Times column knowing God with Science, a university priest professor discusses the Human Principle [human life is one piece of evidence which cannot, in and of itself, be completely discounted].
 
The Human Principle refers to the assertion that these 'fine-tuned necessary conditions for the survival of life' must be met for living things, especially human beings, to survive in the universe. Since the human principle was first named by Australian physicist Brandon Carter (1942-) in 1974, there have been various versions of the human principle, but at least until now, no one has scientifically refuted the 'principle'. Even Richard Dawkins acknowledges the importance of the human principle in modern cosmology.
 
The works of scientists are widely accepted as theistic interpretations of the human principle: 'It is no coincidence that human beings and living things survive only on the Earth, it is due to the intentional plan of the Creator and meticulous design of the designer'. In the end, it became an opportunity for many theistic scientists and believers to use it as a decisive tool in defending their faith.
 
One example of the theists' fervent welcome of human principles is the John Templeton Foundation's annual Templeton Prize, called the Religious Nobel Prize for people who have contributed greatly to the field of religion. Paul Davis (1995), John Barrow (2006), and Martin Rees (2011), major figures in publicizing fine-tuning and human principles.
 
Richard Dawkins once ridiculed Paul Davis for winning the Templeton Award: "Most physicists use religious metaphors from time to time. Paul Davis' book The Mind of God seems to wander between Einsteinian pantheism and vague deism. The book earned him the Templeton Prize (a fairly large annual prize awarded by the Templeton Foundation, usually awarded to a scientist who has said a good thing about religion)".
 
These works of scientists are widely accepted as a theistic interpretation of the human principle: 'It is no coincidence that human beings and living things survive only on the Earth. It became an opportunity for many theistic scientists and believers to use it as a decisive tool in defending their faith.
 
Circumstances being what they are, scientific atheists must prepare their theoretical grounds to support the truth of their atheism by using this human principle, which has not been scientifically refuted. The ‘atheistic cosmology’ that was born from this background is the ‘multiverse theory’ that is widely known these days.
 
There are many different versions of the multiverse but in common, it starts with the idea there is not one universe, but there are countless universes, and one of them is the universe that we live in. Each universe is created by rapidly expanding through a process called the Big Bang, just like soap bubbles made by children in amusement parks, which later disappear.
 
This multiverse idea arose by combining the widely accepted human principle with the conventional concept of the rapid expansion of the universe right after the Big Bang. Some theoretical physicists at the time believed that the concept of the inevitable creator or designer of the universe would be unavoidable if only our universe existed and assumed there were infinitely many universes  to avoid the inevitability of the creation of the universe.
 
The argument for multiple worlds starts from the same fact. There may be many such universes. And the characteristics of the universes are thought to be very different from each other. One or more of these universes will have life-permitting properties. Our universe looks as if it was designed. But in fact, the universe is just the kind of thing to be expected over time. Canadian philosopher John Leslie said: "Give him a typewriter and give him enough time, and even a monkey will compose a sonnet."
 
In this way, if we argue that one of our universes, which satisfies human principles, was born accidentally, we can explain the human principles of our universe based on coincidence. Can we say that the multiverse theory is scientific and persuasive?                  
 

Death With Dignity Pitfalls

 

 

In the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times a parish priest revisits the issue of death with dignity and the trap it creates with its different meanings.

 

He begins with a story of a daughter who lives with her 97-year-old mother at home. The mother suffers from dementia; communication is difficult since she doesn't even recognize the daughter. The daughter has to take care of everything from meals to bowel movements. When asked why she didn't take her to a nursing home, she thought the mother would die soon if she went to such a facility, so took care of her at home. Of course, there is a medical care provider who comes, and other brothers and sisters come to take care of her when necessary. The daughter is in her late 70s, and not in the best of health. It's like seeing a saint practicing the spirituality of giving and caring. 

However, it is regrettable that the reality of our society is gradually moving away from the idea that we should respect and care for life. This is because life is divided into 'useful' and 'useless' based on economic measures of efficiency and productivity. Therefore, there is no question that the anti-life value, judged only by material abundance, health, and pleasure, is prevalent in the culture of death. 

 

As if to reflect this, a poll last year showed that 76.3% of the people were in favor of legalizing euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. The fact that the approval rate has increased by 1.5 times compared to the survey five years ago indicates that the perception of euthanasia has changed considerably. The atmosphere calling for the introduction of euthanasia is asking: "Will you just watch over a family who suffers from an irreversible disease and then watch the family break down and eventually lead to caring homicide?" 

 

Not only well-being but also claims for well-dying can be seen at the same time. Taking advantage of this atmosphere, a bill to introduce suicide by assisting doctors was also proposed by the National Assembly for the first time, and its pros and cons are mixed. Unlike the current law, the patients can decide their own death with dignity even in a "non-terminal process" and lead to death through drug administration. Is "dignified death" with the help of a doctor really dying like a human being?

The Bishops' Council's bioethics committee issued a statement strongly against the recent National Assembly bill, which calls for restoring a culture of  interest and care, which is actually suicide and involvement with it. It is against right reason when medicine is used to kill people rather than save them. 

 

A typical example of medicine being abused to kill people can be found in the movie: You Don't Know Jack (2010). Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the real protagonist of the film, is a doctor who advocates euthanasia and was a hot topic in the United States some years ago. He helped 130 people commit suicide, and for that reason was eventually jailed for second-degree murder and released on parole.

Patients with incurable diseases, such as Lou Gehrig's disease, terminal cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and paralyzed persons with no possibility of recovery, do not want to be a burden on their families anymore and want death. 

 

However, human life is dignified, and as God says, "I am the one who kills, I am the one who gives life" (Deuteronomy 32:39), euthanasia as a human choice cannot but be ungodly and unethical because God is the ruler of life. Euthanasia is the act aimed at eliminating pain, pain is meaningless and should be eliminated. However, if you realize that there is a dimension of mystery and grace that pain brings, the consideration of caring for the end of life will follow, like the daughter who takes care of her elderly mother at home. 

 

Trickle-down Theory of Economics

 

The recent issue of the Catholic Peace Weekly in the Eyes of the Priest column, we hear his thoughts on the Trickle-down Theory of economics.

On the 16th of last month, the government announced the new economic policy direction. Many wondered what direction the new government's economic policy would take in the era of high inflation. One of the most controversial issues was the corporate tax rate cut. Corporate tax is a tax levied on the income of a corporation. Simply put, it is an income tax levied on a company.

However, according to the government announcement, the key is to lower the current top tax rate of 25% to 22%. The logic is that if the tax on companies that make a lot of money is reduced, the economy will be activated as a result with the creation of new jobs, which naturally increases the country's growth potential. 

This is a classic trickle-down theoretical approach. It is argued that if economic support is provided to the wealthy and entrepreneurs, the overall economy can be improved by being more active, and the resulting benefits will also be passed on to the low-income classes.

However, the problem is that this trickle-down theory has never been proven effective in real life. Reducing the tax did not have a major effect on investment and employment, but rather increased the company's internal reserves. In 2015, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Monetary Fund's IMF Strategic Policy Evaluation Bureau, released a report that analyzed the cases of more than 150 countries around the world and found that the so-called trickle-down effect is completely wrong logic. 

Even Pope Francis has spoken on the trickle-down effect, saying: "In the past, there was a belief that when a glass is full, the profits will be shared with the poor, but now when the glass is full, the glass magically gets bigger, giving nothing to the poor."  The Pope also points out in the Encyclical: "All Brothers", that neoliberalism repeatedly reproduces solutions to various social problems, relying on a magical trickle-down theory, but today’s problems of inequality are not solved in this way. 

A Research Institute also came up with an analysis that estimated the decrease in tax revenue, which was about 1.7 trillion won as of the report in 2020. However, lowering the corporate tax rate is not just a reduction in tax revenue. In the end, the tax revenue reduced by the tax cuts for the rich can lead to someone else's tax increase, or the government's essential spending can be cut by that much. There is also concern that the various supports given to the socially vulnerable right now may be reduced.

In this sense, the economic policy direction of the new government should be reviewed again. I hope that we can support the socially and economically vulnerable with the tax from the profits of companies that earned more, so we can try to resolve the polarization that has become more severe due to COVID-19. 

It seems that a policy that takes care of those who have the most difficulty with rising prices is needed first, rather than focusing on the corporate tax of large corporations that can survive on their own when the economy gets tough. When the new government establishes the economic policy direction, it is good to remember that the word 'economic' in Korean is 經濟 and the abbreviated phrase 經世濟民 means economics is the way to manage the world and save the people. This is important for all of us to remember.

Understanding Depression as a Catholic

 In the recent issues of the Catholic Times and Catholic Peace Weekly two articles reviewed a book published many years ago and recently translated into Korean: The Catholic Guide to Depression by Catholic psychiatrist Aaron Keriaty with Fr. John Cihak, STD.

"If a patient of faith asks if he should pray more or take medicine for the treatment of depression, my answer is do both." The guide is for ordinary Christians suffering from depression, as well as pastors, religious, spiritual leaders, and doctors who are by their side to help them. 

Growing faith can free you from the pain of depression?  Or depression has nothing to do with religious life? The writer points out that these tips worsen rather than alleviate depression. It's advice that does not understand depression as a disease or the impact of depression on the spiritual life and faith.

Psychiatry and psychology have taught us a lot about depression, but the whole picture of this suffering is complex. This is because biological and psychological factors as well as all kinds of social, cultural and spiritual factors are caused and influenced by them. 

The word 'depression' has the meaning of 'a hollow on a flat road'. Therefore, in order to properly understand the causes and aspects of depression, which is multifaceted, and to treat it appropriately, we have no choice but to talk with philosophy and theology.

The author is visited by many Catholics, including priests suffering from depression. To meet mental health professionals who share their faith. The causes of depression are complex, and each person is born with strong genetic factors and environmental factors early in life. Genetic and environmental factors manifest their influence regardless of our living circumstances or choices, no matter how earnestly we pray or how moral we are. 

"Religiously devout people, and even saints suffered from severe depression." The author approaches depression from two perspectives, holding on to the Catholic view that there is an essential unity between the soul and the body, and between the mind and matter. While examining the medical, psychological, social, and spiritual causes and treatment methods of depression from the 'top'; and from the 'bottom', that is, genetic and other biological factors and treatment options for depression are discussed.

Pope Saint John Paul II, in his speech at the 18th International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health and Pastoral Affairs held in November 2003, said: "With his infinite love, God is always near to those who are suffering. Depression can be a 'path to discovering a different side of you', and it can be a new encounter with God." Exploring depression from a Catholic point of view may serve as a lure for readers seeking clues to new encounters with themselves and with God.