Temptation to Lie is Always Present

All of us find it convenient at times not to tell the truth, to deceive and, sometimes, to tell outright lies.  In the competitive worlds of politics and business, politicians and merchants often feel it necessary to lie to achieve their goals. And many others have come to accept lying as an unavoidable strategy for those who intend to succeed in our highly competitive societies.

Moral theologians have always had trouble with giving wiggle-room not only for the mundane lie but also for the lie that people feel necessary to save the life or reputation of another. Even the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2483) has come down on the side of strictness: "Lying is the most direct offense against the truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error. By injuring man's relation to truth and to his neighbor, a  lie offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord."In an earlier edition of the Catechism the words "in order to lead into error someone who has the right to know the truth," have in recent editions been  removed.

We will never know, on this earth, the damage done to society because of lies. But we do know, on a personal level, that when trust is lost it harms not only others but ourselves.

We can all recount stories of deception we have experienced, and in a Catholic magazine a number of  persons from the literary world have decided to tell their stories and how they feel about lying.  One of the writers mentions the time she was riding on the subway when a well dressed man approached her, saying he came to Seoul to be with his classmates but  had too much to drink and didn't have enough money to return home. He showed her his business card and told her he would send the money to her as soon as he returned home. The card indicated that he was a school teacher and listed his telephone number. Shortly after he left,  she felt he may not have been what he said, and called the number. "This number you have called is not listed," she was told. She had a good laugh.

Another writer quotes the Korean proverb, "Lying well is better than having a small rice paddy." He believes lying can be a help in conducting ones life, explaining that to lie well is not to do harm to nature or to others. But also says that lies like this are extremely rare. There is little doubt that lying does prove helpful in achieving the material goals many desire, but these goals are often pursued mindlessly in the competitive world we live in, and we don't  see what happens to us and to others as a consequence of this behavior.

One writer concludes his essay with a listing of scripture quotes on lying. "Each one deceives the other, no one speaks the truth.They have accustomed their tongues to lying, and are perverse, and cannot repent" (Jeremiah 9:4). " Delight not in telling lie after lie for it never results in good" (Sirach 7:13). "A liar's way leads to dishonor, his shame remains ever with him" (Sirach 20:25). "The false witness will not go unpunished, and he who utters lies will perish" (Proverbs 20:9). "Do me justice , O God, and fight my fight against a faithless people; from the deceitful and impious man rescue me" (Psalms 43:1).

And we all can say: "Lord, help me to guard my lips from lying. Amen."               

Problems with the Naval Base in Jeju-do

Bishop Kang U-il of Jeju-do  has sent an open letter to the Korean media in support of the opposition to the naval base being built on the island of Jeju-do. Considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the island, because of its idyllic, peaceful environment, has been affectionately dubbed the island of peace  The bishop's letter explaining the Christian opposition to the naval base was an unprecedented  act by the bishop, who is also the president of the Bishops Conference.

The Catholic Times discusses the controversial issue on its editorial page. The villagers of Gangeong, where the naval base is being built, and many others who have enjoyed the peaceful ambiance of the island, are opposed to the project.  The government has boasted of the  beauty of the island, and now that same government is dealing it, say the opponents to the project, a deadly blow.  Even on this beautiful island the ocean bottom of Gangeong is known for its  natural beauty,  turning the harbor into  concrete is hard to understand.                   

The bishop also mentions another problem: the way the site was selected.  It did not take into account the people who would be affected; there was no  consultation with the people of the island, and there was also, he said, evasion of the law. It was a top-down  decision.

Having a naval base on the island will provide an additional reason for conflict among  the  countries in the Far East. The bishop goes on to tell us the history of Jeju-do and the emotional scars that have been left on the hearts of its people.  The editorial chose not to mention this painful history, but the bishop went into great detail to explain what he meant. The revolt in Jeju-do in 1948, against the plans for elections in the South, was so intense and frightening that many chose to go to Japan. It is a history few Koreans are familiar with because of the  efforts of the government. Even today one does not find it easy to bring up the matter in conversation. History, our history, the bishop says, has to be remembered when the naval base is considered.

The Catholic Church has been opposed to the naval base since July of 2007. The Bishops Committee of Justice and Peace issued at that time a public declaration of opposition. In an urgent meeting of all the diocesan Justice and Peace committees, the dioceses agreed to be united with the diocese of Jeju-do in its opposition, indicating that they were determined to keeping the island the island of peace.

All Koreans are interested, as are all people everywhere, in the security and peace of their country. But the competition in amassing armaments is not the way to avoid war; instead, it makes the possibilities for war even greater. Pope Paul II in the encyclical  Centesimus Annus (The 100th Year) #18, said, "An insane arm's race swallowed up the resources needed for the development of national economies and for assistance to the less-developed nations. Scientific and technological progress, which should have contributed to man's well-being, was transformed into an instrument of war: science and technology were directed to the production of ever more efficient and destructive weapons. Meanwhile, an ideology, a perversion of authentic philosophy, was called upon to provide doctrinal justification for the new war."

The editorial ends by proposing that the conflict and confusion in Jeju-do be resolved by the decision of the government to stop the project, returning the island to its naturally peaceful ways. It is hoped, the editorial goes on to say, that the incident will allow us to reflect on what true peace requires, and that all our citizens will learn to appreciate the preciousness of our environment.

Call for Social Justice and the Common Good

Call for Social Justice, a group of concerned Catholics, was formed to make us more aware of Catholic social principles and to help put them into practice in society. What we read in the papers, they say, is just the tip of the iceberg; what is out of sight--the lack of concern of many of our representatives for the common good--nobody seems to care to bring to light; Call for Social Justice intends to change this oversight. Though its history is short, it has already done much. Important as it is to work within the Church, the group stresses that it is also necessary to get these social principles accepted by society.

To change society is no easy task but to change ourselves, they believe, is not that difficult.  When we change, our community changes, and eventually our society changes. But it has to start with ourselves.

The editorial in the Peace Weekly reports that Call for Social Justice has given awards to three members of the Assembly for their work in advancing the common good. They  were selected for the awards for being on the side of the  poor and alienated.

The editorial stresses that, theoretically, all members of the Assembly, since they are representatives of the people, should have the accomplishments to receive the award. Whether we are rich or poor, capable or incapable, "we are today witnessing," states Gaudium and Spes # 26. "an extension of the role of the common good, the sum total of social conditions that allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily." This common good should be understood as being on the same level as our human dignity.

Members of the National Assembly have the duty to help all our people find their fulfillment. However, in many cases, the members are more interested in their political party and vested interests than in helping the powerless, who all too often are demoralized, feeling their concerns are being overlooked. And the reason, the editorial suggests, is the failure to consider the common good.
 
Catholics should not only be critical of the faults of our Assembly members but be quick to praise those working for justice, in order to encourage and promote what they are trying to do.

Prayer Meeting at Assisi

On Oct. 27 there will be a meeting of many religions at Assisi for a day of prayer and dialogue.  Koreans have little difficulty understanding the importance of what is being attempted at Assisi, but this is not true in some parts of the Catholic world. Korea, however, has been a good model for others to follow in learning how religions can succeed in living together in harmony.

A priest-professor at Sogang University, writing in a Catholic magazine, expressed dismay at some of the problems we have had between religions in recent years. Korea, he says, is a museum of religions. In our history Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and  many other religions peculiar to Korea  have lived together in harmony. To have this religious harmony, he says it's necessary for them to be independent of the government and that the dignity of the individual be respected, since it forms the foundation allowing for our freedom of choice and the practice of religion.

The professor gives us a little history of how the Church in the past has understood freedom of religion. It was thought that in the presence of truth, there is no reasonable choice possible but to choose the truth. That by not choosing truth a person is choosing error. And that this freedom of not choosing the truth results in propagating indifference and relativism, and as opening the way to acknowledging the truth of other religions, diminishing the importance of belief in Jesus. It was thought to be destructive of the Church and, ultimately, of the individual since the truths of the Church were considered crucial to living the good life. To safeguard these truths, and the welfare of the individual, it was thought necessary to stress the error of other religions.

Many years later, the Church found that the best possible solution to adopt in religious matters was to tolerate other religions. This tolerance was not based on human dignity or rights but based on politics and the necessity of having stable societies.  In other words, to prevent greater social evil the Church accepted lesser evil. After much discussion at the Second Vatican Council, the Church fully accepted the right of all people to have freedom of religion, which was promulgated in the  Declaration of Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae--#1): "A sense of the dignity of the human person has been impressing itself more and more deeply on the consciousness of contemporary man. And the demand is increasingly made that men should act on their own judgment, enjoying and making use of a responsible freedom, not driven by coercion but motivated by a sense of duty." This was a positive acceptance of freedom of religion as a fundamental right of  all. In the long history of the Church this was a new understanding. The Church was now acknowledging that the freedom that she had been working for in human dignity and fundamental rights includes freedom of religion.

The Church, in accepting this freedom of religion, is not relativizing the truth it teaches, but now sees that God's word can be expressed through other religions. The many beautiful and good things in other religions, the Church acknowledges. God's word makes us free. And it is God's word in all religions that is working, in its various ways, to make us free. Humans who are seeking  freedom should have the freedom to choose their religion. A religion that does not allow this freedom cannot talk about freedom.
                                                                                                                                                        

Benedictine Monks Protesting with Area Residents

Some months ago, the burial of  Agent Orange containers in a US military  base  here in Korea was brought  to the attention of the Koreans.  From the time of hearing the news reports the residents around Camp Carroll, an American military camp in the southeast of Korea, have  been living with anxiety.

The Catholic Times has reported that the Benedictine monks at Waegwan Monastery, located close to Camp Carol, sent a letter of protest to the Environment and Labor Committee of the Government. Former U.S. servicemen  said they buried the toxic chemicals in 1978. However, an American and Korean team of investigators announced they had found no traces of Agent Orange. The American military now admits that barrels of toxic material were buried at Camp Carroll, but were later dug up and removed.

Letters of protest from residents of the area make clear that they are not  relieved by the report of the joint investigation team, which satisfied neither the residents nor the monks, especially when the Catholic Times reported that the American servicemen  have said that the place where they buried the containers was near a helicopter landing area, and the investigating team did not go to that area. The residents also want the SOFA (status of forces agreement)  amended to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

In recent years there has  been a lack of trust in the way the American military has conducted itself in Korea. It is not only the residents of Waegwan that the the monks are concerned about;  news reports indicate that many of the other American military bases have underground water pollution much higher than government standards allow. To deal with all these revelations and the anxiety of the residents, the monks are asking the government to begin an independent investigation that will be transparent and put to rest the worries of the residents.

Educational System to Emulate

After seeing a video on Finland's schools, a priest working with the youth in the diocese, in an article for priests, compares the school system of Finland with the one we have here in Korea.  Finland 60 years ago was, he says, very similar to Korea, but since then both countries have gone in different directions.

"Since we have nothing, nothing is to be thrown away" sums up the Finnish approach to any issue or problem. Being a small powerless country, it  considers their people its greatest resource, and believes any society formed by those that have been brought up to compete with others is not healthy, and that all of a student's strong points have to be developed to have a healthy country. These were the thoughts of the priest as he watched the video.

For the first nine years of schooling in Finland, there are no exams and no grades. You compete with yourself and not with others. After 9 years, there is a national exam that determines what schools and  students are doing well and not so well. What the priest found significant and different were the efforts being made to help the students and schools that are not doing well.  Finland's educational policy is designed to help raise the level of all the students and all the schools, with the goal of producing better students and schools. No one in this educational agenda is to be left out, and it's all free until the master's degree in college.

Both Finland and Korea score very high in the international tests, but the priest notes that in Finland, they have no private programs of study; they are interested in all the students, not only the good students. In Korea, however, the students have no time to play but are always at the books, preparing for exams.  He asks, whimsically, why is it that Korean students have the world's greatest amount of private study, studying from morning until night, and yet don't do any better than students from a country without private study and with concern for helping the poorer student?

The priest recalls a meeting of all those in the diocese who work with students. They went to where a priest  had a shelter for young people. The priest at the shelter shocked the group by recounting that in the past those who had difficulty fitting in at school were disciplined or suspended for a short period of time but now  told not to come back to school. Many of them wander the streets, receive food aid, and are involved  with drugs.He laments that the  present situation with our young people is troubling.

Our society finds it easy to see and reward the attractive,  bright and accomplished young people but not so keen in helping the unattractive, slow-to-learn and less accomplished. Finland has made an important discovery that Korea, and the rest of the world would do well to acknowledge and emulate.  Incorporating the best features of the Finnish school system means less emphasis on  the economics of the  country and  more interest  on its greatest resource people.

Korean College Entrance Exams

One of the trials high school students face in Korea is their college entrance exams. It has turned into an ordeal because of how important passing the exams has become in the culture. Whether it deserves to be so important is another question, but the extraordinary effort often made to pass the exams makes the life of the students and parents difficult.

The president of a girl's Catholic high school in Seoul writes a letter of encouragement  to those who, in about 100 days, will be taking those dreaded exams. The sister- president begins by mentioning the weather, the damage and even deaths caused  by the rains, and during this time, she feels sure they have been at their desks preparing for the exams.

"All of you in 3rd year high school and those taking the exam again are in my heart," she tells them, "and I want to show you my concern. You have worked hard at your studies and have overcome the temptation to play. You have nurtured your dream and have sweated much. Your parents and teachers have encouraged you, but you have no peace and are fretful."

She continues by telling the students that they will feel unprepared for the exams, that the time is short and that they will be comparing themselves with others and come up short.  That one day of exams, she says, will be a judgement not only on their high school years but on their whole 12 years of schooling. She, as a predecessor and one who spends time with them in school, wants to say something that she hopes will give them some peace.

"First of all, the exam is not determining your individual value or capabilities," she reminds them,  "but your faithfulness to the study program; it will give you a chance to look at your attitude to life and to examine it. Of course, you can see what your objectives were and can determine whether your efforts were satisfying and sufficient. It is the first serious exam you will be taking  but it is not everything." She prays that they do not drink the bitter cup of defeat from the exams.

She goes on to say that she has met many who, by experiencing the anguish of defeat, have grown strong and mature. In life, there are many exams and trials, failing some and succeeding with others, but what is necessary is to do your best and leave the rest up to God.

She wants them to consider, above all else, their health and what would be a fitting way for them to spend this last period of study. 100 days is still a good period of time, but if they face it as in a sprint, the chances are they will tire out quickly. She also hopes they will have the peace of mind to see the other students not only as competitors but as deserving of the same victorious results as they hope for themselves.

She ends her words of encouragement with the following prayer: "Lord, may our students receive the results that their efforts merit. May they have a clear mind enabling them to display what they have learned. And if by chance they don't do well may they not become dejected but give them patience and strength. Amen."