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; 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. Because the reason for forgiveness is to remove the injustice committed and to return to the pre-injustice situation. Asking for forgiveness, we want to return to the position where we are no longer a sinner. This is only possible with God. Like in the movie 'Secret Sunshine', after we inflict pain on another all we need to achieve peace is to 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 ask for forgiveness. We need 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 the 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."
A member of a Korean unification research team writes for the Catholic Peace Weekly column on current affairs. He gives his opinion on an article written for the New York Times by David Sanger, who wrote in a headline on the front page of the Times that "North Korea deceived Trump" showing some photos of a missile site in North Korea. He is a veteran reporter with many honors— both the reputation of the reporter and the authority of the New York Times did not allow doubts about the missile site. (The article can be read understanding the bias without need to see it as dishonest, but easy to understand why the writer had difficulty.)
However, the New York Times article, which reported the site as a "hidden base," was reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Korean domestic media that a short-range missile was launched from that site in 2016. The New York Times' news was a bit faded. To attract readers' attention, it is often the practice to add stimulants to an article, and the New York Times is no exception. However, it is a distorted report when the US-ROK intelligence agencies looked into the military base in the North and maintain that it is an unreported site and a huge deception. (The New York article did say 'suggests' deception).
Even before the date was set for the negotiation with the North in March, they had pictures of the North Korean site. Therefore, this shows clearly the United States' mainstream media's bias toward the North Korean problem. This 'confirmatory bias' (the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses) is based on the belief that Kim Jong-un will not change, and even if he changes, it will only be temporary. Therefore, they are only interested in finding evidence that their North Korean allegations are correct. If you fall into a 'confirmation bias', you will see only what you want to see, facts become irrelevant and inflexibility overrides logic.
Politicians are the easiest people to fall into 'confirmation biases'— political arguments when to their advantage they deliberately ignore objective evidence that conflicts with their claim. President Trump seems to be an incarnation of 'confirmation bias'.
But in attacking Trump's North Korean policy, we should not ignore the mainstream media's 'confirmation bias' and close our eyes to the facts and flaws of logic. Politically, the 'confirmation bias' has existed since the very beginning of political party politics, and, can be cleaned at any time by the votes of the citizens.
However, we don't have a vote on the media. When the press gets caught up in the 'confirmation bias', it relies only on processed information for political attacks, instead of working to find the facts. The coverage of the media exists breathing in the political and social context in which they exist.
Professional journalists will not dispense themselves from the "5W1H" way of reporting. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, who uncovered the Watergate affair, says he still advises his juniors to "bite the hand that feeds them". The media should not jump into political battles but only objectively report the conflicts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
