Carbon Neutrality and Relligious Life

A college professor in the Diagnosis of the Times column of the Catholic Peace Weekly wants the readers to make a connection between Easter and Carbon Neutrality.

Since we are in the spring of the new year we are experiencing flower parties here in Korea and in many other parts of the world. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom before the plum blossoms were gone, and the forsythia and azalea flowers competed to bloom. It is not always pleasant to see beautiful flowers bloom too early. The cherry blossoms that bloomed on April 17th 100 years ago bloomed on March 25th in Seoul this year. Since the average temperature in Korea has increased by 1.9℃ over the past 100 years, it is perhaps natural. Is it not only the flowers that are strange?
 
In winter, there are more and more years when the Han River, where ice skating was enjoyed, does not freeze even for a day. On March 19, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change revealed that the global surface temperature had risen by 1.1°C over the past 10 years compared to pre-industrial levels. It also predicted that the goal set for the temperature rise, 1.5℃, will be exceeded by 2040. And in the current situation, the global temperature will rise by an average of 3.2 ℃ at the end of this century, and this global warming was evaluated as 100% 'human influence'. What makes us different from the crowd who crucified Jesus without even knowing what they were doing? ( Lk 23:34).
 
UN Secretary-General warned at a press conference on the 6th report of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPCC) that "humanity is on thin ice that is rapidly melting" and urged countries to advance the target of net zero. The IPCC report, hopefully, predicted the possibility of carbon neutrality by 2050 internationally as "not simple, but possible." In particular, it was evaluated that Korea is in an advantageous position to achieve carbon neutrality because it has excellent technical capabilities.
 
The Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee announced the National Carbon Neutral Green Growth Basic Plan on March 21st. The most important national greenhouse gas reduction target was to maintain the internationally promised 2030 reduction target of 40% compared to 2018 greenhouse gas emissions. The biggest change in this plan is the lowering of the industrial sector reduction target from 14.5% to 11.4%. It plans to reduce 4 million tons, half of the reduction in the industrial sector, from the power generation sector, and the rest through (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Technology) and international reduction. In addition, the share of renewable energy generation in 2030 was lowered from 30.2% to 21.6%, but the other five sectors, including construction, transportation, livestock, fisheries, waste, and sinks, remained the same as the previous reduction targets.
 
Civic groups criticize that this plan has reduced the burden on the industrial sector, which is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, and that carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and international reductions have applied uncertain measures as a reduction method and lowered the proportion of renewable energy, which is the surest alternative.  
 
Although there are many regrets, the presentation of the annual implementation target by 2030 can be highly evaluated. Excluding 1998, when the country was in a state of bankruptcy due to the IMF, and 2020, when 'Corona' was rampant, it is difficult to find a case in which greenhouse gas emissions have decreased.  
 
Execution is more important than planning for greenhouse gas reduction, and this is why evaluation and constructive feedback by a group of experts with public confidence are essential.
 
It is true that the unit cost of renewable energy generation is still higher than that of fossil fuels, and it is inconvenient for the general public to follow Eco-friendly living methods such as expanding the use of public transportation and controlling the temperature of air conditioning and heating.

Jesus taught, "Love your neighbor as yourself". Believers must first come forward to practice carbon neutrality to solve the "climate crisis" that is at stake in the global community and even the ecosystem. It is because those who belong to God must practice righteous things. (1 John 3:10) So we must be born again as children of God. Because Jesus "is the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25).

Pseudo-religion and Easter Faith

 

In the recent Catholic Peace Weekly's Peace column, the director of news gives us a look at a problem with pseudo-religion during this Coming Easter season.

Religious society becomes murky due to the activities of pseudo-religious groups, especially at this time of the year celebrating again the Lord's Resurrection Day. 

Pseudo-ism and heresy are different. Heresy is considered deviating greatly from the orthodox tenets of established religion, pseudo-religious groups abuse the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.

Pseudo Religion destroys both the spiritual and physical lives of those who become followers. They placate the followers with disguised interest and false love, distort the Bible and doctrine, induce blind faith in the religious leader, and brainwash the believers. If they leave, they attack and terrorize, and make them tremble in fear

A common characteristic of pseudo-religious leaders is that they claim to be 'messiahs', and gods. They distort the resurrection faith of Jesus and deceive the believers to satisfy their private desires through sexual violence, and extortion. 2000 years ago the resurrected Jesus has returned to delegate them the mission of the Second Coming. So they came up with the bizarre logic that only by believing and obeying them can they be saved and go to heaven.

So how did Jesus actually resurrect from the dead and foretell the Second Coming? The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are described in all four Gospels of the Bible. There are additions and subtractions in each Gospel, but the time, process, and words of the resurrection are all consistent.

Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He died about three o'clock in the afternoon with a loud cry. "My God. My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23,46).

This is how Jesus was buried. Joseph of Arimathea, who had followed Jesus as a respected member of the Jewish Council, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body to be handed over. Upon Pilate's permission, Joseph took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it in linen, placed it in a new tomb hewn out of the rock, and blocked the entrance to the tomb with a large stone.
 

The resurrection of Jesus took place at dawn on the first day of the week after the Sabbath. It was the third day since he died. Early in the morning, when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, the stone had been removed and the body of Jesus was nowhere to be seen. Peter and the other disciples who came later confirmed this. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was left alone in the tomb,  Also that evening, he appeared in front of his disciples and gave them a new mission, saying, "I will be with you until the end of the world" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus' ascension was accomplished in such a way that after blessing his disciples at the place where they were gathered, he ascended into heaven, and the figure of Jesus disappeared from sight as a cloud enveloped him. The Acts of the Apostles mentions the words of two men in white to the disciples during Jesus' ascension. "This Jesus, who has ascended into heaven, will return before your eyes in the same way as he ascended into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Pseudo-religious leaders who claim to be the 'Second Coming Jesus' distort and adapt the "Lord’s Second Coming and Judgment" using metaphors and symbols, promoting mysticism, and then deifying themselves.

We are not to understand the words of the Bible only as symbols and metaphors and interpret them arbitrarily. Like a pseudo cult, you can fall into delusions and hallucinations. You must read, listen, and interpret the Bible correctly so that you do not fall into pseudoscience. The cross is a symbol of righteous resistance and sacrifice. Jesus is always resurrected in us. We need to be better imitators of Jesus if we want to see the disappearance of pseudo-religions and give relief to their followers. Happy and Blessed Easter.
 
 

Missing the Point

During Monday of Holy Week, at the Gospel of the Mass, Mary of Bethany anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume. Judas who betrayed Jesus seeing the actions of Mary criticized her. Judas supposedly saw the possibility of using that money for the poor.

Mary of Bethany and Judas are both introduced to us at the beginning of Holy Week. Mary and Judas both see Jesus differently. Mary did something that with an objective worldly standard did not make sense. She used a large amount of expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus.

On that day it was clear that Judas was not alone in seeing the actions of Mary as foolish, illogical and was joined by many other disciples as noted by the other synoptic Gospels.

There is no doubt that the way we live, our genes, things we have experienced, our scars, our good deeds, knowledge, our environment, and many other stimuli are all present in what we see and hear, consequently, we often see and hear what we want. St.Thomas Aquinas put it very succinctly: we receive in the manner of the receiver. (Quidquid Recipitur...)

Truth should be our goal in all our discussions, however, truth alone without mercy often engenders violence in its many forms. "Truth should free us."

During this last part of Lent, we see Jesus' movement toward death increasing. Many only saw the harm to the nation with his talk and behavior. The very thing they feared did come about 40 years after the death of Jesus, the destruction of the Temple, and the end of the Nation.

Mary of Bethany and a few others did see Jesus rightly which made all the difference in their actions. The point was for them rather obvious.
 

Does missing the point in our many discussions bring about our polarization? We should be helping each other to find the truth but we are so taken up with our opinions that we sacrifice civility, and mercy, in our desire to destroy the opposition. Jesus made his approach on a donkey into Jerusalem last Sunday a laughing matter for those who want to see it that way.

We have a fancy word for the argument that misses the point. The Latin word for ignoring the refutation, missing the point, and failing to deal with the issue is ignoratio elenchi. Probably all the fallacies can be reduced to this basic fallacy of missing the point.
 
Mary, when she looked at Jesus, saw the God of Heaven. Judas saw a man who he hoped was the Messiah according to his understanding but was not. Most of the Apostles and disciples did not see Jesus like Mary of Bethany until after the Resurrection.

Missing the point about Jesus is the issue for Christians, but in our discussions with others, both online and offline is it not necessary to make sure we are talking about the same thing and understand as fully as possible what the other is saying or trying to say and have the kindness to try to help them say it and likewise for the other to do the same. The truth will always suffer from our efforts to prove that we are right without efforts to understand the other. For we are missing the point and no longer in search of truth.

Let's All become a little Poorer.

In the Catholic Peace Weekly a priest in his column  gives the readers his thoughts on the panic situation and bankruptcy experienced in certain parts of the world from past years.

After World War I in the 1920s, the United States, the center of the world economy, was entering a time of prosperity. New home appliances such as cheap cars, washing machines and refrigerators poured into the market. The stock market continued to rise and people with great hope borrowed money to invest. Overflowing money and installment payments, moved people to spend money on expensive luxury goods from all over the world. This period, the United States had eyes only  for money and consumption—called the Roaring Twenties.

At the end of the era of frenzy, the economy faced the Great Depression. Companies and banks begin to fall,  their products  accumulating but no one interested. The streets were full of unemployed. Those who lost their homes due to excessive debt became homeless and after the splendid parties and money all that remained was a memory. They discovered their shabby self that was hidden with luxury goods.

 

The deeper the darkness, the more the stars are shining. Dorothy Day, who showed a stream of light in a world when all was dark. Dorothy Day, was a journalist in New York, and began the  'Catholic Workers' Movement' with Peter Maurin at the peak of the Great Depression. For workers and the poor, they created a newspaper called "Catholic Workers", a hospitality house and a farm community, and was with those who  despaired during the Great Depression. Dorothy Day shouted in the world and church: "Let's get slightly poorer."

 

After the Corona crisis, the era of frenzy and the Great Depression seems to be coming back. Astronomical money was released by the corona crisis. It was called 'helicopter money' because it was overflowing as if sprinkled by helicopters floating in the sky. Asset prices have exploded due to overflowing money. The stock index soared, and the price of real estate, including apartments, seemed to change daily.

 

Can the church avoid the economic recession? The church also tightened its belt. Recently, Pope Francis abolished the free housing offered to high-ranking priests in the Vatican. The reason is the financial deterioration that started with Corona. According to Vatican News, you have to pay the same rent as ordinary people to live in a Vatican-owned house that was free or cheap. Before that, it is said that the living expenses paid to priests were also reduced. What should we do when the Vatican is in this kind of situation?

 

 "The church must be a field hospital."  Pope Francis, who celebrates his 10th anniversary as Pope, wants these words  to be the attitude of the church that looks at the economic crisis. As Dorothy Day during the Great Depression, should we become a slightly poorer church; a church that can reach out to those who are poor and in difficulty. Shouldn't the church  always be available for spiritual and practical help? So looking back we can say  that the church was an 'era of grace'  for these times.

 

Despair That Leads to Death—

In the Catholic Weekly One-Body One Spirit column, a Catholic movement that works to prevent suicide, a professor writes about the extreme despair that leads to death.

If you look at human existence simply, you can express it as life and death. Human essence cannot be replaced by anything else, he sees it as 'self-determination, self-regulation'.

A close look at humanity reveals many mutually contradictory concepts that coexist in symbiosis with physiological, time, consciousness, relationships, values, and spiritual concepts. In human existence, there are various contradictions such as input and output, past and future, creation and destruction, love and hate, understanding and misunderstanding, freedom and restraint, reality and unreality (illusion), sacred and profane, limit and transcendence all connected.

Coming into the world, human beings often cannot understand themselves because they are finished products made up of the contradictions listed above. Existentially, humans question not only the absurdity of the world but also their absurd inner world. However, most of them live in their original form until death. However, when subjected to repeated failures in life, they raise questions about why this happened and examine their internal contradictions. 

When self-inquiry intensifies, existence disintegrates. In the process of examination, they face all kinds of contradictions. One side contradicts the other. Unfortunately, it is difficult to return to the original state (finished product) even if the pieces of human existence once disassembled are put back together.

The word 'dissociation', a psychological term, also means 'taking apart'. It means separating the elements that make up something. Dissociation often occurs in people who have suffered enough psychological trauma to shake their identity. A person who suffers because he cannot handle his present self draws out from within himself a stranger he doesn't know. The process consists of a kind of self-replacement work in which the self is disassembled and rearranged to reveal a different person.

As this dissociation progresses, one forgets the original self and recognizes another identity as the real me. Also, although there is a difference in duration and degree, people lose their memories of the past altogether. They experience a state of uncertainty.

They say life and death are indistinguishable. Death is inherent in human life, and glimpses make human life more original. However, a suicide victim sees life and death from a different angle. Rather than viewing life and death as contradictory but integrated dimensions, they perceive them as completely incompatible. Until suicidal behavior, the identity that accepts life and death on the same line is maintained. However, when pain accumulates and reaches a state of extreme despair, life and death disintegrate and separate, and the person leans toward death. 

Similar to the dissociation phenomenon, a stranger who has lost his original self and is capable of suicidal behavior has risen from within. The last safety valve left to a person who has become able to die in this way is now only fear of death. The professor thinks that this fear of death may be the last natural healing power that keeps one from suicide.

Reason for Expanded Experiments on Genes

 

The Diagnosis of the Times column of the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers some changes in the Korean Ministry of  Health and Welfare by a professor at the Catholic University Department of Life.

On March 2, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced its ambition to become a global leader by changes in regulations in seven new bio-health industries. The seven items are new medical devices, new essential medicines, digital healthcare, regenerative treatments, advanced pharmaceutical,  genetic testing, brain and mechanical interfaces, devices and infrastructure that connect the brain and computers to enable interaction.

A week later, the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that it would expand the items of embryonic and fetal genetic testing in seven key areas and push ahead with it scheduled for June this year. However, it is questionable why genetic testing is a new field of bio-health industry. According to the relevant ministries, they are adjusting the scope of genetic testing that is currently prohibited or restricted in order to implement genetic testing that reflects the development of science and technology, but the reason for this is not clear.

 

Currently, there are a total of 137 genetic diseases that can be legally tested on embryos or fetuses (announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on March 7, 2022). However, genetic testing on embryos and fetuses is mostly not for treatment. First of all, genetic testing conducted on embryos selects embryos  eugenically, so unselected embryos are destroyed or used in experiments for genetic research. In the case of prenatal diagnosis performed on a fetus, most of them have the purpose of abortion rather than treatment. But now that science and technology have advanced, what does it mean to expand the scope of genetic testing? Are they trying to screen embryos and fetuses with stricter standards?

A couple had a baby after a long wait. The couple, were recommended to take a prenatal diagnostic test at the hospital and found out that their child had a genetic disease, and seriously considered abortion, but eventually gave birth with deep faith. The child was normal. Throughout the pregnancy, the couple reportedly had a hard time. However, if you had an abortion, you would not have known that there was an error in the test. This is because the hospital does not have to take any responsibility  after recommending a prenatal diagnosis and notifying parents that the fetus  has a genetic disease.

In fact, most genetic modifications are very minute, causing no visible modifications to the chromosome structure. In addition, genetic testing alone cannot reveal the presence of a genetic disease. Our body's genes are contained in DNA, but genetic diseases are expressed when the genes are converted into proteins. However, the process of gene expression into protein is very sophisticated and influenced by various factors.

The total length of DNA that each of us has throughout our bodies is about 20 trillion meters. Among them, the portion corresponding to the gene is about 2%, and more than 80% perform a switch function to control gene expression. The fact that more than 80% of these 2% are switches means that our body is very careful about gene expression. And the switch is regulated in response to various environments.
 

In addition, because genes can be expressed by interactions of various genes, different results can be derived from the same genetic information. In other words, genes are expressed as DNA interacts with the environment. It is very dangerous to ignore this fact and think that every thing is determined by genes.

But are the relevant ministries trying to spread the idea that everything is determined by genes by expanding the scope of genetic testing of embryos and fetuses? Do the results minimize and take life lightly and discriminates against human life with genetic information? It seems that the Ministry of Health and Welfare needs deep policy reflection to see if it is preoccupied with the idea that everything scientifically and technologically possible should be applied.

'Hikikomori' Coming out of the Cave

In Biblelife magazine a priest gives readers a glimpse of the life of Hikikomori, the Japanese term used for a reclusive loner—from the verb hiki to withdraw, and komori to be inside. It is not a mental health issue, but a state of unhealthy withdrawal from society. 

The writer begins with the shocking news that Seoul alone had about 130,000 'recluse loners'. A figure he found hard to believe. These are young people who live alone in their rooms. The writer knew of the reality from those who tried to help them but the numbers were beyond imagining. 

He introduces us to Song Min (made up name) who began his life as a loner at 17 and returned to society at 27, after 10 years confined to his room. Not easy to believe. The priest remembers how difficult it was for him during a retreat to remain silent in his room. He believes this is easy to understand. 

Song Min had an internet window to the world from which he was connected. It was during his late twenties he dared to leave his room. The reasons for this, of course, are different for each individual. However, the writer believes it is in many cases serious scars received in life. The degree of sensitivity to outside stimuli differs for each person. Some have no difficulty with what is heard or done but others are unable to deal with the external situation and enter their cave. 

It took Song Min 10 years to leave his cave. Getting into a cave in your teens and coming out of it in your late 20s is something you only hear about from an ascetic who is determined to realize the truth. He was helped by those around him. He joined others who made the same trip from the cave to reenter society again. Together with his mentors and others making the same journey, he began to learn how to maneuver in society with the assistance of his colleagues who were dealing with the same pain. 

The priest hearing Song Min's story impressed him greatly. For 10 years Song Min was estranged from the world. He had to learn how to communicate which was not easy to do. He was unable to communicate with others with words on many occasions. He asked the priest to speak comfortably without harboring negative feelings if he made a mistake. It was heartbreaking yet amazing to hear how negative feelings towards oneself were felt so deeply. He wondered if Song Min's senses were developed so sensitively because of the protective  and survival instinct to take care of oneself. 

Like many craftsmen in the world who developed a feeling for their craft that reached the level of the other world. Song Min and those like him, surprisingly and regrettably developed that ability entirely to protect themselves. 

Song Min had no handicaps or lacked love in his home life and was unable to understand his own situation. Fortunately, he made the move from the cave to normal life in society.He still has plenty of time to make a life for himself. 

The priest hopes we will all be able to feel the beauty in the world through the emotions and senses that we have received. Being able to sympathize with a neighbor's pain, shed tears together, and be moved by nature's beauties. Above all, he hopes we will all experience God and his love. Just as Saint Francis considered the sun as his brother and the moon his sister, he believes that we can feel connected to everything in the world that God created and prays that all our wounds will be healed freeing us to enjoy life and all creation.